Graduate Diploma

Introduction

Our Graduate Diploma Programme is ideal for instrumentalists, vocalists and composers who have gained a degree and want to deepen their skills before undertaking postgraduate study.

During the programme you will hone your skills as an artist through one‑to-one Principal Study lessons, group tuition and experience playing as a soloist and in ensembles. We will encourage you to develop skills for lifelong learning by building working relationships with other students.

This is a graduate programme aimed at students considering entry to postgraduate study at a conservatoire or university who do not currently meet the required standard. The programme enhances musicianship skills to bring students to the level needed to enter a postgraduate music degree.

Course details

This year long course comprises of four core modules, delivered through one-to-one and group tuition, masterclasses, ensemble performance and seminars.

Principal Study

Focusing on your technical and musicianship skills, this module will enable you to develop your artistic personality and key professional skills to equip you for the music profession. Delivered through one-to-one and group tuition, masterclasses, seminars and workshops, your Principal Study forms a core part of your learning.

Collective Performance (for instrumentalists and vocalists)

This is a group performance module where you are allocated Trinity Laban performance projects across the academic year. Our performance projects reflect what it will be like in the professional world and you’ll be exposed to a wide range of repertoire. Guest professionals often mentor or direct our performance projects alongside Trinity Laban staff.

Performance projects often feature our ensembles including our Side by Side Symphony Orchestras, Symphony Orchestra, Big Band, Brass Ensemble, Chamber Choir, Contemporary Music Group, Jazz Choir, Musical Theatre band, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble and Wind Ensemble. In some cases you may be able to be assessed on a project outside of Trinity Laban.

Dance-Film-Narrative (for composers)

This module helps consider the relationship between narrative and abstraction in music and how these interact with other art forms. Taught to composers from all programmes, you will learn about key movements in dance, film, theatre, visual arts and gaming.

Technical Portfolio

Developing your critical reflection skills, the Technical Portfolio allows you understand the technical demands of your Principal Study and what’s required to meet those in a reliant and consistent manner. This is a bespoke module and tailored to you so that you can reflect on stylistic and technical challenges in your repertoire, as well as broader issues in musical performance. It will develop your technical capacity while allowing you to reflect on what you need to develop on your Principal Study.

CoLab

This is our festival of collaborative learning where students, staff and external mentors from across the Faculties of Music and Dance take a break from their regular timetables to work together on new and experimental projects. This is a two-week intensive project that values artistic risk taking and processes, and will help you to develop a mature and reflective approach to your individual development.

Teaching and Learning

How will I learn?

The aim of this programme is to develop your independent learning strategies. You’ll do this through a blend of formal tuition, experiential learning and personal study. Your Principal Study is central to this programme, which you’ll develop through one-to-one and group tuition, rehearsals, workshops, seminars and masterclasses. You’ll also have the opportunity to perform in a range of solo, small group, chamber and large ensemble performance projects.

Collaboration a key part of the Trinity Laban experience and at the heart of professional artistic life. Throughout the programme you will work with other students from different programmes and disciplines, whether that’s working side by side or by taking a leadership role.

How will I be assessed?

To give you an understanding of what the professional world will be like, our assessment methods aim to mirror professional contexts. For your Principal Study module, you will be assessed in a performance context (Performance and Jazz pathways) or by portfolio (Composition pathway). For CoLab you will be assessed continuously on your engagement and for Collective Performance, you will be assessed through a mixture of continuous assessment and written reflection.

Hours

The programme comprises 1,200 hours of learning and teaching, including a minimum of 310 hours of contact time. Rehearsal and performance contact time will vary according to your Principal Study.

We define contact time as learning delivered by a staff member, visiting lecturer or practitioner. Contact and self-study time can be viewed in the module descriptions on the programme specification.

Entry Requirements

When you apply, we’ll be looking for your potential to carry out detailed investigations of topics that interest you and your ability to communicate these ideas coherently and effectively. We’ll assess this through your application, audition and interview.

Before applying, you will need:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, although other qualifications or professional experience will be considered

IELTS 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in all four areas or Trinity College London’s Integrated Skills in English II (ISEII) if English is not your first language.

Fees and Finance

Fees are reviewed annually. Home student tuition fees are aligned with the maximum tuition fee cap set by the UK Government. International tuition fees are subject to annual inflationary increases based on RPI-X.

Fees for September 2024 Entrants

Full-Time: September 2024 Entrants
Year	HOME	INTERNATIONAL
2024/25	£11,290	£17,150

Part Time: September 2024 Entrants
Year	HOME	INTERNATIONAL
Year 1: 2024/25	£6,710	£10,200
Year 2: 2025/26	£6,970	£10,600
Total Fee:	£13,680	£20,800

Graduate Diploma (Vocal Studies students)

Full-Time: September 2024 Entrants
Year	HOME	INTERNATIONAL
2024/25	£12,650	£18,510

Part Time: September 2024 Entrants
Year	HOME	INTERNATIONAL
Year 1: 2024/25	£7,470	£10,960
Year 2: 2025/26	£7,760	£11,390
Total Fee:	£15,230	£22,350

Fees for September 2023 Entrants

Graduate Diploma

Full-Time: September 2023 Entrants
Year	HOME	INTERNATIONAL
2023/24	£10,860	£16,490

Part Time: September 2023 Entrants
Year	HOME	INTERNATIONAL
Year 1: 2023/24	£6,450	£9,810
Year 2: 2024/25	£6,710	£10,200
Total Fee:	£13,360	£20,010

Graduate Diploma (Vocal Studies students)

Full-Time: September 2023 Entrants
Year	HOME	INTERNATIONAL
2024/25	£12,170	£17,800

Part Time: September 2023 Entrants
Year	HOME	INTERNATIONAL
Year 1: 2024/54	£7,180	£10,540
Year 2: 2025/26	£7,470	£10,960
Total Fee:	£14,650	£21,500