How to apply through UCAS Conservatoires
You make your application online. Here’s a step-by-step guide to applying to a conservatoire.
You make your application online. Here’s a step-by-step guide to applying to a conservatoire.
When you’ve found a course you want to apply to, there are a few key points to note before you start your application:
Register in the UCAS Hub and complete the registration questions – confirming the year you want to start your studies and that you're interested in ‘conservatoires’.
You’ll then be taken to your UCAS Hub dashboard where you’ll see a tile called ‘Your application’. Simply click ‘Start’ to begin your application.
There are some key points to note:
If you’re taking or have taken an English language test, you might be able to add the details here, so that conservatoires can verify the results.
If you’ve taken any other English language test or course, mention it in your personal statement.
You’ll be able to enter your passport number as well, which will help you if you need to arrange a student visa. Don’t worry if you don’t have a passport yet – you can add your passport number after you’ve submitted your application.
Enter details of up to five schools, colleges and universities you have most recently attended or are still attending.
Please include any conservatoire junior departments or academies you’ve attended too.
Enter all your qualifications – whether you have the result (even any that were ungraded) or you’re still awaiting exams and results.
For course results you're still waiting for, these are the exam results we're able to process and forward on to conservatoires. If any of your pending qualifications aren't on here, you still need to add them to your application, but also remember you’ll need to send the results on to your chosen conservatoires when you get them.
Read our blog if you need advice on entering AS and A levels.
If you can't find your school exam certificates, contact the school or local authority, but if you have no luck, contact the conservatoires you're applying to and discuss your options.
If you're adding an Access course to your application, there are four different kinds of Access course to choose from, so it's important to enter the correct one.
If you're unsure it's best to speak to your Access course provider to check. Then fill in the details as follows:
Title: Select from the drop-down list, or if it's not there, use the 'Other' box to type it.
Qualification date: Enter either the date your qualification was awarded, or the date you expect to receive your results.
Access Validating Agency: Enter the name of the board that awards your qualification.
Result: Enter either 'Pending' or 'Completed'.
Modules: How many you need to enter depends on the type of Access course.
If your qualification is the Access to HE Diploma (2009 onwards), it's compulsory to add at least one of the modules, and if possible please add all of them. There's space for 20 modules, so if you have more, please contact your chosen conservatoires for guidance on how to send additional details to them directly
If you're adding one of the other Access courses, your conservatoires may still need details of your modules – either all of them or particular ones – so it's always best to check.
Please also enter the amount of credits allocated to each module under the heading 'Credit value'.
You can choose up to six courses – in no preference order.
There’s usually no need to apply for more than one course at any particular conservatoire.
If you’re applying for music courses, you might be able to select two instruments if you’d like to.
This is your chance to show conservatoires why you want to study the course and why you'd make a great student. It might take a while until you’re happy with it and you’ve checked it through with teachers, advisers or family, so it’s a good idea to start early.
A reference is a written recommendation from a teacher, adviser, or professional who knows you academically.
If you are unable to get your references in time, you can proceed without a reference by selecting the relevant tick box in the reference section of your application.You will need to print or download the reference forms and email them to your referees – and they need to send the references to the conservatoires you’re applying to.
Once you’ve marked all previous sections as complete you’ll be able to read and agree to the declaration – which allows us to process your info and send it to your conservatoires.
There’s an application fee of £27.50 if you’re applying to study in the 2024 entry cycle. The application fee will be £28.50 for the 2025 entry cycle.
For most courses you’ll need to attend an audition or interview, or send a recording or portfolio to each conservatoire.