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Course information

Length

1 year full-time

Department

Centre for Academic Language and Literacies
Music

Course overview

This Diploma is a Pre-Masters programme aimed at postgraduate students who need a year to develop or consolidate their language skills in academic English, to develop additional music skills (theoretical or practical).

You'll also have the opportunity to familiarise yourself both with ways of working in British academic culture and in the standards required at Masters degree level.

You can take it as a self-standing Diploma or as an ideal preparation for further postgraduate study. The Graduate Diploma in Music is designed to lead on to the MA and MMus programmes in the Department of Music at Goldsmiths.

You can choose to specialise in an area of music that interests you, whether it be music performance, composition or musicology (including ethnomusicology, popular music studies, historical musicology or contemporary music studies).

Progression

If you wish to go on to study either at Goldsmiths or elsewhere in Britain you'll be given help and support in finding an appropriate programme.

If you pass the programme at the required level (a pass in all modules with an overall score of 50% or more) and complete a successful interview you can progress onto one of the following MA programmes:

 

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Naomi Matsumoto.

What you'll study

Overview

Half of the programme is made up of English for Academic Purposes modules, concentrating on different areas of language and academic skills development:

  • Academic Writing and Language Development
  • Academic Listening and Speaking
  • Contemporary Theories

The other half of the programme is taught in the Music Department. You choose two music modules from a list of options in different areas of music study, including theoretical music studies, performance and composition. 

You will have a personal tutor and will receive support in researching and considering various MA degree options for your future studies.

Find out about the research interests of staff from the Department of Music.

Examples of recent optional modules include:

 

Module title Credits
Research Project 30 credits
Performance: Creative Practice 30 credits
Composition portfolio 30 credits
Acoustic Ecology and Field Recording 15 credits
Music Practice and the Black Atlantic: Britain’s Celebrity Culture 15 credits
Performing South-East Asian Music 15 credits
Fringe and Underground Musics 15 credits
Music/Modernities 15 credits
Soviet Music and Politics 15 credits
Creative Orchestration and Arrangement 15 credits
Introduction to Audiovisual Composition 15 credits
Improvisation 15 credits
Advanced Popular Music Studies 15 credits
Live Electronics 15 credits
Music and Screen Media 15 credits
Contemporary Jazz Performance the UK Scene 15 credits

Assessment

Continuous assessment includes regular seminar presentations and researched essays. There will also be written, listening and oral examinations. For those students who choose music performance and composition options, assessments will include a recital and a portfolio of creative work.

Credits and levels of learning

An undergraduate honours degree is made up of 360 credits – 120 at Level 4, 120 at Level 5 and 120 at Level 6. If you are a full-time student, you will usually take Level 4 modules in the first year, Level 5 in the second, and Level 6 modules in your final year. A standard module is worth 30 credits. Some programmes also contain 15-credit half modules or can be made up of higher-value parts, such as a dissertation or a Major Project.

Download the programme specification.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Between 2020 and 2022 we needed to make some changes to how programmes were delivered due to Covid-19 restrictions. For more information about past programme changes please visit our programme changes information page.

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject. 

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

For this programme we require: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) IELTS 5.5 overall with no component lower than 5.5. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

Fees & funding

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

  • International - full-time: £17830

Find out about our postgraduate tuition fees and funding opportunities.

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. 

Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:

  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online

          Please see our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement

  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September. 

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. 

Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

Selection process

Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

Careers

This programme will develop your skills in:

  • Critical reasoning
  • Textual interpretation
  • Oral and written communication

Successful completion at the required level will guarantee you a place on a relevant Goldsmiths degree programme.

Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths. 

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