Application Information and Guidance

Application deadlines for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes vary, please see each course page below for application deadlines. Please note that all application closing deadlines for our courses are at 4.30pm (UK time) on the date of the deadline.

Drama

• BA Acting

Music

• BMus
• MMus/MPerf in Performance (Guildhall Artist Masters)
• MMus/MPerf in Performance (Guildhall Artist Masters) Orchestral Artistry
• MMus/MComp in Composition (Guildhall Artists Masters)
• MA in Opera Making & Writing
• Advanced Certificate  
• Artist Diploma
• MA in Music Therapy

Production Arts

• BA Production Arts (with pathways in Costume, Stage Management, Theatre Technology or Design Realisation)
• BA Performance Design
• MA Collaborative Performance Making

Research

• Doctoral Research: MPhil/DMus/PhD

Performance Teaching

• PGCert in Performance Teaching

All application closing deadlines for our courses are at 4.30pm (UK time) on the date of the deadline. This means applicants must have submitted and paid for their application (where applicable) by 4.30pm for it to be considered on-time. You will recieve an email confirming when your application has been submitted successfully. 

Occasionally there is a delay between the point applicants submit and pay for an application, and the point applicants receive confirmation this has happened successfully. If you have submitted and paid for your application, either through PayPal or debit/credit card and have proof of this payment, please do not pay again. If you are being told to pay again or that your application is not submitted but you believe you've done both, then please email us at Registry@gsmd.ac.uk and send through any payment receipts or screenshots of your application submission. We will aim to resolve the issue within 2 working days and will email you when your application has submitted successfully.

Applicants to Acting and Production Arts programmes only will need to upload a photo with their application. This is required for admissions staff for identification only so should be a head only portrait style image (like a passport photo). The file types we can accept are .jpg and of a maximum size of 3MB.

Please be aware that files that have been converted from a different file type to a .jpg file may not upload to your application. This is due to a security feature in our system. However, if you have a file that has been converted to a .jpg you could try the following fix (whether you can do this will depend on the computer you are using):

1. Right click the photo and select ‘Save as Picture’
2. Select the file type ‘JPEG File Interchange Format’
3. Save this and uploaded it to your application 

Music Programmes

Please see this webpage for full details of the late application process for music: Late Applications for Music Programmes | Guildhall School of Music & Drama (gsmd.ac.uk)

Production Arts and Research

Some programmes are able to consider applications submitted after the deadline. If the deadline has passed for the programme you are interested in, please contact the relevant department directly to see if there are audition/interview places still available.
Production Arts: pa_applications@gsmd.ac.uk  
Research: research_applications@gsmd.ac.uk  

Acting 

We do not accept late applications for BA Acting.

The School is not usually able to defer the year of entry on an application. However, if you would like to discuss a deferral please contact your Admissions Coordinator.

For further information about our approach to deferrals and how this affects any deposit you may need to pay, please see the following guidance in our Policies page:

• For our approach to deferrals, see section 2 of our Academic Regulations Section 2 (within 'HE Academic Matters and Student Complaints')
• For how this affects any deposit you need to pay, see 'Admissions Deferrals' within the 'Tuition Fee Enrolment and Debt Collection Policy' for the relevant year (within 'HE Fees and Funding')

The School does not accept repeat applications for the same programme/course within the same admissions cycle.

Please note, there is no longer a limit on the maximum number of previous applications that an individual can make for the BA Acting programme.

The School encourages applications from students with a disability or a specific learning difficulty. Nearly 10% of our student population fall into this category.

If you would like to find out if the School’s support and environment are appropriate for you, you can contact the Student Affairs Department in confidence.

Please see our Disability Support page for more details of what we can offer.

Music applicants who meet the general programme entry requirements and additionally can demonstrate advanced standing through relevant prior study within a higher education institution and/or professional experience may be considered for direct entry into Year 2 or Year 3 of the BMus programme. Exceptionally, direct entry into the Artist Diploma programme at year 2 may be permitted. Direct entry is not permitted for any other programmes.

Applicants wishing to apply for direct entry to the second or third year of the BMus programme are given ‘year of entry’ options on the online application form.

For direct entry into the Artist Diploma programme please raise this at the time of audition; you may be required to submit additional evidence.

The audition panel will decide whether you are at the appropriate level from a performance standpoint and then our Academic Studies team will assess your suitability of advanced standing from an academic point of view. Applicants for direct entry that are not transferring from another institution will be required to complete a set of additional academic tasks and pay an additional assessment fee (please see our Fees & Funding page for more details).

In exceptional circumstances, and subject to the approval of the relevant Programme Board, candidates whose abilities match the standards required for entry to a programme but who do not meet the standard academic entry criteria may still be considered. These applicants would be expected to provide alternative evidence of their ability to benefit from the programme.

Applicants for postgraduate Music programmes who will not have achieved a Bachelor of Music (Hons) qualification prior to entry should submit a detailed professional and academic CV with their application.

The School has a policy for the admission and support for students under the age of 18. Any student who has not yet reached the age of 18 on the first day of term will be admitted under this policy. Please see our Under 18 Students policy on our Policies page (see the section HE Admissions and Enrolment),.

In order to be able to manage the long hours, intensive nature of the curriculum, and the adult content of the curriculum, applicants for the BA Acting programme should normally have reached the age of 18 by the first day of the programme.

There is no upper age limit for applicants.

As a condition of offer, all Music Therapy applicants must submit a satisfactory DBS check (formerly CRB disclosure) by the start of the programme. Information on applying for a DBS check will be sent to these applicants before the start of term.

Guildhall School has a policy about Safeguarding the Welfare of Children which includes the process relating to admission of students with previous relevant criminal convictions. A previous criminal conviction will not normally debar the offer of a place unless issues relating to the nature of the programme or security of the School community apply. To help Guildhall School reduce the risk of harm or injury to their students all applicants must let us know if they have any unspent criminal convictions.

For full details of when we ask about previous criminal convictions and why, and our procedure for handling these, please see our 'Admissions of Students with a Criminal Convictions policy' on our Policies page (see the section HE Admissions and Enrolment)

More information on the DBS checks can be found on the Gov.uk website.

Offers for places for both undergraduate and postgraduate study are conditional and must be confirmed by payment of a 15% deposit of the fee quoted in the offer.  If you have been given a Financial Award or other fee discount the deposit will be 15% of the fees less the amount of the award. 

Applicants to undergraduate courses who are eligible for a UK undergraduate tuition fee loan from Student Finance do not need to pay a deposit. There may be some other students who, depending on their individual circumstances, may be eligible for a deposit waiver (these will usually be students who are being sponsored for 100% of the value of their tuition fees). For further information, please see our 'Tuition Fee Enrolment and Debt Collection policy' for the relevant academic year on our Policies page (see the section HE Fees and Funding).

If you are made an offer and need to pay a deposit we will tell you in your offer. The deadline to pay the deposit is 15 July. Offers cannot become unconditional until the deposit is paid.

On some occasions it can take a short while for the deposit payment to reach our accounts and update your record to show you have paid. If you paid but the deadline is approaching (i.e. the next few working days) and you are concerned that your record has not been updated, please email registry@gsmd.ac.uk with a copy/screenshot of your payment transaction. We will use this to locate the payment and update your record.

Guildhall School shall process your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, meaning that we cannot discuss details of your application with anyone else unless you give your permission. When you apply you will be given a unique Reference Number to refer to in future correspondence.

If you wish to allow anyone else to talk to Guildhall School on your behalf you will need to contact Guildhall School via email quoting your Reference Number and state the name, contact details and relationship to you. Once this has been provided the agreed contact can speak to Guildhall School on your behalf.

As part of an application applicants must provide Guildhall School with details of an emergency contact. We ask for this information because applicants may be required to attend an in-person audition and/or interview. In the unlikely event of an emergency we need the details of someone we can contact. 

The emergency contact must be able to communicate clearly in English, should ideally be based in the UK and should be reachable in the event of an emergency. Applicants should have permission from the emergency contact before providing their details in the application form. 

If you have read the information on this page and still need help with your application, please contact the Registry Office by emailing us at Registry@gsmd.ac.uk.  Please include full details including your application reference number, name, a description of your query or issue and any screenshots so we can help you. You can also call us on +44(0)20 7382 7181 – our phone lines are typically monitored Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm UK time. 

If you are applying to one of the following programmes, your referees should be made aware that they will be contacted when the application is submitted and their references will be required within two weeks of the request:

• MA Music Therapy (at least one reference must be academic)
• All programmes within the Composition department (including MA in Opera Making & Writing)
• All programmes within the Wind, Brass and Percussion department
• All harp pathways within the Department of Stringed Instruments
• All programmes within the Production Arts department
  (at least one reference must be academic)
• PGCert in Performance Teaching: We strongly encourage applicants to offer at least one reference from a line manager in their current or most recent role.
• All Research programmes

You should choose suitable people to act as your referees and you should have discussed this with them before supplying their email addresses in the application form. Please provide your referee with information about the programme you are applying for so they can comment on your suitability.

If you have given consent to an applicant to name you as a referee, they will need to provide your contact details on their application form. If the applicant is applying for one of the courses listed in the ‘References’ section above, you should receive an automatic email from Guildhall School when the application is submitted. We ask that you provide a reference within two weeks of the request. Please note that we operate an open reference policy and the applicant may view their reference.

Guildhall School does not require references to be in a specific format but if you have not yet written a reference for the applicant, you may wish to use the reference template below. Please note, this is not a requirement; it has been provided for your convenience only.

The reference request email will provide you with a link that can be used to upload your reference directly to the applicant’s online application. Please note, these request emails are unique to each referee so should not reused or passed to colleagues, as the first reference uploaded will be overwritten.

If you have any problems with the online system you can simply post or email the reference to registry@gsmd.ac.uk 

Please ensure your details and the applicant's details are marked clearly so the reference can be matched to the applicant’s record.

• Composition: BMus, MMus, MComp
  Candidates must send a portfolio of work with their application. Full details about the admissions process can be found here. 

• MA Opera Making & Writing 
  Candidates must send a portfolio of work with their application. Full details about the admissions process can be found here. 

• Electronic Music: all programme/pathways
  Candidates must send a portfolio of work shortly after application. Full details about the admissions process can be found here. 

• Artist Diploma (All pathways)
  Applicants who are successful in the live/recorded audition round will be required to submit the below (you will be contacted following your audition):
   - an up-to-date Artistic CV
   - a recent recording (made within the last year). 
  These items will be reviewed by the Artist Diploma Panel as part of the second round of consideration.

• BA Production Arts and BA Performance Design
  In addition to making an application by the deadline, applicants should prepare a portfolio of work relevant to their chosen pathway or programme. Further information about the portfolio will be sent to applicants after submission of their application and in advance of the interview. Further details about the application and interview process for these programmes can be found here.
   

   

• MA Collaborative Performance Making
  In addition to making an application by the deadline, applicants should prepare and submit a portfolio that demonstrates previous work related to their area of interest. This material should be uploaded to the application by the advertised deadline for the year of entry. Further details about the application and interview process for this programme can be found here.

MPhil / PhD / DMus
For more information on applying for an MPhil, PhD or DMus, visit the Research Degrees pages.

All applicants

All applicants should upload their research proposal via eGo.

All applicants are also asked to provide an academic writing sample. This should be written in English and should be work (either in its entirety or an excerpt of at least 2,000 words) that you have submitted for assessment as part of an undergraduate or masters degree.

For applicants researching through practice

If your proposed research project utilises creative practice, either as a significant element of your research method or as part of your proposed outputs, you should provide an example of your practice. 

• Applicants proposing composition projects should provide scores and recordings of at least three pieces.
• Applicants proposing instrumental performance projects should provide unedited video of your playing.
• All other practitioner researchers should provide an example of practice that you feel suitably demonstrates your practice.

How to send your supplementary information

You should upload your research proposal, writing sample and any other material to your application on eGo. You will be able to do this in the supporting information section of your application.

If you are providing links to portfolios please copy and paste the link onto a Word document and upload the document on eGo.

Name your documents clearly so we know what they are when we open them.

If you have any difficulty uploading your documents please contact Registry at registry@gsmd.ac.uk who will help you. 

No supplementary materials are required at application stage. After we have assessed your application, you may be invited to attend a remote interview. If this is the case, you will be given a task to prepare in advance. The task will involve reading one of the core resources from the course and preparing responses to some reflective prompts about this resource, and about your own teaching. Full application details can be found here: PGCert Performance Teaching | Guildhall School of Music & Drama (gsmd.ac.uk)

In addition to applying by the deadline, applicants must upload the following with their application: 

• Learning agreement (available from your Erasmus Coordinator)
• Curriculum vitae
• Evidence of English language ability (Reference from teacher, confirming your English language ability, OR English language qualification or proficiency exam)
• Academic transcript
• Link(s) to video audition recording(s) or composition portfolio with at least three contrasting pieces (such as YouTube or Vimeo links). Please do not provide links that will expire before or shortly after the application deadline.

For more information, please see our webpage for incoming Erasmus applicants. 

electronic Guildhall operations (eGo) is the online portal for applying to Guildhall School.  You can use this to complete and submit your application, track it, view details about your audition/interview and access information about your course. You can also use eGo to update your contact details if you need to.

Access eGo here

Go to our application page by clicking the link below and choose the course you want to apply to from the drop down menu. 

Application page

You can also start an application by going to the webpage for the course you want to apply for and selecting the button to start an application. 

After you choose a course to apply to (see above) you will be prompted to ‘Login’ with existing account details OR ‘Create a New User.'

If you have already applied or you have applied before, choose 'Login'

If you are applying for the first time, choose 'Create a New User' 

Create a New User

• When you ‘Create a New User’ you will be prompted to pick your own username. This could be your email address but doesn’t need to be.
•  Your online application account is used for your application and admissions journey. Choose a Username and Password that is unique to you.

Login

• If you have applied previously your account details may still be active. If you can’t remember your password use the ‘Reset Password’ option to request a new one by email. 
• If you can’t access an old account then ‘Create a New User’ with a different user name.
• Current students with a Guildhall School account should use eGo to start and continue their application.

We recommend you add additional security features to your account. You can enable two factor authentication using email or SMS via the eGo Accounts page.

If you are unable to log back into your application, follow the links in your email or from the course pages of the website to return to the login page. 

Select ‘Reset Password’

Enter your username, surname and date of birth. Use the date picker or either format dd/mm/yy or dd/mmm/yy and click Go.

This will send a temporary password to the email address you chose for your account. It will also copy in any other email addresses you wanted emails to be sent to.

After logging in with the temporary password you will be prompted to change your password. 

Complete each section of the application. The exact questions and information you see will depend on the course you are applying for. 

You will be able to save your progress as you go along. If you select 'Save' your progress will be saved. If you select ‘Save and Return Later’ your progress will be saved and you will be emailed a link to carry on completing your application at a later date.

Once you are happy that you completed each section tick the box 'Have you finished this section'

If you need any help  completing any of the questions in the sections, including what to include for any supplementary material or who to choose as a referee, have a look through this webpage for further guidance. If you cannot find what you are looking for email us at registry@gsmd.ac.uk or telephone 020 7382 7183.

When you have completed all the sections and ticked 'Have you finished this section?' on each page, select the button to submit your application. You will find this on the bottom right of the 'Confirm and Submit' page.

If you need to pay to submit your application, the button will direct you to pay for your application.

After you apply you will receive a confirmation email telling you we have successfully received your application. Read the information carefully for instructions on what to do next. 

You should receive this email soon after you apply. If you are applying close to a deadline it may take a bit longer to receive the email.

If you do not receive the email, check your junk folder. If you have not received the email do not be concerned. Occasionally there is a delay between the point applicants submit and pay for an application, and the point applicants receive confirmation this has happened successfully.  If you have submitted and paid for your application, either through PayPal or debit/credit card and have proof of this payment, please do not pay again. If you are being told to pay again or that your application is not submitted but you believe you've done both, then please email us at Registry@gsmd.ac.uk and send through any payment receipts or screenshots of your application submission. We will aim to resolve the issue within 2 working days and will email you when your application has submitted successfully.

This guidance applies to all Music programmes.

As part of your application, you will be asked to respond to three key questions in place of the traditional personal statement. These questions are designed to give you the opportunity to reflect on your motivations, experiences, and preparation for study at Guildhall. Each question is equally important and no question carries more weight than another.

The questions are listed below:

• Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject? 
• Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?  
• Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful? 

Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?

This is your opportunity to share your passion for your chosen discipline and your motivations for pursuing onward study, specifically at Guildhall. We encourage you to reflect on your musical interests - what musical aspirations do you hold for the future, and how does this specific programme align with those goals? You may wish to evidence practical experiences such as performances (recital, chamber, orchestral, chorus, opera etc.), compositions, music production, or planning and organisation of musical events, that have contributed to your development and artistic vision. 

Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

Here, we invite you to demonstrate how your formal education and training has shaped your skills, interests, and readiness for study at Guildhall. You should refer to any relevant practical studies and training, as well as your academic achievements — whether in school, college, university, or through external qualifications such as graded exams. You may also highlight specific modules or projects that deepened your engagement with your subject. If you receive specialist music tuition, you should include details about this here.

Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

This section allows you to share experiences beyond the classroom that have enhanced your preparation for this course. These might include work experience within the music or creative industries, volunteering, extracurricular involvement, or independent artistic projects. You can also include details about personal experiences that have informed your perspective and approach to study at a conservatoire.

PGCert applicants will be required to complete a personal statement, detailing their suitability and aspirations for study; skills acquired through prior learning; and relevant experience acquired to date. 

This guidance applies to BA Acting, BA Production Arts BA Performance Design programmes.

As part of your application, you will be asked to respond to three key questions in place of the traditional personal statement. These questions are designed to give you the opportunity to reflect on your motivations, experiences, and preparation for study. Each question is equally important and no question carries more weight than another.

The questions are listed below:

• Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject? 
• Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?  
• Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful? 

Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?

This is your opportunity to showcase your passion and knowledge of your chosen subject area and to demonstrate to universities and colleges why it’s a good fit for you and your future ambitions.

Examples of what you might talk about here are:

Your motivations for studying this course(s)

Have you been inspired by a key role model or moment in your life? Maybe it’s a subject you love and want to pursue further. We’re all driven by something and it’s important to talk about how yours has led you to this course or subject area.

Your knowledge of this subject area and interests

Perhaps there’s a particular subject area you’ve researched and can’t wait to learn more about. A book or subject expert doing great things that have sparked your interest? Universities and colleges want to see you have done your research so they can be confident this is something you will enjoy and excel in. This is a great place to highlight super-curricular activities as evidence of curiosity and interest in the subject outside of the classroom. 

Your future plans and why this is a good fit for you

If you already have a particular profession in mind you could talk about how you’ll use this to launch your career. If you don’t, think about what’s important to you and your future, and how the knowledge gained from your chosen course(s) will help you achieve this.

Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

This is your chance to shout about the relevant or transferable skills you’ve gained from your formal education and highlight your understanding of how they will help you succeed in this subject area.

Examples of what you might talk about here are:

How your studies or training relate to your chosen course(s) or subject area

This could be current or previous studies within a school, college, training provider, or even a short online university course – any form of formal education. The main thing here is to focus on what’s most recent and relevant to your chosen course(s). If you are no longer in full-time education, use section three to talk about your experiences since leaving.

What relevant or transferable skills you have that make you a great candidate

Maybe there are a couple of subjects that have helped you develop a core set of skills required for your chosen course(s). Or, a particular module that helped you understand where your interests and strengths lie.

Any relevant educational achievements

Universities and colleges will see your grades elsewhere on your application so don’t waste time talking about these. Consider accomplishments like winning a school or national competition, serving as a student ambassador or team captain, or landing the lead role in a play.

Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

This is your chance to talk about any other activities you have undertaken outside of your formal education or personal experiences which further demonstrate your suitability for the course. This section is likely to be highly personal to you and anything you do include should reflect on why you’re including it.

Examples of what you might talk about here are:

Work experience, employment, or volunteering

Whether it’s in-person work experience at your local school or virtual work experience, or volunteering, the key thing here is for you to reflect on your experiences and the skills gained relevant to your chosen course.

Personal life experiences or responsibilities

Is there a situation you’ve personally overcome that has influenced your decision? Are there responsibilities such as caring for a family member that has helped you develop essential qualities for the course like resilience and empathy?

Hobbies and any extracurricular or outreach activities

Think sports, reading, community work, summer schools – any activities outside of your studies that help further showcase why you’d make a great student.

Achievements outside of school or college

This could be a position of responsibility such as captain for your local club, a musical achievement, competition you won, or a qualification you’ve attained outside of the classroom.

Post-education activities

If you’re no longer in full-time education, it’s a good idea to detail what you’ve been doing since and how this has equipped you with the skills and qualities for your desired course(s).

You should use the personal statement to outline your creative engagement with contemporary theatre making.

Please also tell us why you are particularly interested in studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama; what your motivations and ambitions are, both during your study period and for your long-term career and any areas of specialisation in which you have a particular interest. 

You may include any information that you think is relevant, and that you have not already included in the work experience or qualification sections of your application.

You do not need to provide a personal statement in your application for our postgraduate research programmes (including MPhil, PhD and DMus).

We will assess your suitability for research based study using other parts of the application including the research proposal, writing sample and/or portfolio and any interview you are invited to attend.