Erasmus and Exchanges

Frequently Asked Questions

The following information is provided for both incoming and outgoing students. Please refer to the relevant sections and contact the International and Student Experience team (international@rcs.ac.uk) if you require any further information.

Why study on exchange at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ?

Our exchange programmes provide the opportunity to study at a top-rated conservatoire and live in inspiring surroundings in a beautiful and historic city.

We offer all exchange students the opportunity to participate in a wide range of musical and drama-based activities. Our programmes don't just cover music and performance but also dance, production and screen. Agreed courses of study can also count towards part of your degree programme in your home institution where credits can be transferred back into US credits or the European Credit Transfer system (ECTS).

How long can I study for?

You propose the length of study for your exchange on your application form and Learning Agreement. However, the minimum duration of study is four months (or 1 trimester) and the maximum is a full academic year in one single stretch. For outgoing students, please remember to take into account the dates of any assessments vital to your course of study for progression, inclusion in your honours classification or graduation. Please contact the relevant staff member as outlined on the Erasmus and International Exchange webpages if you think you will miss vital examinations/assessments.

What can I study?

Outgoing students

The Learning Agreement form outlines your course choices and these must be agreed with the relevant staff members as outlined on the Erasmus and International Exchange webpages. The host institution will also approve your course choices, although they may not be able to do this until you arrive on exchange. If there are any changes to modules approved on the Learning Agreement, a Changes to the Original Learning Agreement form must be completed and signed by all parties as soon as possible.

A normal full undergraduate course load at the Royal Conservatoire is 120 credits per year, which equates to approximately 60 ECTS credits per year. The only exception to this is for students on BMus (Hons) Joint Principal Study whose course load equates to 140 credits (70 ECTS) per year.

Incoming students

You should outline your course choices as fully as possible on your Learning Agreement. All your modules choices must be agreed by your home institution and by your host department at the Royal Conservatoire with the final decision for admission onto modules resting with the host department. Official module enrolment takes place at the start of the academic year upon arrival at the Royal Conservatoire.

Our academic programmes run for the full academic year (September – June). Unless you are taking a special project, students attend the same classes and take the same examinations as the Royal Conservatoire students studying a towards their degree.

What are the admissions requirements?

Language proficiency

All exchange students are expected to have a good level of English in order to follow modules and complete assessments. Outgoing students can check whether courses are taught in English or in the host language. Partner institutions often offer language courses as part of your programme of study or as an extra-curricular activity. Outgoing students should check with the International and Student Experience team for more details.

Some Erasmus partner institutions offer preparatory language courses called Erasmus Intensive Language Courses (EILCs) and are available to students before they start their exchange. Outgoing Erasmus students can contact the International and Student Experience team for further details or consult the website below for EILC language courses:

www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus-about-erasmus

Transcript of records

All students must attach a current transcript from their home institution showing all courses they have taken to date and the grades achieved. This will help the host institution assess your eligibility for courses/modules.

Supplementary documents

Different institutions have different requirements for their various courses. This could include a CD or DVD with performances/monologues or a written personal statement. Students should check with their home institution coordinator for more information.

How much does it cost?

Tuition fees

Erasmus and International Exchange students do not pay any tuition fees to the institution they are visiting, as they continue to pay tuition fees to and are registered at their home institution. Study Abroad students pay for their tuition at the Royal Conservatoire via The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University

Conservatoire students should note that a fee waiver is in place for RUK students who spend the full academic year on an Erasmus exchange. Students must confirm that they wish to apply for the fee waiver by contacting the International and Student Experience team

Living costs

During your period of study you will be required to pay for travel, accommodation, food and general living costs. The cost of living varies considerably across Europe, North America and Asia so you must ensure that you budget well in advance of your exchange period.

Outgoing students are still eligible to receive any student grant or loan to which they are normally entitled, from national or other sources. Outgoing students are also requested to indicate whether they want to apply for an Erasmus grant on their application form. This is a grant provided by the European Commission to contribute towards the extra costs arising from studying in Europe. Grants are paid via the home institution which receives an annual allocation from the British Council for distribution to students. Depending on which country in Europe you study in grants range from between €270 to €370 per month. Grants are paid in addition to the standard UK grants and/or loans to which you are entitled.

I have missed the application deadline – can I still apply?

If you miss this deadline, it may be possible to apply late. Prospective inbound and outbound exchange students should contact the International and Student Experience team for more information.

What is it like being an exchange student?

Through our exchange programmes you will gain a new perspective of your subject by experiencing how it is taught in a different country.

The best people to tell you what it is like to be an exchange student are those who have experienced it. The student experience blog on this site has links to students’ personal stories of their time spent studying in another country as part of the Erasmus programme: