North American Students
Established in 1847, RCS is a dynamic international community of artists. Here you’ll develop your craft, create new work, and collaborate across art forms in one of the finest multi-disciplinary environments in the world.
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About RCS
Established in 1847, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a global leader in performing arts education and one of only a few institutions worldwide to offer degree programmes across all the performing and production arts. We offer undergraduate degree programmes across Drama, Dance, Production, Film, Music, Education, and Community Arts.
Our distinctive learning environment, student performance opportunities and global reputation consistently place us among the world’s top ten performing arts education institutions.
Students at RCS train and work alongside award-winning faculty – made up of 1000+ tutors, lecturers, artists, technical and support staff – and visiting artists. We have partnerships at local, national and international levels that advance the experience and knowledge of students including with the BBC, all of Scotland’s national performing arts companies (such as the RSNO and National Theatre of Scotland), and Shakespeare’s Globe.
And when they graduate, our students make their mark all over the globe. Hollywood stars, cultural leaders, arts advocates, and so much more – RCS alumni can be found on cinema and TV screens, in concert halls and classrooms, and everywhere in between.
Students from across the globe are valued members of the RCS community and we welcome and encourage applicants from all throughout the world. Around one in three of our students originally come from outside the UK (31.37%, as of April 2022). Between them, they represent over 60 different nationalities and add a rich multicultural diversity to RCS.
Our Alumni
James McAvoy
Golden Globe-nominated actor and star of Atonement, Split and the X-Men franchise
Alan Cumming
Emmy and Tony award-winning actor, writer and presenter
Patrick Doyle
Oscar-nominated film composer, scored Hamlet, Sense & Sensibility and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Ncuti Gatwa
BAFTA award-winning star of Sex Education and Barbie and Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who
David Tennant
BAFTA and Emmy-winning actor, Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who
Karen Cargill
Award-winning Mezzo-soprano and world-renowned opera star
Sam Heughan
Actor, producer, author, and entrepreneur, star of Outlander
Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Oscar-nominated screenwriter of 1917 and Last Night in Soho
Jack Lowden
Emmy & Golden Globe-nominated theatre and screen actor, starred in Dunkirk, Mary Queen of Scots and Slow Horses
Catriona Morrison
Mezzo-soprano and first ever British winner of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition
Richard Madden
Golden Globe-winning star of Bodyguard, Game of Thrones and Marvel’s Eternals
Fergus McCreadie
Mercury Prize-nominated Jazz Pianist and Composer
Why RCS?
We are the only place in Europe where you can study all of the performing arts on the one campus. There is a distinctive creative energy at RCS and you’ll be made to feel part of our inclusive and diverse environment from the very beginning of your studies.
Our graduates are resourceful, highly employable and members of a dynamic community of artists who make a significant impact across the globe.
At RCS, students develop not just their art but their power to use it.
World Top Ten
We were voted one of the world’s Top Ten destinations to study the performing arts (QS Rankings) in 2025, the ninth time we have been placed in the top ten since the ranking was established in 2016.
Perform & Collaborate
Our curriculum is built around performance and collaboration and we hold professional partnerships with all of Scotland’s National Companies. Join forces across artforms and be part of the 500+ performances we give each year.
Outstanding Alumni
Our graduates are employed across the world and we take pride in the impact they have on their art forms. We’ll equip you with the skills to thrive as a professional and join their ranks.
Learn from the Best
More than 1,000 lecturers, tutors, artists, technicians, co-ordinators and support staff work at RCS across all our art forms. Study with some of the finest educators and performing and production artists in the UK.
A Campus Built for You
Our facilities are world-class. From rehearsal rooms and recording studios to our five professional performance venues, we have a campus to showcase and develop emerging artists to the highest standards.
Hear from Our North American Students
“It’s a very warm community and Glaswegians are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”
— Devon Martirez y McFarland, BA Modern Ballet student from California
Applying to RCS
Academic Entry Requirements - International Equivalences
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