Our Graduate Diploma Programme is ideal for instrumentalists, vocalists and composers who have gained a degree and want to deepen their skills before undertaking postgraduate study.

During the programme you will hone your skills as an artist through one‑to-one Principal Study lessons, group tuition and experience playing as a soloist and in ensembles. We will encourage you to develop skills for lifelong learning by building working relationships with other students.

This is a graduate programme aimed at students considering entry to postgraduate study at a conservatoire or university who do not currently meet the required standard. The programme enhances musicianship skills to bring students to the level needed to enter a postgraduate music degree.

We also offer an International Graduate Diploma in Music and English for international students who wish to improve their English language skills alongside their musicianship skills. You can find out more on the International Graduate Diploma: Music and English course page.

This distinctive course offers you the chance to develop a range of research and analytical techniques needed to evaluate and evidence the relationship between musical engagement and wellbeing.

Your contextual understanding of the topic will be expanded through the core Music, Wellbeing and its Evaluation module, and you’ll develop the skills needed to conduct independent research. You’ll examine the physical and mental benefits and problems associated with musical participation, exploring current research in the field, and the innovative Applied Professional Practice module will provide you with opportunities to take a proactive and self-reflective role in your work, developing professional relationships with our partner organisations.

The course is ideal for existing practitioners wishing to enhance their skills or undertake continuous professional development, or students wishing to develop their interests by taking a smaller selection of modules than the 180-credit MA Music and Wellbeing course.

We have a variety of excellent facilities to support your learning, including a music psychology lab, rehearsal, performance and practice spaces, recording and electronic music studios, and five libraries that provide access to a wide range of books, periodicals, and online resources.

We have close working relationships with prestigious arts organisations: we host BBC Radio 3 concerts, Leeds Lieder and the Leeds International Piano Competition, and we engage with the flagship DARE partnership between the University and Opera North. We are also closely associated with Leeds Baroque and we engage with many other performing arts organisations in Leeds, which enjoys a thriving music and cultural scene.

Elements of local fieldwork may be embedded in modules that take you outside teaching spaces as part of the learning experience. You might undertake fieldwork as part your 30-credit Short Dissertation.

You'll also have access to Helix, the University's learning innovation hub for students, staff, and the local community. Located in the heart of campus, Helix offers cutting-edge digital provision, including immersive technologies, multimedia production studios, as well as a physical makerspace. You'll be able to bring your own initiatives and ideas to life through collaboration, creation and innovation.