Frequently Asked Questions

For our Accredited courses (Undergraduate, Postgraduate and CERT HE (1 Year music courses) you should make an application, which may be done directly on our website, or via UCAS. You will then be invited to ICMP to attend an audition (free-of-charge), and take a short tour of our premises. If successful, you will then be offered a course suited to your level and needs.

There is no deadline, though we recommend to apply as soon as possible. This will give you enough time to sort out your finance, accommodation, and more. Please note that, upon acceptance of your offer, you will need to pay full course fees at least one month before the course starts. Late enrolments are up to the discretion of our Admissions Team and students that have not paid their course fees may not be able to start their course.

Yes, we do. We regularly run open days to allow you the opportunity to tour our facilities, meet our team and get hands-on with some of our equipment. We also run online events for postgraduate and International students throughout the year.

For those unable to attend an open day, we also offer personalised tours of our facilities during weekdays.

Find out more about our open days and building tours here. 

There is nothing to worry about. While we hold auditions for many of our students, this is to ensure that they're allocated to the correct level to optimise their learning.  ICMP is a very friendly place, and staff and fellow students are all extremely supportive. We understand that everyone has to begin somewhere; our staff are trained for this purpose, and we exist to help you become a better player, singer, songwriter or producer. While our courses aim to challenge you, you will not be placed on any course that is beyond your potential and abilities.

An audition is the ICMP’s way to check what level your playing/singing is at and what course would best suit your talent and personal objectives. Auditions take place at the ICMP’s facilities in London with a member of our teaching faculty and they should take around an hour. Online and Video assessments can also be arranged for non-UK students.

You can find out more about our Auditions here.

At ICMP we want to support all aspiring musicians, songwriters and producers to access higher education, which for many is a life-changing and career-starting experience. However, we also recognise that some applicants may have been out of education for some time; may have opted not to complete further education; or perhaps those who've opted to pursue alternative careers/education routes. To ensure our courses are accessible to all applicants, we've created an entry route which we've titled  NTRE (Non-Traditional Route to Entry). 

You can read more about our NTRE route here.

Absolutely! We are very proud of the inclusive community we've built at ICMP and  welcome students of all ages. Our cohort span a wide a age range - from 18–50+ - to add further context, 60% of our students are aged 21–19 and 13% are over the age of 30. Rest assured, we're confident you'll find your place within our creative community.

Your learning experience will be primarily onsite, with some non-practical classes taking place online.  Classes take place at either our Kilburn Campus or Queen's Park Campus, both based in North-West London and a short10min walk apart.

Affordable rehearsal space is one of the biggest hurdles for all young musicians. At ICMP we do our very best to help our students overcome this by making all our facilities available to them 7 days a week (until 11pm on weekdays). From studios to drum booths, tech labs to live rooms, we offer you spaces to study, practice and rehearse at no additional cost. Please note these are in very high demand and need to be booked in advance.  

Students can also hire various equipment from our well stocked hire facilties, all free of charge.

The number of students attending each class may vary depending on the course and the mode of delivery. We generally aim for no more than 15 students per tutor for most classes, although in some instances, where the student learning experience is not affected (eg. lectures), class numbers may be higher.

This varies from course to course, you will find full details relating to this question on each course page. In addition to the direct teaching hours, we encourage students to invest time in their self-study, as well as make the most of their ICMP experience by participating in as many masterclasses, performances and events as possible. Please also note that all our facilities are available to be booked for practise and rehearsals outside of lesson time.

International students are welcome at ICMP, and are generally subject to the same application, audition and enrolment process as domestic students.

All international students (with the exception of the Republic of Ireland) are required to apply to study in the UK through the British government's 'Student Route' visa system. To apply through the Student Route, you’ll need to demonstrate that you meet the required 70 points as part of your visa application. You’ll achieve the required points if you have an offer from an approved educational institution, speak a required level of English and are able to support yourself financially during your studies in the UK.

Visit our dedicated International Students page for further details.

Great news! You are only a few steps away from becoming an ICMP students. Please visit this page to know what you need to do next.

Information about the progress of a student’s application and academic progress will only be discussed with the student concerned. If you wish your parents/guardians to discuss your progress with ICMP staff, you must contact our Admission team and give them permission. For further information about the consent to share process students should email academicsupport@icmp.ac.uk.

If there is anything you would like to discuss in regards to your application, please contact our friendly Admission Team at enquiries@icmp.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7328 0222.

The fees vary depending on the course or class you are taking. Visit our fees page for full details of course costs, how to pay and funding options or contact our Admissions team on 020 7328 0222 or enquiries@icmp.ac.uk.

There are options available to students for financial support depending upon the choice of course and the student’s own circumstances. Students should contact the ICMP’s Admissions team directly to discuss their options. Eligible UK students can access student loans through Student Finance UK to cover their course fees and some may also be able to access Maintenance Loans to assist with living costs whilst studying.

We also offer a suite of music bursaries and scholarships that focus on supporting people from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds who are interested in pursuing the study of music.

Find them all on our Music Scholarships & Bursaries page.

The deadline is four weeks before the start of the Academic Year - view term dates. If you are applying for a Tuition Fee Loan you need to make the application as soon as possible and inform our Finance team that you have done so. Please note that Tuition Fee application forms are different for New and Returning students - please contact our Finance team for advice about the correct forms.

For students paying their fees directly to us,  guidance on how to pay your course fee can be found here.

Our Finance Team would be happy to assist. Please contact us on +44 (0)20 7604 2465 or finance@icmp.ac.uk.

Here at ICMP, we provide a range of services to support students during their journey. Our team is in place to help you with any problem you may encounter whilst studying with us, and also to ensure that those with specific needs can access the appropriate support. Please check our Disability, Wellbeing, and Learning support page to find out more.

As part of our ICMP alumni community, you have access to a range of resources. Our Careers & Industry Hub can provide: 

• ongoing professional and artist/talent development advice
• access to ICMP events, masterclasses and networking sessions with high-profile industry professionals
• access to apply for project funding from the Accelerator Fund
• regularly updated job offers and performance opportunities
• access to our exclusive Alumni Community App ICMPLife, that allows you to continue networking and collaborating beyond your study years at ICMP 

For more information, please contact us at alumni@icmp.ac.uk.

We have created an accommodation guide which is regularly updated with useful contacts, tips and guidance on finding accommodation. Once students have received an offer on a course, they will also be able to request access to The ICMP House Hunting Forum on Facebook, where they can meet up to find house-sharing/hunting opportunities. In addition, towards the start of the academic year, we organise two Accommodation Days so students who are relocating can meet up and get to know each other.

You can park your bicycle at the front of the building, where we have recently installed new cycle racks. We unfortunately don't have any car parking space available. Please check the closest car parking options here.

Our masterclasses are free-of-charge for ICMP students and open to all full-time students. If you are a part-time student, an Alumni or are not a currently studying at ICMP, and would like to attend any of our events, please contact us for further information.

ICMP regularly receives enquiries about students from their parents and other family members.  We appreciate that families want to support students and may from time to time have concerns about their wellbeing or their academic progress, but we are not able to answer all these enquiries.  The aim of this FAQ is to set out what we can and can’t discuss with family members and to explain why this is the case. 

It is extremely difficult for us to correctly identify an individual when we receive a call or email. Students may have difficult personal circumstances, for example being estranged from their family, and they might be at personal risk if we reveal their whereabouts or other information.  We may also receive ‘bogus’ or fraudulent calls and we need to ensure the safety of all students. 

Our students are adults, and our contract is directly with them (regardless of who actually pays their fees or their personal circumstances).  

In most circumstances if a staff member discloses personal information to a family member without their consent, they would be breaking the law (General Data Protection Regulation) and would be in breach of the ICMP’s Data Protection Policy.  

Please understand that by not disclosing personal information, ICMP staff are simply following ICMP policy and complying with the law. 

We can normally only discuss individual student cases if we have the prior consent of the individual student.

We can tell you about our policies, our procedures, our calendar, what different terms mean, and our services for students (including support services), which are in place to help our students.   

We may also be able to provide general information, such as what students should do if they are unwell, fail a module, or wish to change course.  This information may help you to provide direct support and to understand any issues that they are dealing with. 

We can’t discuss individual cases – this includes an individual’s academic progress, results, timetable, exams, appeals, complaints, financial information, or contact details unless they have given us their consent to do so.

ICMP occasionally receives calls from families raising concerns about a student’s wellbeing.  ICMP takes its duty of care to students very seriously. We have dedicated student support advisers and various teams of specialist support staff within the Student Support team. 

When we are contacted regarding concerns about a student’s wellbeing, staff will try to contact the student, check on them, and ask them to contact their family. Depending on the circumstances, we may also encourage and help the student to use one or more of our support services or external services.  In fact, if an issue has already become apparent, we may already be providing extra support to the student.   

Where ICMP is unable to make contact with a student and/or is concerned about a student's safety, we may contact their nominated next of kin, and appropriate external services (e.g. healthcare professional, police). If you are concerned that a student is missing we would advise that you also contact the police directly.  

ICMP also has procedures and staff in place to deal with students experiencing crisis situations.  

The Student Information Privacy Notice explains how we use students’ data and in what circumstances we disclose their data to third parties.  This may help you to understand the position. 

Thank you for your understanding.