GRSM is an abbreviation for Graduate of the Royal Schools of Music (London). This professional diploma of graduate status (equivalent to a university first degree) was open to both internal students of the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music after joint examination. Candidates followed a three year course including: first and second instrumental or vocal studies, harmony and counterpoint, aural training, history and analysis, conducting, composition and arrangement, and an academic thesis. The former Royal Manchester College of Music, now the Royal Northern College of Music, also awarded the diploma GRSM (Manchester).[1] The diploma awarded in London was phased out in the 1990s. When the Royal Academy became a full college of the University of London, the GRSM, along with the non-graduate Performers' Course, was replaced by the award of the BMus (London) for all successful undergraduate students.
The LRAM diploma, open to all students of the Royal Academy of Music, in either instrumental teaching or performing was usually taken by examination in the second year of the GRSM course.
Those awarded the Graduate Diploma (by the Royal Academy and Royal College) are entitled to use the post-nominal letters GRSM (London) and to wear the appropriate academic dress: black bachelors' gown with scarlet silk hood of full Cambridge shape, the cowl part-lined 3 inches and bound 1/4 inch with royal blue silk, the neckband fully lined and bound 1/4 inch of royal blue silk.[2]