ApplytoUni’s definitive guide to studying music in the UK
Study for a degree in a range of musical areas
In the UK, you can choose to study for a degree in a range of musical areas and UK universities have a high international reputation. The listing below summarises the music degree courses available; for up-to-date rankings, see the Guardian League Table for Music 2013.
Studying a music degree is essential if you want to make it as a professional musician. Music degrees are not limited to classical performance artists – you can study for a music degree that allows you to specialise in jazz, popular music, even Scottish piping, if that’s what you’ve set your heart on.
Music degree courses available
As you can see from the university course listings for music in the UK (below), your choice is enormous. The type of music degree you apply for depends to a large extent on your immediate interests and skills and where you want your music career to go beyond graduation.
Students who want to take their music to the next level are usually interested in performing – becoming a professional singer, working in an orchestra or playing in a band – or producing music and working behind the scenes.
If music performance is your thing and you want to learn how to write music, whatever style, then a music degree that includes composition and performance modules is likely to suit you. This means choosing a course that offers these modules and that may lead to either a BMus or a BA qualification.
What’s the difference between a Music BA and a BMus
In reality, there isn’t a well defined difference and if you ask students at university studying music, they would be hard pressed to explain. It probably depends a lot on the university but, as a general rule:
- A music degree that leads to the qualification BMus – Bachelor of Music– is focused purely on music and particularly on musical performance skills. Most of your modules will be concentrated on music theory, composition, recitals, orchestral performance, singing, harmony or chamber work. You will also study the history of music and musical appraisal.
- A music degree that gives you a BA – a Bachelor of Arts–is more focused on the academic aspects of music. So you might do more modules on the theory, history and cultural aspects of music, music genres and so on, with some practical work on performance and composition.
Working behind the scenes using your music degree
If you don’t want to end up performing, whether doing opera, classical, jazz or playing in a chart-topping band, you can focus your study of music towards the production side, or even move into music technology. It’s also possible to use your music to work in PR, management or even counselling and therapy.
- Music Technology: If you do a music technology degree you may be awarded a BSc – a Bachelor of Science degree at some universities rather than a BA. This reflects the course content on the physics, maths and acoustics side of music production and includes modules on using mixing decks and other hardware to prepare you for today’s digital music industry. You can choose degrees that narrow your special skills even further – a degree in Sound Engineering and Music Production, for example.
Music Management: Universities offer degrees in Music Industry and Events Management and Music and Business Arts Management. You will study a combination of modules in law and business studies as they apply to the music industry.
- Music Marketing: You can choose to study music in combination with marketing, journalism or public relations. This will give you an in depth insight into how music is promoted and how you can work with performance artists to give them commercial success.
Combined degrees that include music
A good proportion of the universities in the UK that offer music at undergraduate level allow students to study music as a joint honours, combining musical study with another subject. This may be closely related – such as dance, theatre studies or drama – or totally unrelated subjects such as English, a modern language or psychology. The School of Oriental and African Studies, which is part of the University of London offers music combined with several languages, including Burmese and Chinese. Go the University of Glasgow and you can study music with Latin or Greek!
Studying music at a conservatoire
The UK has eight established music conservatoires:
- Royal Academy of Music, University of London
- Royal College of Music, London
- Birmingham Conservatoire
- Leeds College of Music
- Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
- Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
- Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
Conservatoires specialise in nurturing musicians who want to have a career in performance at the highest level. You can study musical performance, composition and conducting and your course will include a high proportion of one-to-one practical tuition with more academic modules taught to small groups.
Performing in public is expected and students will find plenty of opportunities for solo performance or to contribute to groups, including orchestra, chamber groups, choirs, musical theatre productions, dance productions, jazz bands, rock bands and popular music bands. Interaction with tutors, visiting musicians and other students is encouraged and studying music at a conservatoire is an intense experience.
Music degree course listing for the UK
Institution |
Courses offered |
Info |
|
Anglia Ruskin University |
Music BA Creative Music Technology BA Audio and Music Technology BSc Popular Music BA |
|
|
Music BA
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects |
|
|
Bath Spa University |
Music BA
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects |
|
Birmingham Conservatoire |
Music BMus Jazz BMus Music Technology BSc Popular Music Practice HND |
Conservatoire |
|
Birmingham University |
Music BMus Italian Studies and Music BA French Studies and Music BA German Studies and Music BA Hispanic Studies and Music BA Russian Studies and Music BA Maths and Music BA History and Music BA English language and Music BA English Literature and Music BA Classical Literature and Civilisation and Music BA Drama and Music BA
|
|
|
Birmingham City University |
Music Technology BSc Media and Communication (Music Industry) BA Sound Engineering and Production BSc Sound and Multimedia Technology BSc |
|
|
Music and Audio Technology BSc Music and Sound Production Technology BSc
|
|
|
|
Brighton Institute of Modern Music |
Professional Musicianship BA Songwriting BA Event Management BA Music Business BA Music Production BA |
BIMM is a dedicated music college with centres in Brighton, Bristol, Manchester and Dublin
|
|
Brunel University |
Music BA Sonic Arts BA Musical Performance BMus Musical Composition BMus |
|
|
Buckinghamshire New University |
Audio and Music Production BA Music Management Branding and Public Relations BA Music Management and Artist Development Music Management BA Music Performance Management BA Music Management and Studio Production BA Music and Live Events Management BA |
|
|
Canterbury Christchurch University |
Commercial Music BA Church Music BA Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects |
|
|
Cardiff University |
Music BA Music BMus
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects
|
|
City University |
Music BMus |
|
|
Coventry University |
Music Technology BSc Music Composition BA Music Performance BA
|
|
|
De Montfort University |
Music Technology BSc Audio Recording Technology BSc Music, Technology and Performance BA |
|
|
Doncaster College (University Centre) |
Creative Music Technology BA |
|
|
Edge Hill University |
Media, Music and Sound BA Music and Sound with Drama BA Music Sound and Enterprise BA |
|
|
Edinburgh Napier University |
Music BMus Popular Music BA |
|
|
Falmouth University |
Music BA Creative Music Technology BA Popular Music BA Music Theatre BA
|
|
|
Glasgow Caledonian University |
Audio Technology with Electronics BSc Audio Technology with Multimedia BSc
|
|
|
Glyndwr University |
Music Technology BSc Sound Technology BSc Studio Recording and Performance Technology BSc
|
|
|
Goldsmiths College, University of London |
Music BMus Music Computing BMus Popular Music BMus |
|
|
Institute of Contemporary Music Performance |
Creative Musicianship BA |
|
|
Keele University |
Music BA Music Technology BA
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects
|
|
King’s College London |
Music BMus German and Music BA |
|
|
Kingston University |
Creative Music Technologies BMus Creative Music Technologies and Dance BA Dance and Music BA
|
Other combined courses focused on media and TV and performance |
|
Leeds College of Music |
Music (Classical) BA Music (Jazz) BA Music (Popular) BA Music (Combined) BA Music (Production) BA
|
Conservatoire |
|
Liverpool Hope University |
Music BA
|
Several combined degrees Music plus either Media and Communication, psychology, politics, philosophy and ethics, English literature, History, Education, Drama and theatre studies, Dance |
|
Liverpool Institute of the Performing Arts |
Music BA Sound Technology BA |
|
|
Audio and Music Production BA
|
|
|
|
London Centre of Contemporary Music |
Music Performance HND/HNC in singing and instrumental playing |
|
|
London Metropolitan University |
Music Technology BSc Musical Instruments BSc Music Industry Management BS Music Industry and Events Management BA |
|
|
London South Bank University |
Music and Sonic Media BA |
|
|
Manchester College |
Musical Theatre BA |
|
|
Manchester Metropolitan University |
Music BA Creative Music Production BA Music BA and Creative Music Production BA |
Joint Honours with a range of subjects available |
|
Middlesex University |
Jazz BA Music BA Popular Music BMus Music and Business Arts Management BA |
|
|
Neath Port Talbot College |
Music (Performance and Production) BA |
|
|
Newcastle University |
Music BA Folk and Traditional Music BMus Popular and Contemporary Music BA |
|
|
Plymouth University |
Music BA |
|
|
Queen’s University, Belfast |
Music BMus Music Technology and Sonic Arts BSc |
|
|
Royal Academy of Music, University of London |
Jazz Performance BMus Music (Performance) BMus Jazz BMus Music BMus Composition BMus |
Conservatoire |
|
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland |
Scottish Music BA Composition BMus Music BMus Jazz BMus Performance BMus Scottish Music (Piping) BA |
Conservatoire |
|
Royal Holloway College, University of London |
Music BMus Drama and Music BA
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects |
|
Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester |
Performance and Composition BMus Popular Music Performance BA |
Conservatoire |
|
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama |
Jazz BMus Music BMus |
Conservatoire |
|
School of Oriental and African Studies University of London |
Music BA Music and Development Studies BA
|
Music combined with languages eg. Chinese or Burmese |
|
Southampton Solent University |
Audio Technology BSc Music Promotion BA Popular Music Journalism BA Popular Music Performance BA Music Studio Technology BSc Popular Music Production BA P Digital Music BA
|
|
|
Staffordshire University |
Music Technology BSc Music Journalism and Broadcasting BA Creative Music Technology BSc Film Production and Music Technology BSc Music Technology with Management BSc
|
|
|
Swansea Metropolitan University |
Music Technology BSc Music Technology (Audio Production) BSc Music Technology (Game Audio) BSc Music Technology (Sound for Moving Image BSc
|
|
|
Tech Music School London |
Popular Music Performance (BMus) Creative Musicianship (BA) Music Production (BA) Songwriting (BA) Music Business (BA) Popular Music Performance (BTEC National Diploma) Songwriting (BTEC National Diploma) Music Production (BTEC National Diploma)
|
Tech Music School is moving to a new college in Fulham from September 2013 with over 1000 music students in one location. |
|
Teeside University |
Contemporary Music Creation BA Music Technology BSc Instrumentation and Control Engineering BEng |
|
|
Royal College of Music, London |
Music BMus Physics and Musical Performance BA
|
Conservatoire Range of experience programmes for gap year students |
|
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music |
Performance BMus |
Conservatoire |
|
University of Aberdeen |
Music BA
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects |
|
University of Abertay Dundee |
Creative Sound Production BA |
|
|
University of Bedfordshire |
Music Technology BA Music Technology BSc |
|
|
University of Bolton |
Film Production for the Music Industry BSc |
|
|
University of Cambridge |
Music BA Education with Music BA
|
|
|
Music Practice BA Music Production BA Studio and Live Music Production BSc |
|
|
|
University of Chester |
Popular Music Performance BA
|
Various combined honours courses with Commercial Music Production |
|
Music BA
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects |
|
|
University of Derby |
Popular Music with Music Technology BA Music Technology and Production BSc Sound, Light and Live Event Technology BSc
|
Large number of combined courses |
|
University of Durham |
Music BA, Education Studies (Music) BA, |
|
|
University of East London |
Music Production and Culture BA Music Industry Management BA Music Technology BSc |
|
|
University of Edinburgh |
Music BMus Music Technology BMus
|
|
|
University of Glamorgan |
Music Technology BSc Music Technology with optional Welsh BSc |
|
|
University of Glasgow |
Music BMus |
Plus a vast number of combined degrees, including some more unusual ones such as Electronics with Music BEng, Greek and Music BA, Music and Latin BA |
|
University of Gloucestershire |
Popular Music BA Music and Media Management BA
|
|
|
University of Hertfordshire |
Music Technology BSc Music and Entertainment Industry Management BA Music Composition and Technology BA Audio Recording and Production BSc Song writing and Music Production BSc Sound Design Technology BSc |
|
|
University of Huddersfield |
Music BMus Music Technology BA Creative Music Technology BMus Music Technology and Popular Music BA Music Journalism BA Music Technology and Audio Systems BSc Popular Music Production BSc Music and Sound for Image BA Music with Drama BA Music with a Modern Language/English BA |
|
|
University of Hull |
Music BA Creative Music Technology BA Jazz and Popular Music BA
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects |
|
University of Kent |
Music BMus Popular Music BMus Music Technology BSc
|
|
|
University of Leeds |
Music BA Music BMus
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of other subjects |
|
University of Liverpool |
Music BA Popular Music BA Music and Popular Music BA Communication, Media and Popular Music BA |
|
|
University of Manchester |
Music BMus Music and Drama BA |
|
|
University of Northampton |
Popular Music BA
|
Popular Music (Joint honours) BA or BSc, allowing combination with a vast number of other subjects |
|
University of Nottingham |
Music BA |
|
|
University of Oxford |
Music BA |
|
|
University of Salford |
Music BA Interactive Music and Studio Production BA Popular Music and Recording BA Popular Musicology BA Professional Sound and Video Technology
|
|
|
University of Sheffield |
Music BMus
|
Opportunities to study music in combination with a wide range of languages |
|
University of Southampton |
Music BA Music and Management Sciences BA Acoustics and Music BSc
|
Music can be combined with philosophy or German or French or English or Maths |
|
Live Music BA |
|
|
|
University of Suffolk |
Music Production BA |
|
|
Music BA Jazz, Popular and Commercial Music BMus
|
|
|
|
University of Surrey |
Music BMus Creative Music Technology BMus Music and Sound Recording BMus Maths with Music BSc |
|
|
University of Sussex |
Music BA Music Informatics BA |
|
|
University of the Arts, London |
Sound Arts and Design BA
|
|
|
University of the Highlands and Islands |
Music Business BA Gaelic and Traditional Music BA Applied Music BA Popular Music BA
|
|
|
University of the West of England, Bristol |
Creative Music Technology BSc Audio and Music Technology BSc |
|
|
University of the West of Scotland |
Music Technology BSc Commercial Music BA |
|
|
University of Ulster |
Music BMus Music with Dance BA Music with Drama BA |
|
|
University of Wales Newport |
Creative Music BA |
|
|
Cerddoriaeth Broffesiynol (Professional Music) BA |
|
|
|
Musical Theatre BA Music Performance with Music Management BMus Music Performance with Music Technology BMus Music Technology with Music Composition BA Music Technology with Music Performance BA Music Composition with Music Technology BMus Music Composition with Music Management BMus Music Performance BMus Music with Foundation BMus Music Composition BMus Music Technology with Music Performance or Composition BA Music Technology with Popular Music Performance BA Music Management BA Music Technology and Video Production BA Music Technology and Radio Broadcasting BA Music Performance and Recording BMus Music Technology Top-up BMus Music Technology Specialist BA Applied Sound Engineering BSc
|
|
|
|
University of Westminster |
Commercial Music BA Commercial Music Performance BMus |
|
|
University of Wolverhampton |
Music BMus Music Technology and Popular Music BA Creative Music Production BA
|
|
|
University of York |
Music BA Music Technology BSc Electronic Engineering and Music Technology Systems BEng
|
|
|
Music BA Music Production BA |
|
