Music BA Hons with study abroad

at Northumbria University

In performance, 20 hours of one-to-one teaching on your instrument or voice is complemented by seminars which cover areas such as practising, performance anxiety and interpretation, as well as providing a forum in which you can perform to your peers. There are opportunities to perform both on campus and further afield, to attend concerts and open rehearsals, and to participate in masterclasses.

 

There is a practical dimension to studying music history at Northumbria, which introduces you to how to research music. You will find yourself off-campus, visiting libraries, archives and other institutions where you will engage with original source materials. More traditional teaching methods still have their place: lectures provide you with information and prompts for further reading; seminars may be based around group discussion of musical texts or broader questions, and are often led by students.

 

The course allows you to develop the practical skills required for a portfolio career, and includes modules in instrumental teaching, personal enterprise and business. Our course embeds these skills from the outset, which will prepare you for a future professional career in music. You will be encouraged to identify the skills required in both musical and non-musical careers.

 

Modules

Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.

 

Year one

 

• MU4001 -Millennium of Music (Part I) (Core,20 Credits)
• MU4002 -Performance 1 (Core,20 Credits)
• MU4003 -Techniques of Composition, Harmonic Analysis and Improvisation (Core,20 Credits)
• MU4004 -Essential Skills for the 21st-Century Musician (Core,20 Credits)
• MU4005 -Introduction to Music Education (Core,20 Credits)
• MU4006 -Millennium of Music (Part II) (Core,20 Credits)
• YC5001 -Academic Language Skills for Humanities and Social Sciences (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Year two

 

• HI5009 -Your Graduate Future (Optional,20 Credits)
• HI6033 -The Art of Power: Tudor Court Culture (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU5001 -Making Music History (Core,20 Credits)
• MU5002 -Music History Project (Core,20 Credits)
• MU5003 -Performance 2 (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU5004 -Recital 1 (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU5005 -Techniques of Composition, Harmonic Analysis and Improvisation 2 (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU5006 -History of Musical Instruments (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU5007 -Preparation for Music Teaching (Optional,20 Credits)
• TE5507 -Student Tutoring (Optional,20 Credits)
• YC5001 -Academic Language Skills for Humanities and Social Sciences (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Year three

 

• AD5009 -Humanities Work Placement Year (Optional,120 Credits)
• AD5010 -Humanities Study Abroad Year (Optional,120 Credits)
• AT5007 -Year in International Multidisciplinary Innovation (4 modules studied in Amsterdam (Semester 1) & Newcastle (Semester 2) (Optional,120 Credits)

Year four

 

• HI6033 -The Art of Power: Tudor Court Culture (Optional,20 Credits)
• MI6005 -Popular Music on Film and Television (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU6001 -Dissertation in Music (Optional,40 Credits)
• MU6002 -Performance 3 (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU6003 -Recital 2 (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU6004 -Seventeenth-Century Keyboard Music in the British Isles: its Creation, Use and Place in Society (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU6005 -The Craft of the Music Teacher (Optional,20 Credits)
• MU6006 -Edition of Music (Optional,40 Credits)
• VA6004 -Music, Festivals & Events for Music Students (Optional,20 Credits)
• YC5001 -Academic Language Skills for Humanities and Social Sciences (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Entry Requirements 2022/23

 

Standard Entry

 

120 UCAS Tariff points

 

From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.

 

Subject Requirements:

 

Applicants should be performing at grade 7 level or above in Music Performance, or a recognised equivalent, and the ability to read music (staff notation).

 

Applicants not taking graded music examinations will be considered, and you may be asked to attend an online audition. You should ensure that your musical experience is detailed in your personal statement.

 

GCSE Requirements:

 

Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.

 

Additional Requirements:

 

Applicants may be asked to submit a video recording demonstrating their performance ability, and have a discussion with academics about their application.

 

International Qualifications:

 

We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.

 

English Language Requirements:

 

International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).

Fees and Funding 2022/23 Entry

UK Fee in Year 1: £9,250

* The maximum tuition fee that we are permitted to charge for UK students is set by government. Tuition fees may increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, these are subject to government regulations and in line with inflation.

EU Fee in Year 1: £16,500

 

International Fee in Year 1: £16,500

Our aim is to produce graduates who are creative thinkers, with the ability to apply their in-depth knowledge of music in a professional setting. At Northumbria, our partnerships with cultural organisations, such as Newcastle Cathedral, the Samling Institute for Young Artists and Newcastle Lit & Phil, expose you to real working and performance environments. We work with music hubs (which deliver instrumental/vocal teaching to schools) to provide you with opportunities to go out on teaching placements. In collaboration with Trinity Exam Board, we have hosted several events relating to music teaching and graded examinations. Your engagement with teaching opportunities, and your growing understanding of the music industry, will shape you into a musician ready for a freelance portfolio career and to set yourself up in business.

 

You will be able to gain experience valuable to the world of arts administration, and there is an additional option to take a year of work experience, or study abroad, in the middle of your degree.

 

Embedded throughout the degree are modules that will prepare you for the world of work. All musicians will at some point teach their instrument, which is why we provide modules that prepare you for music teaching.  Today’s musicians are generally self-employed, undertaking a range of different kinds of work. The modules offered on this course will prepare you with the skills necessary for managing your career as a musician. You will develop a historical understanding of music past and present, and skills in theory, techniques of composition and keyboard playing, which you will need to succeed as a creative musician in the twenty-first century.

 

When you graduate, you will be in an ideal position to go on to postgraduate study. The teaching components of the degree provide an excellent preparation for a PGCE in primary or secondary classroom teaching, and the final-year business option equips you for a Master’s degree in Cultural and Creative Industries Management at Northumbria. Performers will be in a position to audition for postgraduate study at music conservatoires around the country, and other students will be able to continue their musicological studies at Master’s level.