Music

An undergraduate Music degree at the University of Birmingham gives you access to unparalleled facilities, opportunities and student experiences, inviting you to study a course that blends tradition with fearless exploration of contemporary developments.

Your Music degree will encompass musicology, performance and composition, with opportunities to specialise in one of these disciplines.

In addition, you will choose from a variety of optional modules in second and third year, which may include:
Music and Gender
Film Music Techniques and History
Arts Management
Music Education
Music, Protest and Social Activism

All undergraduate students receive a scholarship for lessons for up to two instruments (including voice) working with tutors at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire or tutors employed directly by the Department of Music, some through the Centre for Early Music Performance and Research.

Why study this course?

BMus Music is right for you if...

You’re seeking a variety of performance opportunities – You will have access to a wide variety of choirs, orchestras, ensembles, music groups and musical theatre organised by the Department of Music, University Music Society and the Guild of Students.

You want world-class teaching facilities – Our newly built, £16 million, Bramall Concert Hall hosts audiences of up to 450 people. Enjoy access to practice rooms and electro-acoustic music studios, as well as a library full of resources from listening booths to manuscript scores and early editions.

You’d like to explore your niche – The Department of Music houses a Balinese Gamelan and a large collection of Early Instruments, upon which it is possible to receive tuition. We are also home to the Centre for Early Music Performance and Research (CEMPR); the Centre for Composition and Associated Studies (COMPASS); and Birmingham Electroacoustic Music Studios (BEAST).

You want a degree with real world relevance – Participate in our vocational modules such as Arts Management in Practice, enhancing your professional experience and joining our 100% of undergraduate Music graduates who enter work or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2022).

You’d like to live and study in a city full of music – At the University of Birmingham you’ll work exciting performances and festivals - both on the stage and behind the scenes. Get involved with a diverse and eclectic array of music venues in the city of Birmingham, from Symphony Hall to The Sunflower Lounge and everything in between.

12th for undergraduate Music in the Complete University Guide 2024

64th for Arts and Humanities in QS World Subject Rankings 2024

First-year modules cover a broad base of the subject and are designed to introduce you to ways of studying at university. By the final year the modules you take will become more specialised and reflect the research expertise of the academic staff. More detailed module information can be found on the ‘Course detail’ tab on the University of Birmingham’s coursefinder web pages.