Study Music in the UK

What is the study of Music?

The study of music is a broad subject that can encompass anything from performance and composition to sound design, education, policy and musicology. A number of major UK universities and many colleges offer courses in music-related subjects.

Why Study Music?

Studying Music at a UK university will give you a great starting point for a career in the music industry and beyond. The study of Music teaches you how to work within a group to see a production through to completion, reflect critically on your own work and adapt to the latest developments in technology. It will enable you to acquire the following skills that can be applied to any career:

Production skills
Technical skills
Critical and scientific analysis
Project management
Teamwork

Why Study Music at a UK University?

There are numerous very good reasons for choosing to study Music at a UK university rather than elsewhere in the world. First of all, the UK is world-famous for the quality, diversity and commercial success of its music artists. The UK sets, not follows, global trends in popular and experimental music, and has a thriving live music scene backed by a powerful music industry. Secondly, the UK has a longer history of university education than any other English-speaking country, with the oldest institutions dating back around one thousand years. This means that students of Music at a UK university will have access to the best quality education available, with UK universities consistently ranking in the world top 100. Thirdly, UK courses are very well-constructed, allowing the student to complete a Bachelors degree in three years (compared to four years in the US) and a Masters degree in one year (compared to two years in the US). What this means for the student is that graduates of a Music degree from a UK university save huge and valuable amounts of both time and money.

Which careers can a degree in Music lead to?

After graduating from a Music course at a UK university you will have a range of employment opportunities depending on your area of specialism. In the music industry itself, technicians, sound engineers and producers are always in demand and often work on a freelance basis. Skills acquired in musical production are also transferable to other media areas such as broadcasting and film-making. Graduates in Music who specialise in performance may pursue their own careers as recording artists or find employment with orchestras and/or as session musicians. There are also employment opportunities in specialist fields such as ethnomusicology and psychotherapy. Finally, Music graduates from a UK university can work in education where their skills are highly prized and contribute to the enjoyment of music by future generations. In any profession, an employer will value an UK university Music graduate’s technical expertise and production skills.