BA Music
University of Southampton
Key Information
Campus location
Southampton, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
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Application deadline
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Earliest start date
Aug 2023
Scholarships
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Introduction
Choose a BA in Music at the University of Southampton and develop your musical skills on this uniquely diverse and flexible programme. Study the basics through foundations in analysis, counterpoint and harmony.
From medieval polyphony to global hip-hop, our music degree courses provide a broad musical education covering history, culture and society taught in exciting research-led modules. Our course does not favour one kind of music over another, and our flexible approach means that you can choose modules from any other discipline to complement your music studies. You will be taught in tutorials, seminars and lectures by world-class academics. Our skills-oriented training will provide valuable transferable skills to prepare you for any career that requires critical thinking, teamwork and writing skills.
Learn to write your own music. Take vocal and instrumental lessons with a specialist teacher. Put the skills learned on this BA degree to use by taking part in high-profile performance projects delivered by the Music Department and by Student Union performing groups. Graduates from this bachelors degree go on to pursue careers in the music industry, in music education, in music therapy and in many other fields where creative ability and team working experience are required.
Programme Structure
In your first year, a core programme of musical studies provides a broad grounding in the fundamental elements of music performance, composition and academic musical study.
In your second and third years, a free choice is available from a wide selection of modules in a range of musical subjects. You may also choose to take up to 25% of your programme in subjects from other disciplines throughout your degree programme. If you pursue enough modules in another subject, you can add this subject as a Minor to your Music BA degree.
Music department modules fall into four main areas. Each of these features a broad diversity of approaches and musical styles:
- History and Criticism: introduces historical, analytical and ethnomusicological approaches to a wide range of topics, from Mozart in Vienna to Global Hip Hop, from Music in the Middle Ages to Jazz Theory and more.
- Performance: supports instrumental and vocal performance (solo or ensemble) in classical, jazz and pop styles, with 20 hours of fully funded individual tuition per year for solo performers, plus fortnightly master classes, professional workshops and group coaching. We aim to support diverse performance interests: our students can pursue heavy metal or classical oboe, music theatre or operatic voice, classical sax or funk, with expert supervision from our performance staff
- Composition and music technology: includes extensive project work and advanced studio techniques, leading to the submission of a collection of original compositions in classical or commercial styles, or both. Modules in songwriting, orchestration and arrangement, and music technology support composition from video showreels to string quartets.
- Arts Administration, Music Therapy and Community Music: includes modules aimed at gaining knowledge and professional skills in areas where music graduates can build innovative careers
Key Facts
- Flexible course structure allows you to tailor your programme to your needs, across performance, composition and academic music study
- Purpose-built concert hall (Turner Sims) supporting the most extensive series of professional concerts and workshops of any UK university
- Dedicated facilities, including: keyboard room, percussion room, jazz and pop rehearsal room, nine further teaching and ensemble rehearsal rooms, 16 practice rooms, three electronic studios plus live room, and 16 networked multimedia workstations
- Many large-scale Students’ Union performing groups (orchestras, bands, choirs and theatre groups), in addition to music ensembles
English Language Requirements
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