Music: The University of Manchester

Course description

MusB(Hons)

This is a well-established and highly regarded three-year full-time degree programme. It offers scholarly and practical education in Western musicianship designed to prepare you for many avenues, including performance, composition, musicology including ethnomusicology, music journalism, postgraduate study, and many non-music fields in which good critical judgement and teamwork play a vital role. Regular updates in the course content reflect the latest research conducted by their staff, for example studies in Josquin, Purcell, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Corsican polyphony, postmodern, electroacoustic and film music, analysis and all forms of concert hall composition.

MusB(Hons) and Graduate Diploma RNCM Joint Course

Thety also offer the MusB(Hons) and Graduate Diploma RNCM Joint Course which is a four-year double degree programme. The first three years follow both undergraduate programmes, with your final year spent solely at the Royal Northern College of Music which is located just 300 yards from the Music department. Performance tuition, coaching, chamber ensembles and most orchestral playing are provided by the RNCM throughout the four years.

Career opportunities

Careers chosen by their graduates demonstrate the wide range of music-related professions for which their degrees prepare you. They include teaching, librarianship, music therapy, arts administration, publishing and journalism. They work for institutions and companies such as the BBC, San Francisco Opera, Spitalfields Festival, Britten-Pears foundation, Musicians' Benevolent Fund, Sage Gateshead, NYO, Scottish Opera, London Sinfonietta, Schott, Faber, Universal Edition, HMV, Gramophone, Time Out, The Guardian, and City Life.

The Manchester degree can equip you with an enormous range of skills and, of course, not all their graduates have opted for a career in music. Some become lawyers, doctors, accountants, civil servants, tax inspectors, social workers, computer engineers, or workers in sales and human resources; some acquire management positions in companies such as M&S, the National Trust, IBM and Disney.

Entry requirements

• English language:
  • Minimum IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent;
  • eg. NCUK EAP minimum Grade of A with range of 70-79
  • TOEFL: PBT score of 600; CBT score of 250; TWE score of 5.5; IBT score of 100.
• A level: Grades AAA-AAB. This should include grade A Music and either English Language, English Literature, History, Philosophy or another English-rich subject at grade A.
• Unit grade information: The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit grade information which, like all other available information, will inform the consideration of applications.
• GCSE: Minimum of grade B in English Language.
• Key Skills qualification: The University warmly welcomes applications from students studying the Key Skills qualification.
• International Baccalaureate: 37-35 points overall inc. 6 in Music at Higher level and 6 in either English Language, English Literature, History, Philosophy or another English-rich subject at Higher level.