Program Overview

Many of our music education degree graduates progress to careers in teaching or community music. Our music education degree offers a unique balance of scholarly research and practical musicianship to produce an all-round teacher, musician or practitioner. Our aim is to facilitate and stimulate your personal musical growth and to help you to develop confidence in your ability through both practical and theoretical elements of the course.

We are partners with the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM) who help to inform our curriculum. As part of this music education degree, you will also be awarded the ABRSM’s prestigious Certificate for Music Educators.

You will study practical performance modules where you will develop your skills as both a soloist and an ensemble performer, as well as conducting, composition and arranging. You will also have the opportunity to study music in education and the community by exploring pedagogical processes and undertaking a series of placements in schools, colleges or community venues. You will use the latest technology and software for scoring, recording and engineering live music.

The course incorporates a variety of learning and teaching experiences including seminars, discussion groups, lectures, presentations, guest speakers and performers, visits to sites of musical importance and concert attendances. Placement opportunities are available within modules in the second and third year of this degree.

Members of staff are all actively involved in research, music education, performance and composition at a regional, national and international level and their expertise and enthusiasm will assist you in becoming a professional musician.

What happens on the course?
You will experience a wide variety of learning activities in our music education degree and they will contribute to the development of your graduate attributes.

Teaching and learning will normally take place in a variety of continually evolving contexts, including an appropriate balance of the following kinds of activity:

a) Workshops, rehearsals, productions, practical classes, laboratory or studio-based practice, screenings, lectures, discussions (both online and in class), seminars, and tutorials. You will be encouraged to apply your knowledge and understanding of critical theory to case studies within regional, national and international contexts;

b) Group and individual learning;

c) Professional placements of varying types (which will be of especial relevance in enhancing your employability and ability to be enterprising);

d) Tutor-led, (peer-group) student-led, and self-directed study;

e) Use of subject-specific and generic technologies (these will be particularly helpful in the development of your digital literacy);

f) Resource-based learning, including library work and attendance at performances.