BMus (Hons) Music Composition Bachelor's degree at Birmingham City University
BMus (Hons) Music Composition at BCU is delivered in English and leads to a nationally recognised Bachelor's degree.
About this course
BMus (Hons) Music degree at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, one of the UK's top schools of music. From the provider’s course page.
BMus (Hons) Music Composition is a Bachelor's degree (BMus (Hons)) at BCU, based in City Centre Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Performing arts graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 67% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £24,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Music & Performing Arts, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 45; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year one 4 modules
- Principal Study: Composition 1Core60 credits
Module details
This module lies at the heart of the course and of the learning experience for students on the performance pathway. It is the first of a suite of principal study modules undertaken in each of the first three years of the BMus (Hons) Composition, leading eventually to the Final Portfolio in year four. As such, it is therefore the first stage in realising course aims 1, 2 and 4 (Pursuing excellence; practice-led, knowledge applied; employability) in preparing musicians for the profession; nurturin
- Language of Music 1Core20 credits
Module details
Central to the course philosophy is the ideal of the informed musician: an intelligent listener who is able to understand, analyse and evaluate what is being heard. For context, this module begins with a study of ancient Western Art music, but rapidly moves to a focus on music which might best be described as stemming from the Age of Common Practice, that is from roughly 1650CE to 1900CE, the period in which tonality may be said to have triumphed.
- Contextual studies: Performance Traditions 1Core20 credits
Module details
A central principle behind the course philosophy is to create informed musicians who are able to make educated choices about their own practice. An awareness of different performance styles and traditions is therefore crucial not only to all performers, but also to composers, who can draw on this knowledge in their own compositions. The relationship between composer and performer in music dating from c. 1600-1900 is explored by considering the extent to which performers were expected to interpre
- Professional Portfolio 1: Community EngagementCore20 credits
Module details
Within the modern profession, most musicians will spend a proportion of their time working in educational and community outreach contexts, presenting live music/composition workshops and/or interactive performances in settings away from the formal concert platform, in venues such as schools, hospitals, care homes, and rehabilitation centres. This module aims to give you a practical and theoretical introduction to the wide range of music activities taking place in community/education settings and
Year two 4 modules
- Principal Study: Composition 2Core60 credits
Module details
This module lies at the heart of the course and of the learning experience for students on the performance pathway. It is the second of a suite of principal study modules undertaken in each of the first three years of the BMus (Hons) Composition, leading eventually to the Final Portfolio in year four.
- Language of Music 2Core20 credits
Module details
Building on the core skills developed at Level 4, this module improves this understanding by following the same three complementary strands: historical awareness, aural perception and harmonic understanding. Students will continue to develop aural perception skills at a deeper level: pulse may become flexible, rhythm more complex, pitch and harmony more layered. Dynamics, style, texture, timbre and form also change dramatically and by including extended techniques and non-tonal approaches, the l
- Contextual Studies: Performance Traditions 2Core20 credits
Module details
This module builds upon the principles and skills introduced in Performance Traditions 1. The philosophy of informed musicians (including performers, composers, and music technologists) who can make educated choices about their own practice is extended in this module to explore a wider range (than that covered in PT1) of performance issues relevant to both historical and contemporary musical idioms/ styles [course aim 1]. In keeping with the course philosophy, this module responds to the princip
- Professional Portfolio 2: Pedagogy and PracticeCore20 credits
Module details
The course's primary aim, central to its philosophy, is to equip students for a career in the music profession. Many Conservatoire graduates will teach as part of their professional life, and in the second year of the course you will study the pedagogical aspects of your principal-study discipline as an important aspect of preparing you for the profession. This will equip you with additional skills which are likely to prove useful in your future musical career.
Year three 4 modules
- Principal Study: Composition 3Core60 credits
Module details
This module lies at the heart of the course and of the learning experience for students on the performance pathway. It is the last of a suite of principal study modules undertaken in each of the first three years of the BMus (Hons) Composition, leading eventually to the Final Portfolio in the year four.
- Language of Music: Specialism 1Core20 credits
Module details
In this module, students choose two specialist areas of study, one in each semester, the topics being offered reflecting the research enthusiasms of the staff, so engaging students with areas of learning led by the research and performance practice of their tutors. Central to the course philosophy is the ideal of the informed musician, one who is able to employ both advanced skills and knowledge in the advancement of their musical career. Performers and composers require a variety of specialist
- Contextual Studies: Specialism 1Core20 credits
Module details
In this module, students choose two specialist areas of study, the topics being offered reflecting the research enthusiasms of the staff, so engaging students with areas of learning led by the research of their tutors. Central to the course philosophy is the ideal of the informed musician, one who is able to employ both advanced skills and knowledge in the advancement of their musical career. Performers and composers require a deep understanding of music's contexts in order to develop an informe
- Collaborative practiceOptional20 credits
Module details
The module is an opportunity to learn and critically reflect on the skills of collaboration by enabling you to create an interdisciplinary project with students from complementary disciplines, or with academic staff. Collaboration is a vital employability skill within the Creative Industries and this module allows you to develop these skills, making use of University facilities and with the support of academic staff.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course centres on composition, offering you writing and producing skills within a broader music foundation. A course like this typically begins with principal-study performance, musicianship and theory, and music history. In Year 2, you'll usually move into composition and music technology, notation and studio work, alongside pedagogy and community music practice. From Year 3 onwards, you'll specialise further, with options such as performance, composition, musicology, music production, music education or ensemble work. The final stage brings professional development (the business of music: funding and portfolio careers) and a major project, typically a recital, portfolio or dissertation. You'll develop technical skill and creative voice in parallel throughout.
Who it's for
This course suits those with a serious interest in music composition and a commitment to sustained study. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; typical entrants had UCAS tariffs between 128 and 143 points. You should be prepared for a demanding, practice-led programme that combines theoretical rigour with creative application. The course is full-time, so you'll need to commit your primary effort to your studies. If you're considering music as a career path, whether in composition, education, performance, or related fields, this degree provides a foundation recognised across the UK.
Careers & job market
Nationally, 90% of Music and Performing Arts graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. Graduate earnings vary: at 15 months, typical starting salaries range from £20,000 to £28,000; after three years, £15,725 to £22,200; and after five years, £19,975 to £28,200. These are national figures across the field, not university-specific guarantees. Career paths for composition graduates include freelance composition, music education, arts administration, and further postgraduate study. Your outcomes will depend on your choices, experience, and the opportunities you pursue during and after your degree.
University & format
The BMus (Hons) Music Composition is studied full-time over 4 years at Birmingham City University, a public university based at its City Centre Campus. The course is taught in English. It is a nationally recognised UK degree, and Birmingham City University holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Work placement. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 75% |
| a previous degree | 10% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
| Other | 10% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at BCU →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Music & Performing Arts graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £24,000 | £20,000 – £28,000 | 45 |
| 3 years after | £19,500 | £13,000 – £25,000 | 160 |
| 5 years after | £25,000 | £21,000 – £31,000 | 165 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 45; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in music & performing arts · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Music & Performing Arts nationally
National figures for Music & Performing Arts graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 45; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Music & Performing Arts courses at the same study level.
Compared with 527 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 32% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 340; response rate: 52%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Music & Performing Arts graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Music & Performing Arts graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Orchestras & ensembles
- Schools & conservatoires
- Studios & venues
- Media & freelance
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Music & Performing Arts graduates.
Music Tech Beta Liaison & Support SpecialistinMusic Brands, Inc.Music QTSColmore Education Recruitment LtdMusic Teachers in HuddersfieldAcademicsMusic Rights Operations & Data Services LeadPPLMusic Engagement Officer - Alternative Provision · Coventry MusicMusiceducationukMusic Audio & Tech Support Desk SpecialistMandarin RecruitmentIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.0 out of 10: NSS 86.1% · in work or study 95% · continued 90%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Birmingham City University
Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around City Centre Campus
4,178 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Music & Performing Arts right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to BCU from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £28,460 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check BCU’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with BCU and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at BCU
Music & Performing Arts at other universities
BA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies (with integrated foundation year)Aberystwyth UniversityBA (Hons) Drama and Theatre Studies (with integrated year in professional practice)Aberystwyth UniversityBA (Hons) Drama & Theatre StudiesAberystwyth University
BA (Hons) Creative Industries Futures (including Foundation Year)ACMCommon questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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