BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship Bachelor's degree at Institute of Contemporary Music Performance
BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship at ICMP. You'll study core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills.
About this course
This highly creative music course covers composition, performance and production - ultimately developing your artistic identity. Learn more and apply now! From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at ICMP, based in Dyne Road,Leeds Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Music graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% 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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 75% (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 1 (Level 4) 5 modules
- Performance PracticeCore40 credits
Module details
You'll work to industry-relevant stylistic briefs during this module, composing and performing collaboratively with other musicians. This will develop your ability to compose and arrange original music, perform in a live professional environment, collaborate, understand genre conventions and how they can be manipulated/reimagined for contemporary audiences.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Exploring CreativityCore20 credits
Module details
This module explores a range of creative processes, both collaborative and independent. You'll learn how to develop and articulate your creative consciousness, understand how your own creativity fits into a wider intellectual, academic, and music industry context, and create ongoing works in progress.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Exploring Creative TechnologyCore20 credits
Module details
In conjunction with Exploring Creativity, this module will show you how to capture and develop creative ideas using a range of professional tools and methods. You'll also learn how to construct melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic patterns while exploring structural forms, considering how those forms relate to the content of musical works, and producing your own portfolio of original material.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Musical Language & TechniqueCore20 credits
Module details
This module will cover theoretical and practical approaches and strategies you can use when making music. You'll look at compositional components, technical and creative writing methods, technique (and how it informs your creative practice), and the application of theoretical concepts within a practical context.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- The Music IndustryCore20 credits
Module details
The music industry contains three main interconnected sectors (recorded music, live music, and publishing). This module explores the above in detail, including revenue streams, artist management, A&R, sales, distribution, copyright, royalties, collection societies, membership organisations and trade bodies.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
Year 2 (Level 5) 5 modules
- Performance Practice IICore40 credits
Module details
In order to increase your collaborative confidence, you will apply your understanding of styles and genres to broader, more conceptual industry-relevant briefs, and learn to justify your creative choices. As well as covering composition, arrangement, the application/manipulation of musical conventions, collaboration, developing your "voice" as a musician, and individual and group performances, this module also explores performance technology and lighting/video.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Creative PracticeCore20 credits
Module details
During this module, you'll learn to further develop and articulate your creative process, enhance your critical listening and mixing skills, and incorporate non-musical ideals into your process. This will enable you to place your creative process within a wider music industry context, discern links between process and outcome, and integrate theoretical processes into your own practice.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Creative ProductionCore20 credits
Module details
Building on the topics covered in Creative Practice, you'll develop your production skills and learn how to turn your ideas into completed tracks. This module covers editing (and its relation to the creative process), mixing, mastering, analysis, ear training, critical listening, studio orchestration, and how to justify your production choices.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Musical Language & Technique IICore20 credits
Module details
This module covers an advanced range of practical, conceptual, and theoretical approaches to music-making. You'll create a portfolio of original music, explore advanced compositional components, apply music theory in a variety of practical contexts, analyse your musical ideas, and enhance your ability to make decisions during the compositional process.
Assessment: 100% Coursework
- Marketing StrategiesCore20 credits
Module details
Success as a freelance musician depends on your ability to sell yourself and your services. With that in mind, this module covers fundamental marketing principles, traditional marketing theories, and contemporary marketing approaches and tools. This includes branding, advertising, promotion, pricing, distribution, PR, positioning, consumer behaviour, social media, competition, innovation, audience-building, viral marketing, building an online presence, market research, analysis, and product deve
Assessment: 100% Coursework
Year 3 (Level 6) 4 modules
- Creative ProjectCore40 credits
Module details
During this module, you will develop your creative and commercial skills to the professional standards required to plan, develop, and manage a convincing and cohesive catalogue of original works. Topics covered include songwriting, composition, setting and developing your creative direction, critical reflection and discussion, A&R practices, and academic, commercial, and cultural frames of reference.
Assessment: Portfolio of original music and critical commentary; 100% Coursework
- Professional PracticeCore40 credits
Module details
Using the skills you've developed throughout the Creative Musicianship programme, you'll identify and plan a career-focused project of your own, and complete it to a professional standard. To do this, you'll study collaborative practices, planning and pitching skills, project management, research methodologies, and how the relevance, influence, and impact of your project relates to its audience and wider context.
Assessment: 12-minute project pitch and full project portfolio; 100% Coursework
- Creative Entrepreneurship ICore20 credits
Module details
An understanding of key entrepreneurial concepts, principles, and strategies is essential for success in music. These include research, analysis, evaluation, ideation, strategy, creating and communicating value, distribution channels, business models, marketing concepts, and successfully acquiring funding and other resources. This module culminates in the presentation and assessment of a "real-world" business pitch to a potential backer/investor.
Assessment: Business pitch presentation; 100% Coursework
- Creative Entrepreneurship IICore20 credits
Module details
You will design, structure, and execute the process of launching a new creative industry business during this module. This will involve writing a fully assessed business plan, and exploring legal considerations, ethics, ownership structures, intellectual property, time management, industry regulations, financial planning, funding options, costing and budgets, marketing and implementation strategies, professional presentation, and project management.
Assessment: Business plan; 100% Coursework
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 emphasises composition, performance and production alongside the development of your artistic identity. A course like this typically begins with foundational work in performance practice, musicianship and music history. As you progress through Year 2, you'll usually explore composition and music technology, along with pedagogical and community music skills. In your final year, you'll pursue a specialist pathway, such as performance, composition, musicology or music production, and complete professional development modules covering the business of music, before presenting a final recital or major project. Throughout, you'll develop technique and creative voice through principal-study lessons, ensembles and studio work.
Who it's for
Most recent entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications. The typical UCAS tariff among accepted students was less than 48 points. This reflects what entrants actually had rather than a formal entry requirement, so contact the university directly to discuss your individual circumstances.
University & format
This is a 3-year full-time Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree at Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, a university campus located at Dyne Road, Leeds. Taught in English, the qualification is a nationally recognised UK degree awarded by a recognised degree-awarding body. The course also holds Silver status in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 for teaching quality.
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.
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 | 38% |
| a previous degree | 31% |
| another higher-education qualification | 19% |
| a Baccalaureate | 4% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 4% |
| Other | 3% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
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 (code W3C5). 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 ICMP →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 | £22,000 – £29,500 | 20 |
| 3 years after | £19,500 | £13,000 – £25,500 | 90 |
| 5 years after | £23,000 | £16,000 – £30,500 | 80 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
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: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. 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.
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Secretarial and related occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Web and Multimedia Design ProfessionalsSOC 2020 214 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £32,574
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: 25; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BA (Hons) Creative Musicianship earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 3 years of wages given up while studying. The model remains below break even after 30 years. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 3 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
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
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. 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
80% 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 7.8 out of 10: NSS 78.6% · in work or study 80% · continued 75%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Institute of Contemporary Music Performance
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 Dyne Road
3,638 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Around Leeds Campus
4,633 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 ICMP from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by ICMP; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. 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 ICMP’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 ICMP and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at ICMP
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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