BA (Hons) Jazz with Foundation Year Bachelor's degree at Leeds Conservatoire
BA (Hons) Jazz with Foundation Year at Leeds Conservatoire is nationally recognised and carries Silver status for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
About this course
Our pioneering Jazz degree is one of the finest in Europe, focusing on collaboration, honing your improvisation skills and shaping you as a highly skilled Jazz musician with training from our renowned jazz tutors. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Jazz with Foundation Year is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Leeds Conservatoire. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Music graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 80% 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: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; 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.
Foundation Year (L3) 6 modules
- History and RepertoireCore20 credits
Module details
You'll explore jazz's roots and evolution through three areas: historical study, repertoire analysis, and creative application. You'll analyse landmark works, rethink jazz traditions, and use that insight in your own compositions and performances. This module builds your ability to research, reflect, and apply your findings musically, whether through essays, performances, or creative projects that demonstrate a deep understanding of the genre's cultural and theoretical dimensions.
Assessment: Assessment includes a research essay.
- Introduction to Jazz PerformanceCore20 credits
Module details
You'll develop essential performance skills, building your jazz vocabulary, tone, improvisation, and ensemble communication. Working closely with your tutor, you'll sharpen techniques like sight-reading, intonation, and memorisation. The module emphasises body language, stage presence, and aural development, while helping you build healthy practice habits and a personal performance style. You'll also explore reflective tools to support your growth as a jazz musician.
Assessment: Assessment includes an instrument performance.
- Introduction to Jazz Performance 2Core20 credits
Module details
You'll continue to elevate your technical and stylistic fluency through in-depth instrumental or vocal training. You'll further develop improvisational skill, ensemble awareness, and advanced jazz language. Emphasis is placed on personal expression, stagecraft, and performance presentation. Through reflection, structured practice, and experimentation, you'll build on your unique artistic identity and collaborative abilities.
Assessment: Assessment includes an instrument performance.
- JAT (Jazz Aural and Theory): Essential PrinciplesCore20 credits
Module details
You'll gain core musicianship skills in theory and aural training. Through practical exercises, you'll explore harmony, rhythm, melody, and ear training, all essential for jazz performance and composition. This foundational module strengthens your confidence with notation, analysis, and listening, preparing you for deeper study in Semester 2.
Assessment: Assessment includes a written theory and aural test.
- JAT (Jazz Aural and Theory): Structural AnalysisCore20 credits
Module details
You'll expand on your foundational theory and aural skills by exploring advanced harmonic language, rhythmic complexity, and tonal systems. This module deepens your understanding of musical structure and helps you apply theoretical insight to your own performances and compositions with greater precision and creativity.
Assessment: Assessment includes an analytical essay and aural transcription.
- Musicology and CompositionCore20 credits
Module details
You'll investigate musicological concepts and apply them to your own jazz compositions. By analysing existing works and experimenting with harmony, form, and structure, you'll develop a personal compositional voice. Collaborative workshops encourage experimentation and reflection, helping you merge critical thinking with creative expression.
Assessment: Assessment includes a small ensemble composition.
Year 1 (L4) 6 modules
- Jazz Language 1Core20 credits
Module details
You'll develop fluency in jazz idioms through transcription, analysis, and composition. With lectures and workshops, you'll explore the building blocks of jazz, from harmonic progression to rhythmic structure, while gaining historical and cultural context that informs your practice and creativity.
Assessment: Assessment includes a video portfolio demonstrating compositional techniques.
- Jazz Language 2Core20 credits
Module details
You'll build on your skills in jazz transcription, composition, and analysis. Exploring more complex rhythms and harmonies, you'll deepen your understanding of jazz styles and refine your performance and writing. You'll also explore how technology shapes contemporary jazz, preparing work that reflects both tradition and innovation.
Assessment: Assessment includes a fully realised jazz contrafact composition.
- Jazz Performance 1Core20 credits
Module details
You'll strengthen your improvisational and performance skills through one-to-one lessons, ensemble sessions, and style-specific lectures. You'll contribute original ideas to group work, refine ensemble communication, and develop your artistic confidence. This module nurtures your growth as both a soloist and ensemble performer.
Assessment: Assessment includes a fully realised jazz contrafact composition.
- Jazz Performance 2Core20 credits
Module details
You'll deepen your improvisation, technique, and repertoire knowledge through advanced ensemble work and individual study. You'll explore more challenging styles and refine your stage presence and musical interaction. This module helps you grow into a confident, expressive jazz performer.
Assessment: Assessment includes a portfolio of two recorded ensemble performances.
- History of Jazz and African MusicCore20 credits
Module details
You'll explore jazz's early roots alongside African rhythmic traditions. Through lectures and workshops, you'll trace the journey from spirituals to swing while analysing West African rhythmic systems like call-and-response and polyrhythm. You'll compose hybrid works and understand how culture, resistance, and groove shaped jazz.
Assessment: Assessment includes a written essay.
- History of Jazz & Central/South American MusicCore20 credits
Module details
You'll continue tracing jazz's development while diving into Latin American influences like Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms. You'll examine how clave, syncopation, and melodic traditions shaped jazz, then integrate these techniques into your own compositions and performances.
Assessment: Assessment includes a vlog presentation and a practical video performance.
Year 2 (L5) 6 modules
- Jazz Language 3Core20 credits
Module details
You'll tackle advanced jazz composition, creating original works for nonet and arranging for big band. Through analysis, transcription, and practical tasks, you'll deepen your understanding of harmony, rhythm, and orchestration, strengthening your musical identity and creative toolkit.
Assessment: Assessment includes recorded practical performances.
- Jazz Language 4Core20 credits
Module details
You'll refine your compositional voice through complex rhythmic, harmonic, and stylistic study. Tasks include scoring a full big band arrangement and composing with global rhythmic influences. This module bridges your creative ideas with cultural and theoretical insight.
Assessment: Assessment includes recorded practical performances.
- Jazz Performance 3Core20 credits
Module details
You'll explore wider repertoire and sophisticated improvisation strategies. Through lessons and ensemble work, you'll sharpen your technical and expressive skills, enhance musical interplay, and present polished group performances that reflect your personal artistry and leadership.
Assessment: Assessment includes a portfolio comprising a band performance.
- Jazz Performance 4Core20 credits
Module details
You'll take on challenging repertoire and lead ensemble sessions with greater independence. This module enhances your improvisational fluency and ensemble confidence, helping you shape compelling performances and communicate more clearly with audiences and fellow musicians.
Assessment: Assessment includes a portfolio comprising a band performance.
- History of Jazz & South Asian MusicCore20 credits
Module details
You'll study jazz's evolution alongside South Asian music, focusing on raga, tala, and konnakol. You'll analyse Indo-jazz fusion and global collaborations, using these ideas in your own compositions and performances. This module deepens your appreciation of jazz as a cross-cultural form.
Assessment: Assessment includes a combination of essay and a video performance.
- History of Jazz & Arabic/Eastern European MusicCore20 credits
Module details
You'll investigate how Middle Eastern and Balkan music has influenced jazz. Through maqam, microtonality, and complex rhythms, you'll develop an advanced understanding of intercultural fusion. You'll integrate these concepts into original works and explore jazz's future as a global language.
Assessment: Assessment includes a combination of essay and a video performance.
Year 3 (L6) 3 modules
- Jazz Innovations 1Core20 credits
Module details
You'll explore two advanced areas: extended improvisation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. You'll study free jazz, experiment in ensembles, and collaborate with artists from other disciplines. This module prepares you to think beyond jazz norms and develop ambitious creative projects.
Assessment: Assessment includes a combination of live performance and a presentation.
- Jazz Innovations 2Core20 credits
Module details
You'll bring your artistic vision to life in a professional-level performance project. Combining improvisation and cross-arts collaboration, you'll develop a unique piece that showcases your technical ability, creativity, and leadership. The result is a bold, original performance with real-world impact.
Assessment: Assessment includes a live public performance.
- Jazz Performance 5Core40 credits
Module details
You'll prepare for the professional stage with a 40-minute public performance. One-to-one coaching and industry sessions support your artistic identity, technical refinement, and performance planning. You'll also explore career development and branding to help launch your post-graduate journey.
Assessment: Assessment includes a live public jazz performance.
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 degree centres on collaboration and improvisation with training from experienced jazz tutors. You'll usually start with principal-study lessons, ensemble work and performance classes, developing musicianship through harmony, aural skills and analysis. As you progress, you'll deepen your technique through recitals and larger ensemble projects, whilst exploring composition and music technology for studio and notational craft. In your final year, you can pursue a specialist pathway such as performance, composition, music production, musicology or music education, alongside professional development in the business of music. You'll typically complete a final recital, portfolio or major project to demonstrate your capabilities as a skilled jazz musician.
Who it's for
This course suits students with A-levels or equivalent qualifications. Recent accepted students typically held UCAS tariffs between 128 and 143 points. The Foundation Year is designed to support those who need additional grounding before progressing to honours-level study. You'll need to be fluent in English for full-time study.
University & format
This BA (Hons) programme is studied full-time over 4 years at Leeds Conservatoire, a university in Leeds. Teaching quality is accredited as Silver by the Office for Students' TEF 2023, and the degree is nationally recognised as a UK degree-awarding body. Instruction is in English.
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.
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 | 90% |
| another higher-education qualification | 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
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at Leeds Conservatoire →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 – £26,000 | 40 |
| 3 years after | £18,000 | £12,500 – £21,500 | 230 |
| 5 years after | £23,500 | £19,500 – £29,000 | 220 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. 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. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 40; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. 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.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 45% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 35% 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: 35; response rate: 50%. 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
90% 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 8.6 out of 10: NSS 76.6% · in work or study 90% · continued 90%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Leeds Conservatoire
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 Leeds Conservatoire
4,668 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 Leeds Conservatoire from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Leeds Conservatoire; 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 Leeds Conservatoire’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 Leeds Conservatoire and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Leeds Conservatoire
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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