BA (Hons) Music Bachelor's degree at Middlesex University
BA (Hons) Music at Middlesex University is recognised as a UK degree-awarding qualification. Teaching quality has been rated Silver by the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
About this course
Study music at Middlesex University, London. Build your talent in composition and performance while exploring theory and creative collaboration. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Music is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Middlesex University, based in Hendon Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Performing arts graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 75% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £23,000. (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: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. 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 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 4 modules
- Creative PracticesCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Develop your skills and knowledge of musical performance, songwriting and composition, with an option to specialise in popular or classical music. Develop an awareness of the interdisciplinary nature of the performing arts and consider how performance can be extended and deepened in collaboration with other arts disciplines.
- Cultures of the Performing ArtsCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Examine the cultural significance of music in society through a mixture of discussions, trips, screenings and critical readings. Explore the performing arts as both makers and audiences. Develop critical, analytical and reflective skills, building confidence in articulating your insights as an independent and critical thinker.
- Making PerformanceCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Apply everything you have learned in your first year by creating and performing in a collaborative project. Build on your understanding of how performances are made, gain real experience performing live in front of an audience and develop your ability to reflect on both your own work and your group's creative process.
- Skilling Up: Tools and TechniquesCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Build your musical skills, production techniques and understanding of music theory. Through hands-on workshops, you will test and explore these tools in real-life situations, creating your own personal 'toolkit' to use throughout your degree.
Year 2 4 modules
- Recording and ProductionCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Develop and enhance your specialist skills in recording and producing music in our fully equipped, industry-standard studios, in both analogue and digital work. You'll explore a range of topics such as audio editing, microphone techniques and DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) skills in a collaborative studio setting.
- Performance & Composition/SongwritingCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Build upon your experience in Year 1 to develop your own unique artistic voice as you move towards performing, songwriting and composing at a professional level.
- Performance FestivalCompulsory30 credits
Module details
As you continue to grow your performance, production, and songwriting skills, you will have the opportunity to bring them to life in a live, festival-style showcase.
- Cultures and Business of MusicCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Gain insight into the music industry by developing an understanding of key roles within the sector and how these roles interact with one another. Explore the intersection between musical practices and cultural domains by examining the role of music in the production and transmission of identities and how, in turn, these shape music and its interpretation.
Year 3 6 modules
- Advanced Creative Music PracticeCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Take your creativity to the next level by developing your production, composition, songwriting and performance skills with the support of experienced professionals in the field. Explore, establish and maintain a distinctive musical identity – a personal creative 'voice' – to inform your current and future practice.
- Contemporary Debates in Music Cultures and BusinessOptional30 credits
Module details
Further explore the dynamic and evolving cultural landscape of music and the music industry. Engage with current debates, industry practices, and the intersection between business and creativity.
- Music for Dance and TheatreOptional30 credits
Module details
Develop music and employment opportunities through collaboration with peers from related art forms. Connect your songwriting, composition and production skills to reflect an interdisciplinary, real-world setting.
- Degree FestivalCompulsory30 credits
Module details
Celebrate how far you've come by showcasing your expertise in performance, songwriting, composition and production for a Degree Show Festival. This is your chance to refine your unique creative style and prepare to launch your career in the music industry.
- Independent Project and Work ExperienceOptional30 credits
Module details
Delve deeper into a topic that really interests you such as a production project, performance or a written piece. This could lead to a dissertation, a live performance or the release of your latest EP. You will also have the option to take a work placement with an industry partner to build your professional experience and employability skills.
- Music and Sound for ScreenOptional30 credits
Module details
Explore how sound and visuals work together by collaborating with students from across the faculty to create music for animation, film and video games. You will respond to music industry briefs to enhance your career and employability skills.
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 builds your talent in composition and performance whilst exploring theory and creative collaboration. You'll usually start with principal-study lessons, ensembles and performance classes alongside musicianship, harmony and aural skills. In Year 1, you'll also encounter music in context, repertoire and its history from early music to now. Year 2 deepens performance work through recitals and ensemble projects, introduces composition and music technology for writing and production, and covers pedagogy and community music practice. By Year 3, a typical course like this moves toward specialist pathways such as performance, composition, musicology, music production or music education, alongside professional development in the business of music, funding, promotion and portfolio careers. You'll conclude with a final recital, major project or dissertation.
Who it's for
This course suits students who have studied music at A-level or equivalent. Among recent accepted students, 55% held A-levels or equivalent qualifications. The typical UCAS tariff for entrants has been 96–111 points. You should have a genuine interest in music theory, practice, and research methods, and be prepared for independent study alongside taught modules.
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 pursuing further study. Graduate earnings vary: starting salaries (at 15 months) typically range from £20,000 to £28,000 nationally; after three years, £15,725 to £22,200; and after five years, £19,975 to £28,200. These are national figures across the sector, not university-specific guarantees. First-year retention stands at 85% across the student body.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is studied full-time over 3 years at Middlesex University's Hendon Campus in London. The course is taught in English. Middlesex is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, so your degree is nationally recognised. The university holds a Silver award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework (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.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
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 | 55% |
| another higher-education qualification | 30% |
| a foundation course | 10% |
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. 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 Middlesex University →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 | £23,000 | £14,000 – £29,000 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £20,500 | £15,500 – £25,500 | 175 |
| 5 years after | £25,500 | £19,500 – £31,000 | 190 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; 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: 15; 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.
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 35% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
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: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BA (Hons) Music worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BA (Hons) Music 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
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £23,000. 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 8.1 out of 10: NSS 78.4% · in work or study 90% · continued 75%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Middlesex 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 Hendon Campus
1,980 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 Middlesex University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £17,200 / 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 Middlesex University’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 Middlesex University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Middlesex University
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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