BMus (Hons) Music Performance · West LondonBachelor's degree · 3 years
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The University of West London · Undergraduate

BMus (Hons) Music Performance Bachelor's degree at West London

BMus (Hons) Music Performance at West London was founded in 1990 and leads to a BMus (Hons) award, a nationally recognised qualification from a UK degree-awarding body.

BMus (Hons)
Award
3
Years
Full-time
Study mode
90%
in work/study (15m)

About this course

BMus (Hons) Music Performance is a Bachelor's degree (BMus (Hons)) at West London, based in Ealing / Brentford. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.

For Music graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (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.

8.6
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Strong72

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)

Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Exceptional90

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)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Exceptional95

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (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.

Level 4 6 modules
  • Performance PracticeCompulsory
    Module details

    You will explore a range of creative approaches to solo and ensemble music. Through guided classes and workshops, you will acquire the skills needed to devise, arrange, rehearse, plan and perform.

  • Understanding Creative IndustriesCompulsory
    Module details

    Understanding Creative Industries is designed to give you an appreciation and knowledge of the development of the fundamental structures of the global creative industry structures. In doing this, you will obtain a comprehensive grounding in the key skills and knowledge appropriate to building, developing and maintaining a career in your chosen area of the industry. You will also receive a grounding in key figures within the industry and support organisations available to you to help in developin

  • Practical MusicianshipCompulsory
    Module details

    This module presents the opportunity to transform your existing theoretical knowledge into essential practical skills for your musical career. Through innovative strategies like Froseth Technique and relative-pitch ear training, alongside more traditional approaches, you will acquire invaluable skills that hinge on your musical development both as a performer and lifelong student of music.

  • Applied Musicianship (Community Music)Compulsory
    Module details

    Community music comes in many forms; from singing in a choir to exploring new technology and song writing, and has many benefits. You will be introduced to the creation and facilitation of music-based activities for individuals and groups in a wide range of community settings. The module aims to give you a good foundation for becoming a music teacher, music therapist, workshop facilitator or community musician.

  • Performing on StageCompulsory
    Module details

    In this module, you will further develop your solo and ensemble musicianship skills in preparation for performing on stage. You will embark on a series of practical projects which embrace a variety of styles and media. There will be performance opportunities in: orchestra jazz band choir concert series musical theatre.

  • Music, Culture and HistoryCompulsory
    Module details

    You will be presented with an overview of concepts and selected works in music history from the birth of opera (around 1600) to post-modernism. You will consider history, aesthetics, musical language and the performance of music through readings and musical works.

Level 5 6 modules
  • Exploring PerformanceCompulsory
    Module details

    This module is designed to develop your skills as an advanced solo and ensemble music practitioner. You will develop your problem-solving skills by focusing on solo and ensemble musicianship on your first study instrument or voice.

  • Practical ArrangingCompulsory
    Module details

    As a portfolio musician, you will be expected to arrange material for a variety of instrumental and vocal combinations. This could be anything from a conventional mixed orchestra, to an ad hoc group, like a school choir or band. Or it could be a commission with strict time constraints such as a TV or radio advertisement, or a symphonic piece of work. This module will give you the tools to tackle these real-life musical challenges.

  • Business Skills for the Music IndustryCompulsory
    Module details

    This module looks at the key skills and abilities required for entrepreneurs to develop new business ideas in the creative industries. As new technologies and media converge, the need to understand how new concepts are generated is one of the key tools for contemporary and future creative industry practitioners. Generating successful business ideas is a process of creative thinking and a critical awareness of the business landscape. This module will focus on both the theoretical and practical as

  • From Stage to StudioCompulsory
    Module details

    This module aims to develop your critical understanding of the challenges behind solo and ensemble performance through the lens of performance psychology. By understanding the roots of today's performance culture in historical, social and cultural contexts, you will work at developing and enhancing your own effective solo and ensemble live and recorded performance strategies.

  • Music ScholarshipCompulsory
    Module details

    This module investigates the ways in which topics in music history have been constructed in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries. You will explore specific musical works alongside musicological responses. These works will be discussed in the context of culture and cultural transfer, race and ethnicity, musical analysis, gender, psychoanalysis, listening, music and the body, music and exoticism, film music, music and religion/spirituality, jazz studies, and music technology and recorded

  • Music PedagogyCompulsory
    Module details

    Research suggests that the majority of musicians earn a significant proportion of their income through teaching and, therefore, knowledge and experience should be considered an important addition to the skill-set. This module provides an excellent opportunity for you to test your potential as a music educator. We intend to give you a flavour of working in education, researching into pedagogical ideas and equipping you with valuable skills that are transferable to your career.

Level 6 5 modules
  • The Professional PortfolioCompulsory
    Module details

    The aim of the module is to foster the skills needed to become a dynamic, creative and engaging team-player, demonstrating leadership and problem-solving qualities as well as an independent, empathic and reflective musician. This module aims to consolidate the range of skills needed for you to engage with the creative industries as an expert and versatile performer.

  • Research ProjectCompulsory
    Module details

    This module provides you with the experience of undertaking a detailed investigation into a well-defined area of musical knowledge and/or practice, which you will choose yourself. The balance of text and other materials is to be negotiated with the module leader. The resultant dissertation or project may be entirely written text (dissertation) or could take the shape of a combination of written material and performance material such as, for example, a lecture recital.

  • Promoting Your CareerCompulsory
    Module details

    This module is designed to develop the level of personal entrepreneurial skills needed by a current day portfolio career musician. You will examine and investigate current social and consumer trends of the creative industries and learn how to interact with and reflect this in your commercial and entrepreneurial skills.

  • Performance ProjectCompulsory
    Module details

    This module aims to bring together the business, performance, and academic skills which you have been developing and linking across different module strands on your course. The Performance Project module prepares you to put on a performance event through the development of a personal, creative, innovative and collaborative performance project which showcases your vocational instrumental or vocal talents.

  • Creative LeadershipCompulsory
    Module details

    You will develop your wider collaborative and leadership skills which you will draw upon during your professional career. You will develop a mentoring role to support your peers in a variety of ensemble performance contexts such as orchestra, opera, big band, musical theatre etc, as well as multimedia, collaborative and cross-genre projects. You will acquire conducting and workshop leading skills and gain insights into diverse professional contexts.

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 emphasises practical music performance alongside theory and musicianship. You'll usually begin with principal-study lessons, ensemble work and foundational harmony and aural training, alongside studies of music history and repertoire. In your second year, you'll deepen performance technique through recitals and larger ensemble projects, whilst gaining experience in composition and music technology, as well as teaching skills and community music practice. By the third year, you'll specialise in an area such as performance, composition, musicology, music production or music education, whilst studying the professional side of working as a musician. Your degree concludes with a final recital, portfolio or major project.

Who it's for

Most entrants hold another higher-education qualification; 55% of accepted students came in with prior higher-education study. The typical UCAS tariff among accepted students falls between 112 and 127 points.

Careers & job market

Across Music and Performing Arts courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. National earnings data shows starting salaries (15 months post-graduation) typically range from £20,000 to £28,000, rising to £19,975–£28,200 after five years. First-year retention stands at 85% across the student cohort.

University & format

The University of West London is a university located in Ealing and Brentford. This BMus (Hons) Music Performance degree is a full-time, three-year bachelor's programme taught in English. The degree is a nationally recognised qualification from a UK degree-awarding body. It has been awarded Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023.

Student satisfaction

How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.

The teaching on my course
68%
Learning opportunities
76%
Assessment and feedback
69%
Academic Support
89%
Organisation and management
43%
Learning resources
90%
Student voice
69%

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.

Application timelineWhat happens next
  1. 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted

    Your application needs a reference before you can send it.

  2. 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  3. 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

  4. 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline

    18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.

Show 5 later dates
  1. 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens

    Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.

  2. 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers

    Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.

  3. 2027 entryClearing opens

    Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.

  4. 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications

    Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.

  5. 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice

    Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held another higher-education qualification55% of accepted students came in with another higher-education qualification (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 112 - 127 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check West London's official course page for the current offer.

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

QualificationShare
another higher-education qualification55%
A-levels or equivalent40%
No / unknown prior qualifications10%

Entry & your chances

An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.

Offer-based entry

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.

Add your grades to see where you land

Your points will drop onto the distribution above, with an honest above / within / below read.

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.

Apply by13 January 2027, 18:00 UK timefor this course
Typical gradesBBBA-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeWJ88quote this on your application
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course (code WJ88). One application covers up to five choices.

  2. 2
    Write 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.

  3. 3
    Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time

    UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.

  4. 4
    Reply to your offers

    When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.

  5. 5
    Results 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.

💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask West London whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.

Fees & funding

What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.

Tuition per year

Homeup to £9,790 / yr
International£16,250 / yr

Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).

Check fees at West London →

For students who normally live in England

illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,790tuition used per year, illustrative full-time England fee-cap scenario
illustrative borrowing over 3 years

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.

Funding matched to this course

Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for

All West London funding →
No verified named award is shown for this provider yet.

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.

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Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check

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

WhenMedianTypical rangeGraduates
15 months after£25,000£24,000 – £27,00015
3 years after£21,000£15,500 – £26,000250
5 years after£26,000£20,500 – £32,000250

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

90%
in work or further study 15 months on
60%
in highly skilled work or study
95%
continue past their first year
90%
find their work meaningful
65%
say work fits their future plans
  1. 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
  2. 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in music & performing arts · 2–5 yrs
  3. 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
  4. 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs

How pay grows: this course vs Music & Performing Arts nationally

Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£25,000
£20,000 – £28,000
After 3 years LEO
£21,000
£15,725 – £22,200
After 5 years LEO
£26,000
£19,975 – £28,200
national rangethis course’s medianaxis £14,500 – £29,500

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.

90 of 100

were in work or further study

15 months after graduation

85% working5% working and studying0% in further study60% in highly skilled work or study

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.

This course £26,000Peer median £23,500Middle 50% £22,500–£25,500
80th percentile

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 · 30% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
  • Secretarial and related occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
  • Other Educational ProfessionalsSOC 2020 232 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,130

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: 90; 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.

90%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across Music & Performing Arts courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes
55%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled
85%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuation

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.

Where they work

  • Orchestras & ensembles
  • Schools & conservatoires
  • Studios & venues
  • Media & freelance

Is 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 £25,000. 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 72% · in work or study 90% · continued 95%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

The University of West London

All students17,690
International27.1%
Aged 25+48.3%

Design, and creative and performing arts across the UK

Students178,755
Aged 25+15.7%

HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.

Local crime-data context

A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.

Around Ealing / Brentford

2,092 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.

Anti Social Behaviour 612Violent Crime 415Vehicle Crime 242Shoplifting 181Public Order 154

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 West London from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is £16,250 / 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 West London’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 West London and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is offer-based and set by the university. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 112 - 127 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
Set by West London. Most accepted students held another higher-education qualification. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For Music graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
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. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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