BA (Hons) Music Performance with Foundation Year · University of DerbyBachelor's degree · 4 years
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University of Derby · Undergraduate

BA (Hons) Music Performance with Foundation Year Bachelor's degree at the University of Derby

BA (Hons) Music Performance with Foundation Year at University of Derby leads to a nationally recognised Bachelor's degree and covers core theory, research and methods, applied practice, specialist options, an independent project, and professional skills.

BA (Hons)
Award
4
Years
Full-time
Study mode
95%
in work/study (15m)

About this course

BA (Hons) Music Performance with Foundation Year is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Derby, based in Derby Campus. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.

For Performing arts graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £22,000. (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.

8.8
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Exceptional93

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
Exceptional95

Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)

Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Strong75

Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2021-23. Continuation 75% (2021-23; 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 6 modules
  • Creative StudiesCore20 credits
    Module details

    The Creative Studies module encompasses a wide range of skills that will help you look, record and translate visual information. A variety of drawing and/or recording methods will be used ranging from precise drawing techniques to more experimental mark-making or performative skills using a wide range of media; this will be approached through a variety of structured workshops. These will enable you to develop your skills and techniques in areas such as printmaking, life-drawing, still-life, observational drawing, design drawing, collage and photograms, performance and recording. You will also choose an area or movement in art and design or media and/or performing arts that particularly inter

    Assessment: Coursework

  • Creative TechnologiesCore20 credits
    Module details

    The interpretation of the visual world around us and the ability to capture and manipulate images through photo-based processes are fundamental skills in creative practice. This module introduces you to a variety of processes and allows you to explore the many possibilities for creating images that technologies provide. The module allows you to explore and create images using the notion of collage, narrative content, sequence and serialisation. Module Learning Outcome Demonstrate an ability to control processes within areas of image capture, manipulation, and/or performance and reproduction Demonstrate an ability to use relevant technologies for creating meaningful images or recording perfor

    Assessment: Coursework

  • Creative Arts SkillsCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module will introduce you to the fundamentals of performance-making through text, devising, design and in the disciplines of music and drama. Through individual practice the module will encourage the exploration of how performance is created reviewing and exploring key practitioners and texts.

    Assessment: Coursework

  • Creative ProjectCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module allows you to consolidate and develop a range of subject-specific and transferrable skills by designing and realising a project based on a specific brief. This will allow you to gain skills relevant to your chosen programme but will also enable you to consider how you can work with students from other subjects and disciplines to create innovative and creative approaches to a particular project brief. While you will be able to exercise a considerable degree of freedom over the way you interpret the project brief, you will be supported and guided in your work through a series of seminars, workshops and tutorials. Module learning outcomes On successful completion of the module, you

    Assessment: Coursework

  • Developing PracticeCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module is designed to encourage the exploration and development of practical skills through the combination of various visual media, including but not limited to graphic design, photography, illustration, fine art, and 3D modelling. Students will engage with the creative process, experimenting with interdisciplinary techniques to expand their artistic vocabulary and deepen their understanding of visual communication. Through workshops, critiques, and practical projects, students will refine their technical abilities and conceptual thinking, preparing them for further study or practice in creative arts disciplines. Module learning outcomes On successful completion of the module, you will

    Assessment: Coursework, Practical

  • Academic Skills and Personal DevelopmentCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module will introduce you to the academic skills needed for study at undergraduate level and enable you to plan for your future study and career, including research skills, critical thinking, self-reflection, and independent and collaborative working. In doing so, it aims to set the groundwork for your success on the remainder of your programme. Module learning outcomes On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: Identify key resources and techniques applicable in the context of university-level research Communicate knowledge, understanding and arguments effectively Reflect on learning and identify areas of strength and weaknesses Demonstrate the ability to utilise a ra

    Assessment: Coursework

Year 1 4 modules
  • Performance RedefinedCore40 credits
    Module details

    This module offers the opportunity for the student to develop musicianship skills though the investigation of alternate traditions in musical performance. The student is encouraged to develop aesthetic sensibilities, interrogating and manipulating the elements of expressive musical performance, in less familiar traditions inviting experimentation and creative risk taking, whilst maintaining listener coherence and performer communication. The essential components of musical language will be re-evaluated in the context of exploring and developing more novel expressive voices.

    Assessment: Practical

  • Commercial CompositionCore40 credits
    Module details

    Opportunities to investigate multiple perspectives in musical design, that have impacted upon the composition of commercial music, are offered within this module. The ideologies of dominant styles and antecedents will be investigated and you will be encouraged to directly participate in creative and re-creative activities particularly in areas less familiar. You will explore theoretical constructs in music, their relevance and significance to the modern commercial sector, considering expression, aesthetic, stylistic and contextual aspects of your own creative work. Module learning outcomes Identify creative potential and consider novel possibilities by confronting, exploring and assimilating

    Assessment: Practical

  • Music Industry and SocietyCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module will provide an introduction to the academic study of popular music and to the discourses of popular music culture. It will supply you with the conceptual tools for engaging with popular music in a scholarly fashion. Familiarity with these critical perspectives and debates will enable you to build an understanding of the historical, cultural, social, economic, technological, and aesthetic developments that have shaped popular music in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This module will familiarise you with key issues, theories, and approaches as it focuses on how popular music texts are created, circulated, and consumed. It will explore the relationship between the music,

    Assessment: Coursework

  • Introduction to Studio Production TechniquesCore20 credits
    Module details

    Introduction to Studio Production Techniques enables you to develop practical and technical knowledge of modern recording studio practice. The module provides an opportunity to manage a recording studio session, explore and apply fundamental recording concepts with confidence, and deploy core post-production techniques. Module learning outcomes On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: Demonstrate team-working and time-management skills throughout the production process Explore a range of studio recording and DAW post-production techniques to create a portfolio of works Module content Acoustic instruments: piano, acoustic guitar, wind/string instruments and ensembles Elect

    Assessment: Practical

Year 2 4 modules
  • Composing for CommissionCore40 credits
    Module details

    This module aims to enable the you to develop your creative awareness, aesthetic sensibilities and production techniques through the composition of solutions to a variety of given and negotiated musical scenarios. Incorporating an exploration of composition as both a creative and re-creative activity, study will focus upon the theory and practice relating to production, instrumentation, form and arrangement associated with significant commercial musical genres considering authenticity, listener coherence and the graphical representation of musical structure. You are encouraged to draw upon your own experiences of music performing and listening, participating in collaborative music making and

    Assessment: Coursework, Practical

  • Music Business StudiesCore20 credits
    Module details

    The music industry is constantly evolving to meet the challenges that advancing technology and the changing needs of the music consumer brings. Consequently, it is essential to have a clear understanding of this business. This module explores this and associated industries and develops a comprehensive understanding of the business and potential careers for the music graduate. This module will also provide the opportunity to relate academic knowledge and vocational skills to the professional work environment. This module has a research focus for the essentials that are needed to understand and work in the music industry.

    Assessment: Coursework

  • Spatial Sound and Music PerceptionCore20 credits
    Module details

    This largely practical module aims to provide the next generation of sound composers and music producers with the necessary appreciation of multi-channel audio techniques and concomitant perceptual effects. Virtual reality ‘sound-and-vision’ artificial environments are proliferating in usages such as cinema, education, computer games, data representation, and acoustic modelling, providing many new opportunities for virtual reality audio content-producers

    Assessment: Coursework, Practical

  • Performance InterpretationCore40 credits
    Module details

    This module develops musicianship skills through participation in collaborative ensemble music sessions, involving the performance of authentic re-creative and the development of original co-creative musical ideas. You will be given the opportunity to assimilate theoretical and aesthetic systems of thought and to relate theory to practice through the study of a body of music and the repertoires, texts, resources and concepts associated with it, recognising and responding to aspects of musical organisation, whether aurally or by studying a written score. Module learning outcomes On successful completion of the module, you will be able to: Develop creative performance ideas demonstrating versa

    Assessment: Coursework, Practical

Optional placement year 1 modules
  • Placement Learning and Professional DevelopmentCore20 credits
    Module details

    This module forms part of the placement year typically completed between the second and final stage of a degree programme. The module provides a framework for the development of reflective skills appropriate to all areas of professional practice including for example aspects of problem solving such as objective setting, planning, negotiating, demonstrating, and reflecting. The emphasis in this module is on the analysis and evaluation of work completed within the organisation and future employability planning. During the module students will develop a reflective portfolio where they record the skills, knowledge and experience developed during the placement experience and evaluate how this wil

    Assessment: Coursework

Year 3 2 modules
  • Production PortfolioCore40 credits
    Module details

    The module takes the form of a structured, student-managed commercially orientated project enabling development of personal creative interests and abilities, and provides students with the opportunity to convey personal expression and imagination in practical music making through employing appropriate technical and interpretative means. The musical and technical objectives of the project are negotiated as appropriate with the tutor and need to be of relevance to the experience and expertise of the student as a distinct component of their final year studies consolidating the development of an individual music personality through advanced technical skills and deeper levels of interpretive insi

    Assessment: Coursework

  • Research ProjectCore40 credits
    Module details

    The Research Project module is a significant element of specialist degree programmes, requiring initiative, resourcefulness, time management and professionalism. The module aims to develop students’ abilities to work independently, objectively researching an individual topic in appropriate academic depth using relevant concepts and techniques. The process is intended to allow students to develop skills particularly relevant to a career in their specialist area, demonstrating how knowledge and understanding interconnects with other disciplines in the arts, humanities, social and physical sciences as appropriate. Students will collect, analyse and apply information, and exhibit skills such as

    Assessment: 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 includes a foundation year to prepare you for university-level music study. You'll then progress through core and specialist modules. A course like this typically begins with principal-study lessons, ensembles and performance classes, supported by musicianship, theory and aural training. As you move forward, you'll usually explore composition and music technology, plus pedagogy and community music practice. From the second year onwards, you'll typically choose a specialist pathway, such as performance, composition, music production, musicology or music education, whilst developing professional skills in the music industry. Your studies normally culminate in a final recital or major project that demonstrates your artistic and technical achievement.

Who it's for

This course suits students who wish to develop performance skills and music knowledge at degree level. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; the typical UCAS tariff among entrants was 80–95 points. The foundation year provides additional preparation for those needing it before progressing to the main degree.

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 pursuing further study. National graduate earnings data shows starting salaries of £20,000–£28,000 at 15 months; after three years, £15,725–£22,200; and after five years, £19,975–£28,200. These figures reflect national outcomes, not university-specific guarantees. First-year retention stands at 85% across the institution.

University & format

The BA (Hons) Music Performance with Foundation Year is studied full-time at the University of Derby, a public university located on the Derby Campus. The course runs for 4 years and is taught in English. As a recognised UK degree-awarding body, your degree will be nationally recognised. The university holds Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.

Student satisfaction

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

The teaching on my course
99%
Learning opportunities
91%
Assessment and feedback
94%
Academic Support
97%
Organisation and management
100%
Learning resources
93%
Student voice
76%

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.

Contextual offersPublished by this provider

The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.

PlacementPublished placement option

Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.

Open daysBook your Undergraduate Open Day Book your Undergraduate Open Day

See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.

Entry & how to get in

Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent90% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 80 - 95 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 the University of Derby'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
A-levels or equivalent90%
a previous degree10%

Entry & your chances

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

Accessible entry

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.

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 gradesAABA-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeW3J9quote this on your application
  1. 1
    Register on UCAS Hub

    Create your UCAS application and add this course (code W3J9). 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 University of Derby 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£15,500 / yr

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

Check fees at University of Derby →

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 4 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 University of Derby 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£22,000£14,000 – £30,00010
3 years after£18,500£14,000 – £22,50080
5 years after£23,000£18,500 – £27,50080

Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.

Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course

95%
in work or further study 15 months on
60%
in highly skilled work or study
75%
continue past their first year
75%
find their work meaningful
50%
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
£22,000
£20,000 – £28,000
After 3 years LEO
£18,500
£15,725 – £22,200
After 5 years LEO
£23,000
£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.

95 of 100

were in work or further study

15 months after graduation

70% working20% working and studying0% in further study60% in highly skilled work or study

Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.

Value compared with similar courses

How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Music & Performing Arts courses at the same study level.

This course £23,000Peer median £23,500Middle 50% £22,500–£25,500
34th 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.

  • 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
  • Community and Civil Enforcement OccupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
  • Customer service occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
  • Media ProfessionalsSOC 2020 249 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,895
  • Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087

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.

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

95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £22,000. 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 8.8 out of 10: NSS 92.9% · in work or study 95% · continued 75%.

Who studies here and in this subject?

Provider- and UK subject-level context.

University of Derby

All students18,895
International14.3%
Aged 25+49.2%

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 Derby Campus - Markeaton Street

1,938 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.

Violent Crime 755Anti Social Behaviour 212Public Order 197Shoplifting 169Drugs 128

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 University of Derby from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.

Tuition fees

International tuition is £15,500 / 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 University of Derby’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 University of Derby and gov.uk before you apply.

Common questions

Entry is historically accessible, accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 128 - 143 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 the University of Derby. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
For Performing arts graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £22,000. (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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