BMus (Hons) Music Bachelor's degree at the University of Sheffield
BMus (Hons) Music at University of Sheffield. Rather than treating industry engagement as an afterthought, the course is built around giving you creative experiences across a range of musical industries, with the explicit aim of helping you establish a professional career once you…
About this course
We provide creative experiences within a range of musical industries to help you establish your professional career. From the provider’s course page.
BMus (Hons) Music is a Bachelor's degree (BMus (Hons)) at the University of Sheffield, based in Main Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Music graduates from this provider, 80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 75% 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)
Stronger evidence Published sample: 2,265. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 80% (2021-23; 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.
Year one 8 modules
- Music in a Global ContextCore20 credits
Module details
Whatever kind of music study you decide to specialise in, you'll do it better if you see it in the context of music as a phenomenon common to all humanity. You'll understand what's different about your own chosen field but also how the music you love derives from diverse cultural sources. In this module we examine how any music uses specific ways of organising sound to serve particular cultural purposes. You'll learn to recognise and describe diverse musical styles, research them through scholar
- Digital Skills for MusicCore20 credits
Module details
The module aims to develop your confidence and technical expertise with a range of technologies of value to academic and professional practice. Lectures will introduce fundamental principles and specific technologies for use in researching, creating and producing music. These technologies will then be applied in the production of a collaborative project, helping students to develop team work and interpersonal skills that will serve them in subsequent levels of study and professional practice. In
- History of Western MusicCore20 credits
Module details
This module provides an overview of some of the key issues in the history of Western art music, as well as the historical context surrounding them. A range of approaches to the study of music history will be considered, giving you an introduction to the discipline of musicology. The module will also develop your ability to write about music and use primary and secondary sources to inform critical discussions.
- Psychological Foundations of MusicCore20 credits
Module details
Music Psychology offers insights, ways of thinking, reflective tools and methods to understand the foundations of musical behaviour, learning and thought. This module offers the foundation to students to be able to engage with the literature, knowledge and underpinning techniques in this area. Learning about psychology of music will help you engage with some of the most provocative questions about musicality, such as what enables our capacity for music, why we respond emotionally to music, wheth
- CompositionOptional20 credits
Module details
In this module you will develop your composition skills, practice writing music in staff notation, and learn to write effectively for different instrumental and vocal forces. Drawing on the models of a diverse range of classical composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, we will focus on techniques for writing inventive melodies and rhythms, and employing wide-ranging approaches to harmony. The module aims to give you a foundation in composition and increase your confidence in preparation for fur
- PerformanceOptional20 credits
Module details
In this module you will develop the musical and intellectual abilities appropriate to solo performance. The theoretical background is considered, focusing on the aural and analytical skills essential to performance at an advanced level. An awareness of style and interpretation, as well as effective preparation and communication are built into teaching. You will receive one to one tuition in addition to attending whole class performance lectures.
- Popular Music StudiesOptional20 credits
Module details
This module provides an introduction to the academic study of popular music. You will explore key approaches to studying popular music in its socio-cultural contexts, investigating major issues and debates. Lecture materials and in-class tasks will engage with approaches to the analysis of popular music and media, issues of representation, authenticity, identity, technology and industry. The module is delivered via lectures and group tasks to encourage interaction and collaboration between stude
- Music AnalysisOptional20 credits
Module details
This module aims to introduce, develop and refine ways of thinking, listening and writing about western music. You will learn to listen to and analyze harmonic, tonal, motivic, thematic, melodic, rhythmic, textural and formal features of a range of western music genres, such as Common Practice harmonic principles, Medieval counterpoint, jazz standards and rock'n'roll. By using analytical techniques to reveal distinctive structural characteristics across multiple styles of music, this module not
Year two 6 modules
- Western Music in ContextCore20 credits
Module details
Musical products and practices always in some way reflect and respond to their circumstances. In this module you will study the relationship between music and its context across one or more historical periods and settings, considering factors such as politics and society, careers and patronage, aesthetics and ideology, and the place of music in everyday life. In the process you will acquire skills in the investigation of primary sources for music history, and learn to critically evaluate the met
- Music Psychology in PracticeCore20 credits
Module details
Music Psychology in Practice advances skills and understanding of the psychology of music with a focus on psychological aspects of making music, learning music, and communicating music to audiences. The module enables you to deepen your knowledge through focussed reading, critical reflection, and self-exploration. Furthermore, it scaffolds the skills for empirical study, providing you with training to investigate musical experiences and behaviours. This module will develop your work-related lear
- Studio PracticeCore20 credits
Module details
This module focuses on practical approaches to sound recording, production and creation. The module develops technical knowledge, skills and creativity through practical work and study of key concepts related to sound recording, music production and audio engineering. By developing work-related skills in sound recording, mixing and mastering you will be prepared for final year projects involving technology and work in the professional sound studio and future digital workplaces. Lectures will dev
- Work in MusicCore20 credits
Module details
The module provides an opportunity for students to examine in depth a working environment of interest to them and to undertake work-related learning through contact with a professional music setting. Students will take responsibility for approaching and communicating with external music organisations and professionals with a view to securing advice or practical experience. Module tutors will provide support and will also have access to a directory of local and national organisations that student
- Topics in Popular and Contemporary MusicOptional20 credits
Module details
This module will introduce a range of approaches to the study of musical genres of the 20th and 21st centuries, illustrated through focused case studies drawn from across a variety of vernacular corpora, including jazz, popular musics, and musical theatre and film. Through illustrative examples, the module will equip you to engage critically with concepts of genre, aesthetics, taste, identity and inequality over the last hundred years, exploring issues such as the development of blues and cool j
- Composition and InstrumentationOptional20 credits
Module details
This module will support your development of an individual compositional voice through projects aimed at developing your creative musical thinking at the same time as sound technical skills and awareness of composition in the 21st Century. We will focus on the techniques and methods of instrumental and vocal composition relevant to contemporary notated music. Learning will be through a combination of research, reflection, and discussion, in conjunction with the completion of a series of varied c
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
The course structure covers a spread of areas designed to build both intellectual understanding and practical capability. You'll engage with core theory to establish a solid grounding in musical knowledge, alongside research & methods, which equips you to investigate musical questions rigorously. Applied practice gives you hands-on experience putting ideas into action, whether through performance, composition or production work. As you progress, specialist options let you shape your studies towards areas that interest you most, such as particular genres, technologies or performance disciplines. The independent project is an opportunity to pursue a substantial piece of work of your own design, drawing together everything you've learned. Running throughout is a strand of professional skills, reflecting the course's focus on preparing you for the working world of music rather than purely academic study.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who is genuinely drawn to music as both a craft and a discipline, you might already play, compose, produce or perform, and you're keen to deepen your technical understanding while also testing your ideas in real creative contexts. You should be comfortable with independent thinking, since the research and independent project elements ask you to define and pursue your own questions rather than simply follow instructions. If you enjoy moving between the analytical and the practical, studying theory one day, then applying it in a studio or rehearsal room the next, you'll likely feel at home here. It also suits students who are thinking seriously about a career in the musical industries and want their studies to reflect that ambition, rather than someone looking for a purely academic music qualification detached from professional practice. Expect a mix of structured teaching and self-directed work, so a degree of discipline and curiosity will serve you well.
Careers & job market
Nationally, across Music & Performing Arts courses, 90% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, and 55% of working graduates are in highly skilled roles or continuing their studies. These figures relate to the sector as a whole rather than to any individual university or guaranteed outcome. National graduate earnings data (Graduate Outcomes/LEO) show starting salaries 15 months after graduation ranging from £20,000 to £28,000, with figures after three years spanning £15,725 to £22,200, and after five years £19,975 to £28,200. These ranges reflect the diversity of career paths graduates take rather than a fixed trajectory, and should be read as indicative national figures, not a promise tied to this specific course. Continuation data also shows that 85% of students carry on past their first year, either still enrolled or having completed their studies.
University & format
The BMus (Hons) Music is delivered full-time over three years at the University of Sheffield's main campus, with all teaching conducted in English. The University of Sheffield is a public, Russell Group institution founded in 1905, recognised as a degree-awarding body whose qualifications carry national recognition. The course was rated Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. Most students accepted onto the course previously held A-levels or equivalent qualifications (around 90% of recent entrants), with the most common UCAS tariff among accepted students falling between 144 and 159 points, reflecting typical entrant profiles rather than a fixed entry requirement. Bursaries and scholarships may also be available, and it's worth checking the university's funding pages for current details.
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.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Optional placement year. 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 | 90% |
| another higher-education qualification | 5% |
| Other | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code W302). 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 University of Sheffield →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 | £20,500 – £28,000 | 2265 |
| 3 years after | £23,500 | £18,500 – £26,000 | 25 |
| 5 years after | £27,500 | £22,500 – £34,000 | 25 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,265. Cohort 2021-22.
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: 2021-23. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 2,265. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Music & Performing Arts courses at the same study level.
Compared with 527 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 35% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Welfare and housing associate professionalsSOC 2020 322 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,937
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- 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: 30; response rate: 55%. 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
80% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £24,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.8 out of 10: NSS 94% · in work or study 80% · continued 90%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Sheffield
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 Main Campus
2,964 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 University of Sheffield from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Sheffield; 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 University of Sheffield’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 Sheffield and gov.uk before you apply.
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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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