Entry requirements
96 UCAS Tariff points from minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent), preferably to include Music, Music Technology or a related subject.
UCAS Tariff Points accepted.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above.
UCAS Tariff
UCAS Tariff points from minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent), preferably to include Music, Music Technology or a related subject.
You may also need to…
Attend an interview
Perform an audition
About this course
Learn how to succeed in the music business, from performance to production, and explore the history and cultures of popular music with our BA (Hons) Popular Music degree.
On our BA (Hons) Popular Music degree, you’ll get the chance to develop your musicianship and take it to the next level.
Immerse yourself in our student community, and collaborate on projects such as music videos, and film or computer game soundtracks.
There’s a focus on live performance throughout, with the chance to perform at festivals and in well-known music venues around Cambridge.
From notation and songwriting to the history and culture of popular music, you’ll gain an awareness of the different styles and techniques that can inform your own music.
We understand that, to be a great musician, you need to explore and experiment.
As a student in Cambridge, you’ll be able to make the most of the city’s diverse music scene, and benefit from our links to local networks such as Cambridge Arts Network and Cambridge Live. From classical music to UK rap, or even film and computer game soundtracks, you’ll be surrounded by collaborative opportunities to explore and expand your style.
On campus, you can use our specialist facilities to develop your music and experiment with different styles and techniques.
Take advantage of regular feedback on your performance, and assessment on live performances, to quickly improve your skills.
You’ll also be able to listen to professional musicians on campus every week in our lunchtime concert series, as well as attend workshops, masterclasses and lectures by visiting performers, composers and academics.
Choose to study abroad for one semester and get ongoing support to find work placements, to gain a broad experience of the music industry.
Whether you’re interested in the music industry, world music, performance art or music therapy, our degree will help you explore popular music in depth as you prepare for your future career.
All our music students have access to climate-controlled recording studios, running professional software including Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton Live and Sibelius; six practice rooms and two Mac suites; electronic and orchestral instruments, including a range of synthesisers; a recital hall with a Steinway Model D piano; a broad selection of digital and analogue as well as both solid state and valve outboard equipment.
You can also get training in all of our Creative Industries facilities - not just the ones for your course.
**Careers**
Not only will you develop your knowledge of music theory as part of your Popular Music degree, you’ll also be equipped with all of the practical skills that you need for a career in the music industry. You will also get the chance to tailor the course to your future career through our optional modules.
We work with employers to make sure you graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need. They help us review what we teach and how we teach it – and they offer hands-on, practical opportunities to learn through work-based projects, internships or placements.
Many of past students now enjoy successful careers in music – from performers and composers through to music teachers and art administrators.
Graduation doesn’t need to be the end of your time with us, of course. You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters, such as our renowned MA Music Therapy. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.
Modules
Year one, core modules
Dots, Lines and Waves
Music Performance Studies 1
Popular Music in Context 1a and 1b
Song Writing 1
Year one, optional modules
Recording Techniques
Year two, core modules
Music in Context 2a and 2b
Music Performance Studies 2
Chords, Contours and Grooves
Year two, optional modules
Live Event Management
Music and Performing Arts in Education
Studio Project
World Music Regional Studies
Music for the Moving Image
Songwriting 2
Year three, core modules
Enterprise in the Creative Arts
Intertextuality in Music
Major Project
Year three, optional modules
Art, Music and Performance
Composition 3
Music Performance Studies 3A and 3B
Principles of Music Therapy and Dramatherapy
Radiophonica
Music in the Global Marketplace
Optional modules available all years
Anglia Language Programme
Assessment methods
For a full breakdown of module options and credits, please view the module structure.
You’ll show your progress on the course through a combination of public performance, creative projects, essays, presentations and portfolios of work, including your final-year Major Project, which can include practice-led work.
This ongoing assessment will help you develop your improvisation and sight-reading skills; your creativity in composition and recording work; and your writing, analysis and research. We’ll also encourage you to use self-help packages, particularly for aural training, and undertake an extensive listening programme.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Cambridge Campus
Cambridge School of Creative Industries
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Music
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Music
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Performing arts
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£15k
£16k
£21k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Explore these similar courses...







This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here