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Professional Music (Production) with Integrated Foundation Year

Entry requirements


We welcome A Levels in a wide range of subjects, especially in those relevant to the course for which you apply.

We may consider a standalone AS in a relevant subject, if it is taken along with other A Levels and if an A Level has not been taken in the same subject. However, you will not be disadvantaged if you do not have a standalone AS subject as we will not ordinarily use them in our offers.

60 credits (with a minimum of 45 credits achieved at level 3) in a relevant subject.

A typical offer is between 80 and 120 UCAS points

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

24

A typical offer is between 80 and 120 UCAS points

A typical offer is between 80 and 120 UCAS points

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

A typical offer is between 80 and 120 UCAS points

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

A typical offer is between 80 and 120 UCAS points

A typical offer is between 80 and 120 UCAS points

T Level

P-M

P (Pass) grade must be C or above, not D or E

UCAS Tariff

80-120

A typical offer is between 80 and 120 UCAS points, primarily from Level 3 equivalent qualifications, such as A levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma or a Foundation Diploma, or current, relevant experience. Grade 4 (or C) or above in GCSE English Language, or equivalent, is a minimum language requirement for all applicants. Due to the creative nature of our courses, you will be considered on your own individual merit and potential to succeed on your chosen course. Please contact the Applicant Services team for advice if you are predicted UCAS points below this range, or if you have questions about the qualifications or experience you have.

a minimum of 40 UCAS tariff points, when combined with a minimum of 64 UCAS tariff points from the Supporting Qualifications

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Music

The Integrated Foundation Year course supports access to higher education. It will help you build the core and specialist skills you’ll need for degree-level study. It focusses on the development of relevant and sustainable skills required by musicians and entrepreneurs of the 21st century. If you are taking on a subject that you are yet to study in depth, have been out of education for while or just need some support in preparing to study at a higher level, then the Integrated Foundation Year course could be for you. You will have the chance to explore your creativity, expand professional skills, improve study skills, and develop a deeper knowledge of the area you want to study.

The degree course for serious music producers.
If you’re a producer looking for a course that gives you the skills for a successful career in music, then the BA (Hons) Professional Music (Production) degree course is for you.

It’s been designed to provide you with the tools and motivation you’ll need to fulfil your music goals, realise your professional ambition and create consistently high-quality musical output. And like all degree courses at WaterBear, it gives you the perfect blend of artistic freedom alongside practical strategies to forge a solid career in music.

As an audio producer, it’s all about developing the technical skills required to unlock creative potential. It’s also about working collaboratively and developing the confidence and ability to communicate what’s in your head. You’ll be able to access a wide range of content, resources and tuition to suit your individual needs. All online content from our full range of courses is accessible to everyone, so you can tailor your own learning journey.

This course is taught at WaterBear in Sheffield, and awarded by Falmouth University.

Modules

This course is designed to include an introductory one year lead-in programme prior to starting your specialist degree.

In The Integrated Foundation Year, you will study core modules that focus on music and industry practice. It is embedded as part of the BA(Hons) Professional Music degree, preparing you for progression to degree-level study. The course encourages creativity, collaboration, and personal development.

You will study technical skills, how to think and work creatively in a collaborative environment and how to apply your skills practically. You will develop critical thinking and research skills and develop a wider understanding of popular music and its importance culturally and contextually.

Whether you are a music performer, songwriter, audio producer, electronic artist, DJ or music business entrepreneur.

You will improve your technical abilities and develop your specialism. You will be working individually and collaboratively to create and present your creations in a group environment to develop live performance techniques, be it music or presenting ideas. You will explore style and genre and develop a wider knowledge of music as a source of income with a focus on what it means to have a DIY approach, including the use of technology in developing brand. Overall, this course is about preparing you to be part of the 21st century music industry.

The degree is built on three fundamental elements – your music, your career and your projects. It deals with what really matters in music and the industry. It will expand your options and push you to create high-quality music. Every week, you’ll hone audio production skills, sound engineering techniques, compositional skills, and expand your creativity. You’ll be able to showcase your music live on stage in a real music venue, or in the studio. And you’ll learn all you need to know about the realities of being a professional producer in today’s music industry.

This course has been specifically designed for:
· Audio producers
· Studio engineers
· Multi-instrumentalists

Every producer at WaterBear has their own story to tell and their own path to follow. We provide a supportive, safe environment for you to experiment and create. You'll also develop a tailored career plan to support your personal goals and ambitions.

Year Two Modules:

Your Music Production
Your Music Industry
Original Music Production
Your Strategy

Year Three Modules:

Your Style
Your Events
Innovation in Music Production

Year Four Modules:

Specialist Report
Your Working Life
Professional Project

Course structure and modules may change as part of our regular review processes. Any changes affecting students’ expected programme delivery are communicated in advance.

Assessment methods

For the Integrated Foundation Year, module assessment methods will vary depending on the subject matter and will include a blend of practical and written assessment, and portfolio submission.

The Uni


Course location:

WaterBear, Sheffield

Department:

The Academy of Music and Theatre Arts

Read full university profile

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.

77%
Music

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

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
92%
Staff are good at explaining things
84%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
74%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

70%
Library resources
79%
IT resources
81%
Course specific equipment and facilities
70%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
65%
Male students
35%
Female students
68%
2:1 or above
21%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

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.

£16,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education
59%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

51%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
9%
Teaching and educational professionals
9%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Music

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£13k

£13k

£17k

£17k

£21k

£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.

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Nearby University
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Same University
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

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.

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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.

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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

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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