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Music and Sound Production (Top-up)

Newcastle College University Centre

UCAS Code: W302 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Newcastle College University Centre

UCAS Code: W302 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

Entry requirements

GCSE/National 4/National 5

Grade 4 or higher in GCSE Maths and English

HND (BTEC)

M

Students studying Foundation Degrees or a Level 5 DipHE are also encouraged to apply.

Scottish HND

Pass

You may also need to…

Attend an interview

groups

Perform an audition

theater_comedy

About this course

Course option

1year

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Music production

The BA (Hons) Music and Sound Production (Top-Up) is designed for passionate individuals ready to become versatile, highly employable professionals in the music industry. If you are aiming to excel as an electronic music producer, live sound engineer or recording engineer, this programme is the course for you. Building on your previous studies (a Foundation Degree or similar Level 5 qualification) or industry experience, this programme builds upon your foundational knowledge in audio analysis, music production, synthesisers, samplers, industry insight, event planning, and the societal impact of music. You will have the freedom to choose between two specialised pathways: Electronic Music Production and Music Technology (Live Sound and Studio Recording). Both paths offer new knowledge in Audio Mastering and Post-Production, professional profile development, and a major production project. Electronic Music Production students will dive into composition for media like film or games and gain live electronic music performance skills. Music Technology (Live Sound and Studio Recording) students will advance their expertise in studio recording and live sound reinforcement. Throughout the programme, you will also develop essential academic skills, including research, academic writing, and project dissemination, showcasing your growth and development. Throughout the programme, you will also develop essential academic skills, including research, academic writing, and project dissemination, showcasing your growth and development. Learning is hands-on and face-to-face, with sessions held in our state-of-the-art Performance Academy, where you'll have access to resources such as recording studios, performance venues, and industry-standard technology. The BA (Hons) Music and Sound Production (Top-up) programme is for individuals who are serious about a career in Music Production, Live Sound, Events and those who wish to progress onto a teacher training qualification. Academic progression beyond the BA (Hons) Top-up could include master’s programmes, including a MA in Creative Practice. You can also progress onto post-graduate teacher training programmes such as a PGCE. Career paths for graduates include Front-of-House Sound Engineer, Monitor Mix Engineer, Stage Crew, Studio Technician, Studio Manager, DJ, Tour Manager, Events Promoter, Music Producer, Remixer, Theatre Technician, Teacher/Lecturer

Modules

Creative Research Project, Post-Production Techniques, Professional Profile. Pathway Specific Modules: Music to Creative Media, Live Electronic Music, Applied Audio Techniques or Applied Live Techniques.

Assessment methods

You will be assessed through a variety of methods, each designed to reflect different skills and knowledge areas. These assessments will include practical demonstrations, written reports, essays, and observed assessments. You’ll also have the chance to create academic posters, deliver presentations, build portfolios, and submit audio or video recordings. Through these diverse assessment types, you will develop skills in research, presentation, self-reflection, and practical application, all of which will support your learning and professional growth

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

The Uni

Course location:

Newcastle College University Centre

Department:

Music and Performance/Production Arts

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

89%
Music production

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

86%
Staff make the subject interesting
100%
Staff are good at explaining things
86%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
79%
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

71%
Library resources
67%
IT resources
71%
Course specific equipment and facilities
86%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

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

After graduation

We don't have more detailed stats to show you in relation to this subject area at this university but read about typical employment outcomes and prospects for graduates of this subject below.

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.

£16k

£16k

£20k

£20k

£23k

£23k

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.

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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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?

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