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Music and Philosophy

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B-B,B,B

Where an applicant is taking the EPQ alongside A-levels, the EPQ will be taken into consideration and result in lower A-level grades being required. Socio-economic factors which may have impacted an applicant’s education will be taken into consideration and alternative offers may be made to these applicants. Required: Music A-Level or Grade 7 Music Theory at Pass. Applicants without A-level grade A in Music or pass in Grade 7 Music Theory may be eligible for the Intensive Theory entry. This requires Music GCSE grade A/7 or equivalent, plus performance at Grade 7 level. In term 1 you will be required to take Fundamentals of Music Theory, an intensive music literacy course. Students wishing to take Solo Performance options will need to be of Grade 8 level in performance at point of entry.

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

Pass with at least 30 level 3 credits at Distinction, and the remaining level 3 credits at Merit, plus evidence of A-Level standard Music proficiency grade A equivalent or pass Grade 7 in Music Theory and Grade 7 practical at Pass . The Access to Higher Education Diploma is only acceptable if the applicant has had a considerable break from education.

Applicants with the Cambridge Pre-U are strongly encouraged to apply to Royal Holloway. Offers will be made on the basis of equivalent A-Level grades as can be found on the Royal Holloway website.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

We require at least five GCSEs at grade A*-C or 9 - 4 including English and Mathematics.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

5,5,5 at Higher Level including Music at Higher Level or pass Grade 7 in Music Theory with a minimum of 32 points overall and Grade 7 practical.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H3,H3,H3,H3,H3

H3,H3,H3,H3,H3 at Higher Level, including Music at Higher Level, or pass Grade 7 in Music Theory and Grade 7 practical

Pearson BTEC Diploma (QCF)

DD

BTEC must be in a relevant subject, plus A-Level Music or pass Grade 7 in Music Theory and Grade 7 practical.

Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF)

DDD

BTEC must be in a relevant subject, plus evidence of A-Level standard Music proficiency or pass Grade 7 in Music Theory and Grade 7 practical.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DM

BTEC must be in a relevant subject, plus A-Level Music or pass Grade 7 in Music Theory and Grade 7 practical.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

D

Plus A-Level Music or pass Grade 7 in Music Theory and one further A Level Grade B, and Grade 7 practical.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

BTEC must be in a relevant subject and pass Grade 7 in Music Theory and Grade 7 practical.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,B,B-B,B,B

Including Music or pass Grade 7 in Music Theory and Grade 7 practical.

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,B,B

Including Music or pass Grade 7 in Music Theory at Pass and Grade 7 practical.

Requirements are as for A-levels where one non-subject-specified A-level can be replaced by the same grade in the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate

UCAS Tariff

120-152

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Music

Philosophy

This Joint Honours course gives you the opportunity to combine the study of Music with the Philosophy in equal parts.

Studying Music at Royal Holloway allows you to tailor your studies to your own interests and passions.

We have expertise spanning traditional, modern and world music. Through studying musical texts, practices, cultures and institutions you will explore issues in history, sociology, ethnology, and philosophy covering an exceptional geographical and chronological range. You will also be able to gain practical skills in composition, music technology and performance.

You will join a music department that is among the very best in the country and the only music department in the country to hold a prestigious Regius Professorship.

- You will have access to well-equipped studios and recording facilities as well as incredible performance spaces including the Windsor Auditorium, Boilerhouse Theatre, Victorian Picture Gallery and College Chapel.

- Our well connected department means you have the opportunity to make valuable music industry contacts. Our staff are connected with musical networks such Wigmore Hall, the BBC Proms, Royal Opera House.

At Royal Holloway we have a unique approach to Philosophy that looks beyond the narrow confines of the Anglo-American analytic or the European tradition of philosophy focus on both traditions, their relationship and connections between them. The result has been the creation of a truly interdisciplinary and collaborative programme that brings together academic staff from departments across the university.

With the opportunity to examine (amongst other things) the mind and consciousness, aesthetics and morals, the self and others, the range of subjects available to Philosophy students at Royal Holloway guarantees that there will be something on offer that really engages you during your time with us.

- Gain practical skills in composition, music technology or performance.

- Choose from a wide range of performance opportunities including orchestras, choirs, jazz, pop, and world music ensembles.

- Apply for one of our choral, organ, orchestral or music scholarships.

- Philosophical approach spanning Anglo-American and European traditions.

- A truly interdisciplinary and collaborative philosophy programme.

Modules

Please refer to our website for information: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/music/music-and-philosophy.aspx

Assessment methods

Your course will be assessed by a combination of examinations and in-course assignments in the form of essays or presentations.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£23,800
per year
International
£23,800
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studyhere/undergraduate/feesandfunding/bursariesandscholarships/home.aspx

The Uni


Course location:

Royal Holloway, University of London

Department:

Music

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.

86%
Music
74%
Philosophy

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

90%
Staff make the subject interesting
93%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
66%
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

65%
Library resources
82%
IT resources
84%
Course specific equipment and facilities
56%
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?

79%
UK students
21%
International students
36%
Male students
64%
Female students
94%
2:1 or above
7%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
B

Philosophy

Teaching and learning

83%
Staff make the subject interesting
90%
Staff are good at explaining things
77%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
59%
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

68%
Library resources
67%
IT resources
79%
Course specific equipment and facilities
72%
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?

90%
UK students
10%
International students
43%
Male students
57%
Female students
79%
2:1 or above
17%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

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.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
98%
med
Employed or in further education
73%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

18%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
18%
Teaching and educational professionals
11%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals

Philosophy

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.

£19,000
med
Average annual salary
97%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
11%
Other administrative occupations
10%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

Although there aren't a lot of jobs around for professional philosophers, philosophy degrees are a relatively popular option, with more than 2,000 students graduating in a philosophy-related subject in 2015 - a little down on previous years, but still healthy. Nearly a quarter of philosophy graduates take a postgraduate qualification, and it's a relatively common subject at both Masters and doctorate level — so if you think academic life might be for you, think ahead about how you might fund further study. For those who go into work, philosophy grads tend to go into teaching, accountancy, consulting, journalism, PR, housing, marketing, human resources and the arts while a few go into the computer industry every year, where their logical training is highly rated.

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.

£17k

£17k

£20k

£20k

£26k

£26k

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.

Philosophy

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

£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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Durham University | Durham
Music and Philosophy
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 136-160
Lower entry requirements
Liverpool Hope University | Liverpool
Music and Philosophy & Ethics
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112
Nearby University
SOAS University of London | Camden
Music and World Philosophies
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 128-147

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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:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (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