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University of Aberdeen

UCAS Code: W300 | Bachelor of Music (with Honours) - BMus (Hon)

Entry requirements

A level

B,B,C

A Levels - BBC, with Music A Level at a minimum grade B preferred. GCSE in English or English Language is also required and a minimum of 3 additional GCSE passes. Candidates for the BMus Music (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music as well as significant attainment in one or more of a range of disciplines including performance, composition, music technology, musicology, and community engagement. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Graded qualifications on instrument or voice are welcome but are not essential. Candidates may be invited to interview.

Foundation Apprenticeship (SCQF Level 6)

Pass

One FA is equivalent to a Higher at A. It cannot replace any required subjects.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

At least a Grade 6 at Music at HL. English at a minimum of Standard level required. Candidates for the BMus Music (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music as well as significant attainment in one or more of a range of disciplines including performance, composition, music technology, musicology, and community engagement. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Graded qualifications on instrument or voice are welcome but are not essential. Candidates may be invited to interview.

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

H2,H2,H2

Minimum 3 subjects at Higher, with 3 at H2. Music at Higher preferred. Candidates for the BMus Music (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music as well as significant attainment in one or more of a range of disciplines including performance, composition, music technology, musicology, and community engagement. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Graded qualifications on instrument or voice are welcome but are not essential. Candidates may be invited to interview.

Scottish HNC

Pass

For entry to Year 2: Satisfactory completion of HNC Music (120 SCQF credit points). Curriculum to include: Satisfactory Completion, Interview and Audition. Studying Music or Music Education at the University of Aberdeen requires an ability to read and write musical notation. Entry to these degrees is conditional on your academic achievements so far, as well as your performance at interview and audition. For the audition, you will be expected to play or sing a short piece of music of your choice. Choose something that enables you to demonstrate your technical ability on your instrument or voice, and be prepared to answer questions about the piece you have chosen. Your interview will focus on the breadth and depth of your knowledge of music and your interest in it. Be prepared to be asked about music in different genres to the one that you have performed, including classical music (which is an important ingredient of the Music and Music Education degrees at Aberdeen, amongst many other styles and genres).

Scottish HND

Pass

For entry to Year 3: Satisfactory completion of HND Music (240 SCQF credit points). Curriculum to include: Satisfactory Completion, Interview and Audition. Auditions at the University of Aberdeen are centred around the classical music course. So, expect questions on classical music to pop-up in your interview. After the theory/ aural session you will be expected to play (or sing if you are a singer) on your main study. Then there will be a short interview. This interview will focus on classical music; so, be prepared for this. One example of a question which might be asked is, ‘can you talk us through the main points of Sonata form’. Or, another, ‘Talk to us about a work by Mozart or Beethoven’. Although we welcome all genres of music, the course is primarily classical focussed. Entry to these degrees are conditional on performance at interview and audition, entry at year three is not guaranteed by the academic requirements alone and in some cases entry to a lower year may be offered.

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,B

Minimum 4 Highers at BBBB in four distinct disciplines (Music cannot be double counted). Music at Higher Grade A preferred. National 5 English at minimum grade C Candidates for the BMus Music (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music as well as significant attainment in one or more of a range of disciplines including performance, composition, music technology, musicology, and community engagement. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Graded qualifications on instrument or voice are welcome but are not essential. Candidates may be invited to interview.

UCAS Tariff

108-112

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

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About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Music

Music at Aberdeen is the wonderful opportunity to learn, compose and perform with world-renowned composers, conductors, musicologists and researchers working in all genres, styles and periods. You will benefit from first-class facilities and instruments and unrivalled opportunities to grow as a musician and performer, be part of the vibrant musical scene in north-east Scotland and have options to specialise in teaching music or working with music in community settings.

Aberdeen is the ideal environment and location to study music, with 500 years of musical history and heritage and a vibrant cultural identity, which celebrates the traditional while embracing the modern.

When you enter our highly-regarded BMus programme you might already have may specific career aspirations including editing, writing and presenting music, composing and performing. If you are still considering your music career however, our degrees are specifically designed to give you the time to explore and develop your interests with a broad foundation in music before choosing your specific programme. You will study performance, composition and theory, musicianship and a broad overview of music history which serves as the foundation for future study and specialising in subsequent years.

You may wish to continue honing your skills as a musician and specialising in composition, performance and musicology, especially in your final year. Alternatively, you can specialise in teaching in the BMus (Education) programme Your studies will prepare you for a wide variety of careers, not only in music but applying your skills in education, in the media and in business and there are Aberdeen graduates working in music agencies and in the management of London and Scottish orchestras.

You will thrive in our friendly and vibrant international community, on our beautiful medieval campus with great facilities for learning, sports and leisure.

We also offer various opportunities for students, staff, and community members to perform together at our music ensembles. From folk to classical, we have a range of genres to suit your musical interests.

Modules

Music at Aberdeen offers a range of diverse courses and the performance and composition skills that you will develop will help you prepare for an exciting career in music. Some of the topics that you will explore throughout the programme include musicianship, digital musicianship, music theory, harmony and analysis, composition, music history and musicology, performance, composition, conducting, harmony and ethnomusicology.

View all modules on the programme page to find out more about what you will be studying and when. University of Aberdeen modules are designed to give you breadth and depth to your degree. The range of modules you study will allow you to become proficient in all subjects which are directly relevant to your degree giving you greater career options.

Assessment methods

The use of various forms of assessment and learning environments facilitates the development of generic transferable skills enhancing student employability.

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods: coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course; practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and written examinations at the end of each course. The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

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
£20,800
per year
International
£20,800
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding. These are designed to provide assistance to help students support themselves during their time at Aberdeen.

View the University of Aberdeen Online Prospectus programme page to find out about any scholarships and funding you may be eligible to apply for.

The Uni

Course location:

University of Aberdeen

Department:

School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture

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.

100%
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

94%
Staff make the subject interesting
94%
Staff are good at explaining things
100%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
77%
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

75%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
89%
Course specific equipment and facilities
77%
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?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
45%
Male students
55%
Female students
91%
2:1 or above
8%
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.

96%
med
Employed or in further education
54%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Teaching and educational professionals
22%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
15%
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.

£17k

£17k

£29k

£29k

£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.

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Course location and department:

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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