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Music Education

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

Music A Level at a minimum Grade B preferred. English : Minimum required: GCSE/O Level English Language AND English Literature at Grade B or above in both; or A Level English at Grade C or above. Mathematics : Minimum required: GCSE Mathematics at Grade C or above A minimum of a further 3 GCSE passes also required. Candidates for the BMus Music Education (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music and education. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Candidates should be of a standard equivalent to Grade 8 (Associated Board or other) or show the potential to achieve this on their main instrument/voice. Competence on piano is also required. Candidates may be invited to interview.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

Minimum of 32 points including at least a Grade 6 in Music at Higher Level. Candidates must also meet the GTCS requirements: minimum SL in Maths/Maths Studies at 4 or above and HL in English at 5 or above. Candidates for the BMus Music Education (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music and education. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Candidates should be of a standard equivalent to Grade 8 (Associated Board or other) or show the potential to achieve this on their main instrument/voice. Competence on piano is also required. 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 must also meet the GTCS requirements: minimum O4 in Maths and H3 in English. Candidates for the BMus Music Education (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music and education. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Candidates should be of a standard equivalent to Grade 8 (Associated Board or other) or show the potential to achieve this on their main instrument/voice. Competence on piano is also required. Candidates may be invited to interview.

Qualifications such as HNC Early Education and Childcare will be accepted as one subject alongside 3 other subjects at Higher Level (or equivalent). The Higher Grades required are C or above. The required English and Maths grades must also be achieved as noted. Candidates for the BMus Music Education (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music and education. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Candidates should be of a standard equivalent to Grade 8 (Associated Board or other) or show the potential to achieve this on their main instrument/voice. Competence on piano is also required. Candidates may be invited to interview.

For entry to Year 3: Satisfactory completion of HND Music (240 SCQF credit points). Satisfactory Completion of HND Music, Interview, Audition, PVG Check, Higher English and Nat5 Maths (or equivalent). Candidates for the BMus Music Education (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music and education. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Candidates should be of a standard equivalent to Grade 8 (Associated Board or other) or show the potential to achieve this on their main instrument/voice. Competence on piano is also required. Candidates may be invited to interview.

Scottish Higher

A,B,B,B

Minimum 4 Highers at ABBB in four distinct disciplines (Music cannot be double counted). Music at Higher Grade A preferred. Applicants must also meet the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS) requirements: National 5 in Mathematics or Applications of Mathematics (previously known as Lifeskills Mathematics) at grade C or above, or Standard Grade Mathematics at grade 1 or 2, AND Higher English at grade C or above. Candidates for the BMus Music Education (honours) are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music and education. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate's academic record and personal statement. Candidates should be of a standard equivalent to Grade 8 (Associated Board or other) or show the potential to achieve this on their main instrument/voice. Competence on piano is also required. Candidates may be invited to interview.

UCAS Tariff

114-120

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About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Secondary teaching

Music Education at Aberdeen gives you the brilliant opportunity to learn, compose and perform with world-renowned composers and musicologists, working in all genres, styles and periods, with unrivalled opportunities to grow as a musician and performer and to specialise in the skills to inspire a new generation through music education in schools. Aberdeen is the ideal environment and location in which to study music, with 500 years of outstanding musical history and heritage and a vibrant cultural identity which celebrates the traditional while embracing the modern, playing a huge role in the cultural life of north-east Scotland.

Our highly-regarded BMus programme gives the benefit of broad foundation in music before choosing to specialise in teaching in the BMus (Education) programme. In your first three years of your BMus (Education) programme, you will study performance, composition, theory, musicianship and a broad overview of music history which serves as the foundation for future study and specialising in your final year.

You will then combine the study of music with a qualification to teach in Scottish secondary schools, including school placements in your final year. You will graduate perfectly prepared for a career in teaching music, with the additional option of applying your all-round knowledge and transferable skills should you decide to purse an alternative career such as in the media, or the music business.

Modules

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

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; 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

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

The Uni


Course location:

University of Aberdeen

Department:

School of Education

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.

70%
Secondary teaching

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.

Teacher training

Teaching and learning

70%
Staff make the subject interesting
79%
Staff are good at explaining things
73%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
92%
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

73%
Library resources
80%
IT resources
77%
Course specific equipment and facilities
51%
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?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
39%
Male students
61%
Female students
73%
2:1 or above
7%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
A

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.

Teacher training

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.

£22,500
med
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education
100%
high
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

99%
Teaching and educational professionals
1%
Welfare and housing associate professionals

The stats above mainly cover teaching degrees for training and qualifying in primary school education. These tend to be three or four-year courses — check with course tutors about how long you will need to study to get your Qualified Teacher Status. Most graduates go into teaching roles — usually primary school teaching, so these courses have good employment rates and starting salaries. We have a shortage of teachers of all kinds, which is deepening, and whilst many of the most severe are at secondary level, the prospects for this degree are not likely to take a downturn any time soon.

What about your long term prospects?

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

Teacher training

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

£28k

£28k

£33k

£33k

£35k

£35k

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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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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here