Mathematics and Music
University of Birmingham
UCAS Code: GW13 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
To include A level Music at grade A and A level Mathematics at grade A. Grade 7 ABRSM theory qualification will be accepted as a substitute for Music A level provided you have studied 3 other A levels.
Accepted in place of A levels with the following grade equivalencies: D2 = A*; D3 = A; M2 = B. Combinations of A levels and Principle subjects are accepted. NB required subjects must be offered (see A level Section)
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects, to include Maths and Music. Grade 7 ABRSM theory qualification will be accepted as a substitute for Higher Level Music provided you have met all other IB requirements.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
BTEC Extended Diploma: DDM, plus AA at A-level in the required subject/s mentioned above. BTEC Diploma: DD, plus AA at A-level in the required subject/s mentioned above. BTEC Subsidiary Diploma: D, plus AA at A-level in the required subject/s mentioned above.
Accepted in place of a non-required A level with the equivalent grade.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
There is a deep historic affinity between the disciplines of Mathematics and Music. Both involve patterns and structures; and notions such as octaves, chords, scales, and keys are all based in mathematics.
Music at Birmingham has evolved throughout the past century to give you unparalleled facilities, opportunities and student experience - blending tradition with fearless exploration of contemporary developments. You will benefit from some of the best facilities for undergraduate music study and practice in the country, including our state-of-the-art Bramall Music Building and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, with its magnificent Art Deco concert hall. This student experience is complemented by a diverse and eclectic array of music venues in the city of Birmingham, and music-making opportunities in abundance through our active Music Society, the university's largest and oldest society.
Meanwhile, your undergraduate Mathematics studies are carefully designed to give you access to as many topics as possible. You will develop skills such as the ability to formulate and tackle problems, to think logically, to use technical language and to express complex ideas clearly and accurately.
**Why study this course?**
**Exceptional facilities** - You will benefit from some of the best facilities for undergraduate music study and practice in the country, including state-of-the-art facilities in our Bramall Music Building and the magnificent Art Deco Concert Hall in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. You will also have access to practice rooms, electro-acoustic music studios, computer workstations and early instruments. Alongside listening booths and extensive audio collections, our library also houses an impressive text collection, including manuscript scores and early editions, Elgar diaries, and Baroque music.
**Your spotlight awaits** - You will have access to a wide variety of choirs, orchestras, ensembles, music groups and musical theatre organised by the Department of Music, University Music Society and the Guild of Students.
**Excellent employability development** - 100% of our undergraduate Music students enter work or further study within 15 months of graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022). Our Music and Mathematics graduates have a range of transferable skills which are highly prized by graduate employers.
**Opportunity to apply for a year in computer science** - You can apply to take an intercalated year in computer science in-between the second and final years of your degree course to gain in-depth knowledge of computing and enhance your work-based skills.
**Birmingham: the city of music** – Get involved in running and promoting our ensembles as a member of the Music Society Committee and receive professional mentoring. At University of Birmingham you’ll work exciting performance and festivals - both on the stage and behind the scenes.
**11th for undergraduate Music in the Complete University Guide 2022**
**12th for Music in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023**
Modules
First-year modules cover a broad base of the subject and are designed to introduce you to ways of studying at university. By the final year the modules you take will become more specialised and reflect the research expertise of the academic staff. More detailed module information can be found on the ‘Course detail’ tab on the University of Birmingham’s coursefinder web pages.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Birmingham
Department of Music
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Mathematics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
Mathematics
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.
Top job areas of graduates
Want to feel needed? This is one of the most flexible degrees of all and with so much of modern work being based on data, there are options everywhere for maths graduates. With all that training in handling figures, it's hardly surprising that a lot of maths graduates go into well-paid jobs in the IT or finance industries, and last year, a maths graduate in London could expect a very respectable average starting salary of £27k. And we're always short of teachers in maths, so that is an excellent option for anyone wanting to help the next generation. And if you want a research job, you'll want a doctorate — and a really good maths doctorate will get you all sorts of interest from academia and finance — and might secure some of the highest salaries going for new leavers from university.
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.
£15k
£22k
£24k
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.
Mathematics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£23k
£31k
£40k
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 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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