Mathematics and Music
University of Birmingham
UCAS Code: GW13 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
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 6-8 ABRSM Theory or ABRSM grade 8 Performance is acceptable if you are not studying A Level Music, provided it is completed alongside three A levels. Equivalent Trinity or LCM Music theory qualifications are still considered.
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
With our BA Mathematics and Music undergraduate degree, explore two interconnected disciplines as you study technical language and formulae alongside musical technique and practice.
Mathematics and Music both involve patterns and structures; and notions such as octaves, chords, scales, and keys are all based in mathematics.
Your Music degree will encompass musicology, performance and composition, with opportunities to specialise in one of these disciplines.
Meanwhile, your undergraduate Mathematics studies give you access to varied topics, developing 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?**
BA Maths and Music is right for you if you want to...
**Benefit from our links with industry** – Forging a close connection with industry can help your career soar. The Mathematics department has strong links with a wide range of high profile companies, including E.ON, Caterpillar, Jaguar Land Rover, the Office for National Statistics, R&A, FDM Group, Barnett Waddingham and IBM.
**Enjoy a broad choice of modules** – The choice of Mathematics modules from your third year are very broad, ranging from the highly abstract to the highly applicable. Modules in year four are reflective of staff research interests and classes are often small and highly interactive. You can therefore specialise in the areas of Mathematics that interest you.
**Experience 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.
**Have the 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.
**Live in 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.
**Benefit from 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.
**12th for Music in the Complete University Guide 2024**
**17th for Mathematics in the Complete University Guide 2024**
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 the overall teaching satisfaction score 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.
£16k
£23k
£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.
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.
£25k
£33k
£42k
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 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
