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Popular Music Performance

Entry requirements


A level

C,C,C-B,C,C

Access to HE Diploma to include 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at Merit

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

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

H3,H3,H3,H3,H4

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

DMM-MMM

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,B

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

104

You may also need to…

Perform an audition

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Popular music performance

Develop your talent as a musician and performer through the practical and theoretical study of popular music.

Our course provides a unique opportunity for you to excel in performance while developing a critical mind and becoming an intelligent, multi-skilled musician. Popular musicians learn in different ways so the course uses accelerated learning techniques to ensure that all students progress in areas of musicianship, making clear links between performance, context, theory and professional practice.

The Department is committed to this holistic method of study, helping you to understand the value in what you are learning as you become confident, creative musicians. Our Department also has excellent links with industry professionals and visiting professors.

On this highly practical course, you will have the opportunity to develop extremely useful skills such as recording techniques, live PA mixing, songwriting and arranging – all essential for working in the music industry. Large multi-purpose performance spaces and music specific facilities, such as soundproof rehearsal rooms and a range of performance and recording equipment, will ensure you get the most out of your degree.

Graduate careers include musician, songwriter, music promotions manager, sound engineer, music teacher or events organiser.

Modules

For the latest example of curriculum availability on this degree programme please refer to the University of Chester's Website.

Assessment methods

You will submit a variety of work for summative assessment, including solo and group performances, presentations, recordings, composition portfolios and written essays.

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
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Chester

Department:

Performing Arts

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.

55%
Popular music performance

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

82%
Staff make the subject interesting
96%
Staff are good at explaining things
69%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
73%
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

59%
Library resources
73%
IT resources
64%
Course specific equipment and facilities
31%
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?

97%
UK students
3%
International students
47%
Male students
53%
Female students
83%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
D
D

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.

£16,000
low
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education
30%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

57%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
13%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
10%
Other elementary services occupations

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.

£12k

£12k

£17k

£17k

£19k

£19k

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 what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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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?

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