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Music

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-A,B,B

You must have evidence of strong music ability. You might have A-level Music or Music Technology (with at least grade B in either) or have other evidence of music ability from outside your A-level studies. This could be a formal qualification (such as grade 7 theory or grade 7 instrument or voice from a certified exam board, like Rockschool or ABRSM) or you may have other evidence of strong performance, composition or professional experience from outside your academic studies. If you are applying without a formal music qualification, but otherwise have a strong UCAS application, we will probably ask you to submit evidence of your music ability as part of our selection process. You might, for example, be asked to provide a portfolio of compositions or songs/tracks or recordings of public performances, or a combination of several of these. You should also have a broad range of GCSEs 9-4 (A*-C), including good grades in relevant subjects.

Pass Diploma with at least 39 level 3 credits at Merit or above including 21-24 credits at Distinction. The Access should be in Humanities or Social Sciences or computing/music technology creative and digital media. You must also have evidence of strong music ability. You might have A-level Music or Music Technology (with at least grade B in either) or have other evidence of music ability from another qualification. This could be a formal qualification (such as grade 7 theory or grade 7 instrument or voice from a certified exam board, like Rockschool or ABRSM) or you may have other evidence of strong performance, composition or professional experience from outside your academic studies. If you are applying without a formal music qualification, but otherwise have a strong UCAS application, we will probably ask you to submit evidence of your music ability as part of our selection process. You might, for example, be asked to provide a portfolio of compositions or songs/tracks or recordings of public performances, or a combination of several of these.

We take the EPQ into account when considering your application and it can be useful in the summer when your results are released if you have narrowly missed the conditions of your offer. We do not routinely include the EPQ in the conditions of your offer but we sometimes offer alternative conditions that include the EPQ. If you wish to discuss this further please contact Admissions at [email protected]

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

30-32

This score should be from the full IB Diploma. You must have evidence of strong music ability. You might have Higher level Music within your International Baccalaureate (with at least grade 5) or have other evidence of music ability from outside your International Baccalaureate studies. This could be a formal qualification (such as grade 7 theory or grade 7 instrument or voice from a certified exam board, like Rockschool or ABRSM) or you may have other evidence of strong performance or composition or professional experience from outside your academic studies. If you are applying without a formal music qualification, but otherwise have a strong UCAS application, we will probably ask you to submit evidence of your music ability as part of our selection process. You might, for example, be asked to provide a portfolio of compositions or songs/tracks or recordings of public performances, or a combination of several of these.

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

DDD-DDM

You must have evidence of strong music ability. You might have a Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma) in Music or Music Technology (with at least Distinction, Distinction, Merit) or you could have a formal qualification (such as grade 7 theory or grade 7 instrument or voice from a certified exam board, like Rockschool or ABRSM). You may also have other evidence of strong performance or composition or professional experience from outside your academic studies. If you are applying without a formal music qualification, but otherwise have a strong UCAS application, we will probably ask you to submit evidence of your music ability as part of our selection process. You might, for example, be asked to provide a portfolio of compositions or songs/tracks or recordings of public performances, or a combination of several of these. You should have a broad range of GCSEs grades 9-4 (A*-C), including good grades in relevant subjects.

Scottish Higher

A,B,B,B,B-A,A,B,B,B


You must have evidence of strong music ability. You might have Highers which include Music with at least grade B or an Advanced Higher in Music (grade B) or have other evidence of music ability from outside your current studies. This could be a formal qualification (such as grade 7 theory or grade 7 instrument or voice from a certified exam board, like Rockschool or ABRSM). You may also have other evidence of strong performance, composition or professional experience from outside your academic studies. If you are applying without a formal music qualification, but otherwise have a strong UCAS application, we will probably ask you to submit evidence of your music ability as part of our selection process. You might, for example, be asked to provide a portfolio of compositions or songs/tracks or recordings of public performances, or a combination of several of these.

UCAS Tariff

120-147

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

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Music

**About the course**

At Sussex, you gain a critical understanding of traditional and contemporary music and how it contributes to society. You study in a great environment for music making and studies, including masterclasses and concerts. You'll develop the skills to define musical practices of the future through our modern approaches to composition, performance and production.

At Sussex, you’re taught by internationally recognised composers and musicologists, celebrated for their work in opera and film, as well as more conventional musical forms.

You’ll gain a critical understanding of traditional and contemporary music and learn how it contributes to society. With a wide range of options to choose from, including performance and music technology, our flexible approach to study means you can tailor your degree to your passion.

You’ll develop the skills to define musical practices of the future through our modern approaches to composition, performance and production. You'll study in a great environment for music-making, including masterclasses and concerts. You will also have 24-hour access to practice rooms, and the newly refurbished Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts offers exciting opportunities to enjoy and perform music.

**About Sussex**

Sussex graduates change the world. Our students become the leaders of the future, making discoveries, improving lives and changing things for the better.

Study with us to join a welcoming and inspiring community of staff and students from more than 140 countries.

**Location**

We shape the world from a fantastic campus on the UK’s beautiful south coast.

We are the only UK university surrounded by a national park, so you can step off campus to explore the hills and woodlands of the South Downs. The vibrant, colourful and creative seaside city of Brighton & Hove is just nine minutes away.

With Brighton voted the happiest city in England for students, (Student Living Survey, Sodexo, 2018) there can be few better places to study.

Modules

See the modules you will study by year by going to the 'view course details' link.

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
£25,000
per year
International
£25,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Sussex

Department:

Music

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.

75%
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

88%
Staff make the subject interesting
81%
Staff are good at explaining things
81%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
56%
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

69%
Library resources
75%
IT resources
63%
Course specific equipment and facilities
81%
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?

84%
UK students
16%
International students
83%
Male students
17%
Female students
92%
2:1 or above
17%
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.

94%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

29%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
9%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
7%
Managers and proprietors in hospitality and leisure services

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.

£19k

£19k

£19k

£19k

£25k

£25k

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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