Undergraduate students in a Music department recording studio

Department of Music

Music at Nottingham offers exciting and flexible degrees.

Our curriculum introduces musical techniques and repertoire, as well as offering optional modules taught by experts in jazz, world music, electronic and classical music, film, and musical theatre.

You can also explore the latest digital techniques for composition, performance and recording.

Key stats

  • Learn with tutors in a department ranked 7th for research outputs in the Russell Group (REF 2021)

Why choose us?

  • Play and perform - over 20 student-led ensembles, as well as the university orchestra and choirs
  • Paid for tuition - with experienced professional musicians for performance modules
  • Career development - music specific work placement opportunities carefully designed to help you look beyond your degree
  • Excellent facilities - including a high-tech recording studio, digital composition suite, mobile recording rig, an orchestral-sized rehearsal hall, and a 200-seat chamber music hall
  • Professional - work with experienced musicians, producers and technicians
  • Lakeside Arts - on-campus venue for concerts, plays and a host of other performances!

What our students say...

Amber Frost


"The thing I've enjoyed the most is the community that the music department has. I’ve got a really good relationship with the head of department – he's also my supervisor this semester for my masters. When you’re able to make friends with your lecturers I think that’s a really important thing and it’s something that’s quite unique to music, as we’re a small department. It’s really lovely."

 

- Music and Music Technology BA graduate


Kyle Campbell


"The most important thing I gained from my undergraduate degree was building connections. You get to work with so many different people and there’s so much variety, you can really pick and choose what you want to do. I took quite a musicology approach in my third year, but before that I was doing some composition modules, some performance modules, ensemble modules..."

 

- Music BA graduate


About our courses

You are taught through lectures, seminar classes and individual consultative tutorials, supplemented by workshops and master classes with professional musicians.

Extensive facilities

The department is housed in modern purpose-built accommodation overlooking the boating lake on University Park Campus. We have:

  • an on-site music library (including a large collection of sound recordings and a video and DVD archive)
  • a computer laboratory
  • a Digital Composition Studio
  • a Recording Studio
  • teaching and practice rooms
  • a lecture theatre
  • an orchestral-size Rehearsal Hall
  • the Djanogly Recital Hall, where professional and student concerts are presented throughout the year
  • a collection of orchestral and early instruments.

Find out more about our facilities.

All music graduates have a broad portfolio of transferable skills, preparing you for a variety of careers both within and outside music. 

Recent graduates have gained employment in:

  • the music and creative industries (including jobs at the BBC, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Boosey and Hawkes, Harrison Parrott Artist Management, Oxford University Press Music, Blackheath Halls)
  • business and professional sections (including professional positions at KPMG, Deloitte UK, PwC, Deutsche Bank, Charles Russell LLP, Citigroup, Christie's)
  • education and other public sectors (including jobs at King's College London, Arts Council England, Royal College of Music, and schools around the country)

Find out how you can use your degree.

As well as the opportunity to spend part of your degree studying or working abroad through the Turing Scheme, you can take part in activities alongside our China or Malaysia campuses.

See our study abroad webpage for more information.

Please note: In order to study abroad you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet the selection criteria of both the university and the partner institution. The partner institution is under no obligation to accept you even if you do meet the relevant criteria.

Offers are usually made without interview. Please note that students with non-standard entry qualifications, including mature students, may be invited for an interview.

We follow the university's flexible admissions policy and take educational and personal circumstances into consideration. 

Further details are available on our applying pages.

Watch the video below:

Join us and be guided by our Admissions Manager, Maryam. With her expert guidance, you'll discover some common myths we hear from potential students. From your reference worries to your predicted grades, and everything in between, Maryam clears up some key points you need to know to start your university experience.

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Open Day June 2022