Course overview
The course covers a wide range of repertory, including all periods of western art music, jazz, popular music and film music, and offers a variety of critical, analytical, historical and sociological approaches. Alongside practice-based modules (including performance, composition, analysis, and sound recording), there are modules focusing on specific periods or genres, and on a variety of contextual and contemporary music-related topics. You will gain a solid grounding in basic skills in the first year; the flexible modular structure and choice of topics will enable you to either specialise or maintain a breadth of interests as you progress through the course. The modules listed below may change from year to year.
Year one
Your understanding of the discipline is consolidated and deepened through the following modules:
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Elements of Music
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Interpreting Tonal Music
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Opera
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Introduction to Early Music
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Innovation in 20th Century Music
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Critical Thinking
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Listening to Tonal Music
The remaining 20 credits should be filled with the optional performance or composition modules in the Department of Music, or with a module from another department.
Year two
The emphasis in years two and three is on choice. Alongside the compulsory Critical Thinking II module, you are encouraged to develop your expertise by choosing from some of the following modules:
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Composition
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Performance
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Narrative and Emotion
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Opera and Politics
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Creative Orchestration
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Notation and Transcription
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20th-Century Studies
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Performance and Performers
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Beethoven and Schubert
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Film Music
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Jazz
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Medieval Studies
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Romanticism
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Popular Music
Year three
The final year allows you to specialise further, with double modules across the year in Dissertation (on a subject of your choice), Performance or Composition. We also offer advanced modules in Analysis, Notation and Editing, Sound Technology and Recording, and specialised research seminars on such topics as:
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Rap
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Britten and Sondheim
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Tragic Heroines
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Jazz Fusions
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Shakespeare and Music
You may also take 20 credits of year two modules.
Entry requirements
A levels: AAB, A in music at A level
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0 (no less than 6.0 in any element)
TOEFL iBT 100 (no less than 21 in listening and writing, 22 in reading and 23 in speaking)
Alternative qualifications
For details please see alternative qualifications page
Modules
The modules we offer are inspired by the research interests of our staff and as a result, may change from year to year. The following list is therefore subject to change but should give you a flavour of the modules we offer.
Typical year-one modules
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Elements of Music
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Interpreting Tonal Music
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Ensemble Performance
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Innovation in 20th-century Music
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Opera
Typical year-two modules
Typical year-three modules
Specialist modules include: Dissertation; Edition; Analysis; Composition; Performance.
Other options include a choice of up to four Research Seminars, and Sound Technology and Recording.
Please contact the Department of Music for more information.
Typical optional modules
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Music, Power and Desire at the Renaissance Courts
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The Age of Beethoven and Schubert
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Film Music
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Advanced Notation, Transcribing and Editing
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Creative Orchestration
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Approaches to Popular Music
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Sound Technology and Recording
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Music in Germany between the Wars
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Notation, Transcribing and Editing
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Portfolio of Compositions
Skills and careers
A recent report jointly authored by the CBI and the National Union of Students identified the seven most-desired ‘employability skills’ by today’s employers. Music students at Nottingham develop each of these skills to an unusually high level:
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Self-management: through devising and implementing independent research projects, and the discipline of individual instrumental/vocal practice
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Teamwork: through ensemble rehearsals and group presentations
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Business and Customer Awareness: through managing and promoting performances of the student ensembles, and involvement in the arts administration and library traineeships
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Problem-solving: through assigned essays, analytical tasks, library and archive research
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Communication: through developing presentational skills for assessed recitals, written work and oral presentations
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Application of IT: through the development of professional-level competence in word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, music processing, recording and editing technology
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Application of Numeracy: through data-led research projects, and involvement in financial aspects of student public performances
Average starting salary
The average starting salary for 2009/10 full-time graduates of the Department of Music was £13,150.*
*Average starting salary from known destinations of first-degree leavers who studied full-time, 2009/10.