Course overview
The course covers a wide range of musical repertory, including all periods of western art music, jazz, popular music and film music, and offers a variety of practical, 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.
From September 2012, the typical path in our courses guarantees class contact time of 12 hours/week in year 1, 10 hours/week in year 2 and 8 hours/week in year 3. Weekly tutorial support and ensemble rehearsals provide further optional learning activities, on top of these class contact hours.
The modules listed below may change from year to year.
Year one
Your understanding of the discipline is consolidated and deepened through the following core modules:
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Elements of Music 1
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Elements of Music 2
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Debating Music
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Listening to Tonal Music
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Ensemble Performance
The remaining credits should be filled with the following 10-credit Music modules, or a combination of these and a maximum of 20 credits from another department.
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Opera
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World music
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Early Music
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Innovation in 20th-Century Music
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Skills for Composition
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Performance I
Year two
The emphasis in years two and three is on choice. Alongside the compulsory 'Critical Thinking' and 'Careers and Future Skills' modules, you are encouraged to develop your expertise by choosing up to five modules from the following:
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Creative Orchestration
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Portfolio of Compositions
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Multimedia Composition
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Performance
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Advanced Ensemble Performance
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Work Placement (placement in an external organisation)
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Notation and Transcription
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Approaches to Popular Music
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Narrative and Emotion in Art and Music
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Opera and Politics
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20th-Century Studies
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Beethoven and Schubert
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Philosophy and Aesthetics of Music
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Music and Globalisation
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Film Music
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Jazz
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Medieval Studies
You may also take a maximum of 20 credits from another department.
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
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Music and Ethics
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Can Classical Music Change Lives?
You may also take 20 credits of year two modules; and a maximum of 20 credits from another department.
Entry requirements
A levels: ABB, including A level in Music, citizenship studies not accepted.
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0 (no less than 6.0 in any element)
TOEFL iBT 100 (minimum 19 with 20 in Speaking).
Alternative qualifications
Please see the alternative qualifications page.
Flexible admissions policy
We may make some applicants an offer lower than advertised, depending on their personal and educational circumstances.
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
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 2010/11 full-time graduates of the Department of Music was £18,062.*
*Average starting salary from known destinations of first-degree leavers who studied full-time, 2010/11.
Careers Support and Advice
Studying for a degree at The University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take. Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.
Have a look at our Careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.
KIS
Key Information Sets (KIS)
KIS is an initiative that the government has introduced to allow you to compare different courses and universities.
Time in lectures, seminars and similar
From September 2012, the typical path in our courses guarantees class contact time of 12 hours/week in year 1, 10 hours/week in year 2 and 8 hours/week in year 3 (when you are likely to be receiving more one-to-one tuition). Weekly tutorial support, ensemble rehearsals and the accredited Nottingham Advantage Award provide further optional learning activities, on top of these class contact hours.
% in professional/managerial job at six months
Nottingham Music graduates gain employment in a huge variety of careers. A period of apprenticeship or workplace training is normal for careers in the arts; these 6-month statistics accordingly do not take account of graduates who progress to professional or managerial posts within a year or two of graduation.