What is music?
The study of music at Nottingham provides skills for a range of future career paths. Composers and performers can pursue dedicated pathways throughout the three years of their course, developing the practical expertise gained in their specialist tuition with complementary modules examining different periods in musical history, early music notation, analytical skills, and sound technology and recording. Students interested in careers in education and arts administration can take innovative modules in music and ethics, music and cities, and community music programmes. There is plenty of room to experiment with different subjects, allowing your own interests to develop and mature as you go along. All music students, however, will graduate with an enviable array of highly developed skills adaptable to any work environment, including skills in research and data analysis, public presentation, project management, teamwork, communication and IT. In addition, you will be able to participate in over twenty student ensembles, become a student mentor on Nottingham's pioneering In Harmony scheme, benefit from workshops with professional musicians, and gain valuable work experience through our music internships.
How will I study?
Teaching takes the form of lectures, seminar classes and individual consultative tutorials, and is supplemented by workshops and master classes with professional musicians. In the first year you will receive an average of 12 contact hours per week.
All students taking solo performance modules will receive individual tuition with one of our experienced instrumental and vocal teachers. The allocations are generous: in the first year, 14 hours across the year; in the second year, 18 hours across the year; in the third year, 20 hours across the year. Additionally, for each assessed recital performance students will receive two hours practice with an approved accompanist.
Class time is supplemented by the huge range of performance activities taking place in the department. Over 20 student ensembles are based in the department, and these provide opportunities not only for performing, but also for conducting and for ensemble management – the latter developing invaluable employability skills.
Additionally, all music students are entitled to free tickets for concerts at the University’s Lakeside Arts Centre.
Extensive facilities
The department is housed in modern purpose-built accommodation overlooking the boating lake on University Park Campus. Specialist music facilities include an on-site music library (including listening booths, a large collection of sound recordings and a video and DVD archive), a computer laboratory and a recording studio, teaching and practice rooms, a lecture theatre, an orchestral-size Rehearsal Hall, and the Djanogly Recital Hall, where professional and student concerts are presented throughout the year. The department owns a varied collection of orchestral and early instruments. Group coaching and/or tuition is available on some of these instruments.
Studying abroad
We offer opportunities to study abroad in Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden and the United States.
Career prospects and employability
All music graduates leave the University with a broad portfolio of transferable skills, prepared for a variety of careers both within and outside music. The variety of kinds of learning encompassed by a music degree is uniquely suited to developing the key employability skills identified in the recent CBI/NUS report 'Working towards your future'. Additionally, the Department's 'Careers and Future Skills' and 'Work Placement' modules enable music students to develop their career prospects in ways relevant to their specialist interests and skills.
Recent graduates have gained employment in the music and creative industries (including jobs at the BBC, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Boosey and Hawkes, HarrisonParrott Artist Management, Oxford University Press Music, Blackheath Halls), in other business and professional sections (including professional positions at Squire Sanders Solicitors, Deutsche Bank, Advantage Professional, APX Commodities, Citigroup), and in education and other public sectors (including jobs at Kings College London, Royal Academy of Music, University of Cambridge, Nottingham University NHS Trust, and schools around the country).
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.
Application interview
Offers are usually made without interview. Students with non-standard entry qualifications, including mature students, may be invited to an interview.
Open days
UCAS visit days for students offered a place are normally held from late January to March. You are welcome to visit at other times – please contact us or for dates of our open days visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/opendays
UCAS visit days for students offered a place are normally held from late January to March. You are welcome to visit at other times – please contact us or for dates of our open days visit