Music (Top-Up) BA (Hons)

Overview

This top-up course is designed to build on HND or Foundation Degree qualifications in music. It combines degree-level theoretical studies with further training in musical performance, musicology, creative sound, and participatory practice. The result is a mix of academic rigour and practical skills that makes our music course a stimulating journey of discovery, reflection, and achievement.

Why us?

• Sunderland is a globally recognised music city (The Music Cities Network, 2025)
• Our Music courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
• Top up an HND or foundation degree to a full honours degree, studying with award-winning lecturers
• Pursue your passion through independent music study with either a practical or theoretical focus
• Opportunities to participate in musical theatre projects and choir performances, and collaborate with dance, drama, and media students
• Aspiring teachers can gain experience working as a music facilitator in educational and community settings
• Top up an HND or foundation degree to a full honours degree, studying with award-winning lecturers

Course structure

Teaching and learning methods encourage you to engage with theory and practice. Feedback on performance and projects is supported by lectures, seminars, and workshop discussions. Assessment methods include public performances, presentations, essays, and critical evaluations.

Part-time study

If you study this course on a part-time basis, you'll typically complete 40-80 credits in a year, rather than the 120 credits of full-time students. All modules are taught during the day and you'll be studying alongside full-time students.

Final Year (Top-Up) (national level 6):

Core modules:

• Music and Meaning (30 credits)
  • In this module, you’ll explore how music expresses ideas like identity, emotion, power and culture. You’ll study real examples from songs and scores to videos and live shows, and ask how music communicates without words.
  • You’ll learn key tools to understand music, such as rhythm, melody, harmony and texture. You’ll also apply these ideas through creative work, discussion and personal research.
• Music Performance (30 credits)
  • Do you love singing or playing an instrument? Want to perform live as part of a group? This module helps you build your performance skills and confidence on stage.
  • In this module, you'll grow as a performer by developing your vocal or instrumental skills, learning to express emotion through music, and understanding what makes a performance connect with an audience. You'll also explore how music can be experienced differently depending on the setting, and work as a group to create and deliver a live show.
• Creative Sound (30 credits)
  • What can sound do beyond music? How can we use everyday noises to tell stories, build emotions, or challenge ideas?
  • In this module, you’ll explore sound as a creative tool. You’ll learn how artists and composers use sound in exciting ways, from sound art and experimental music to sound design and field recordings. You’ll discover new ways of listening and start thinking about sound as more than just something you hear.
• Creative Enterprise (30 credits)
  • What does it really take to work in the creative industries?
  • Explore real jobs in the creative world like media and design, music, art and fashion. Uncover how the industry is changing, learn from experts, and discover what skills employers are looking for.
  • You'll be given a brief for a real-world project, with support from your tutor and experts in the industry. Explore a potential job path and learn how to plan and deliver work professionally. You'll also create an online portfolio or digital CV to show off your best work and help promote yourself as a creative professional.

Facilities

This course is based at the Priestman Building, the main base for art, design and performance on City Campus. Thanks to a major renovation programme, the Priestman Building provides state-of-the-art teaching space and resources as part of a vibrant and creative learning environment.

Entry requirements

The typical entry requirement is the successful completion of one of the following:

• BTEC HND in a subject related to music
• Foundation Degree in a subject related to music
• 240 credits or equivalent of a recognised UK undergraduate award in a relevant subject.

We'll consider applications from applicants who don't hold one of the qualifications in the list above but who do have relevant experience.

If English isn't your first language, please see our English language requirements.

Fees and finance

The annual, full-time fee for this course is:

• £9,535 if you are from the UK/Europe
• £16,500 if you are an international student

*Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.

Tuition fees for part-time students are £7,145 per 90 credits. Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.

Career ready

This course prepares you for roles in music-related areas of the creative industries, participatory arts, and arts management, as well as for entrepreneurship in the creative sector. You could also undertake further training to become a music teacher.

Practical experience

The ‘Live Project’ module allows you to build up experience that attracts potential employers. It could consist of touring new work, collaborating with youth organisations, or working with professional musicians.

Links with the music industry

The University has strong links with arts organisations throughout the North East. These links are valuable in ensuring the relevance of our courses and in opening up opportunities for projects and placements.

Enhance your CV

The University of Sunderland is committed to ensuring that every student has an impressive range of opportunities to enhance their CV and gain valuable experience through:

• Work placements
• Graduate internships
• Studying abroad
• Student Ambassador Scheme
• Mentoring
• Starting your own business
• Student jobs and volunteering
• Careers advice.

Degree Overview:

Improve your performance and presentation skills, your depth of subject knowledge and application, and your critical analysis and research skills. It combines degree-level theoretical studies with further training in musical performance, musicology, creative sound, and participatory practice. The result is a mix of academic rigour and practical skills that makes our music course a stimulating journey of discovery, reflection, and achievement.

• Top up an HND or foundation degree to a full honours degree, studying with award-winning lecturers
• Pursue your passion through independent music study with either a practical or theoretical focus
• Opportunities to participate in musical theatre projects and choir performances and collaborate with dance, drama, and media students
• Study in a vibrant city music scene with new arts, culture, and music venue investment
• Exceptional menu of modules, ranging from musicology and creative sound to community/education work and musical multimedia
• Aspiring teachers can gain experience of working as a music facilitator in educational and community settings
## Outline: The BA (Hons) Music (Top-Up) program is composed of two years, with each year divided into two semesters. The modules offered in each semester are listed below:

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Year 1:

• Semester 1:
• Meaning in Music (20 credits)
• Independent Study (20 credits) (optional)
• Music-Image-Text (20 credits) (optional)
• Creative Enterprise Project (20 credits) (optional)
• Music Performance Practice (20 credits) (optional)
• Semester 2:
• Independent Study (20 credits) (optional)
• Music Performance in Context (20 credits) (optional)
• Creative Sound Practice (20 credits) (optional)
• Creative Sound Lab (20 credits) (optional)

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Year 2:

• Semester 1:
• Independent Study (20 credits) (optional)
• Music-Image-Text (20 credits) (optional)
• Creative Enterprise Project (20 credits) (optional)
• Music Performance Practice (20 credits) (optional)
• Semester 2:
• Independent Study (20 credits) (optional)
• Music Performance in Context (20 credits) (optional)
• Creative Sound Practice (20 credits) (optional)
• Creative Sound Lab (20 credits) (optional)

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Module Descriptions:

• Meaning in Music (20 credits): This module examines how music acquires and embodies meaning, exploring the elements of songs, performances, and genres to understand their representation and interpretation in the contemporary cultural environment.
• Independent Study (20 credits): This module allows students to conduct in-depth research on a chosen historical, theoretical, or contextual topic in the field of Dance, Drama, Music, or Performing Arts.
• Music-Image-Text (20 credits): This module explores the implications of "musical multimedia" for creative practice in music by examining a range of audio-visual material and case studies.
Students will gain experience in originating, composing, and presenting new work in various forms.
• Creative Enterprise Project (20 credits): This module provides students with an overview of developments in the creative industries, investigates current trends and developments in the work of selected practitioners and theorists, and encourages students to develop and apply specialist and transferable skills and knowledge in a professional creative employment context.
• Music Performance Practice (20 credits): This module focuses on developing students' vocal and instrumental performance skills, helping them perfect their musical ability and awareness by understanding working processes that extend performer skills in both solo and ensemble situations.
• Music Performance in Context (20 credits): This module allows students to further develop their study of musical performance and extend their musical awareness through working processes that focus on 'performance in context.'
Students will participate in both individual and group work, developing a live performance that considers audience perspectives and social, environmental, and other contextual factors.
• Creative Sound Practice (20 credits): This module provides students with the technical and theoretical tools for creating new audio works.
Students will study an overview of creative sound practices across various sub-disciplines, including technology-based music composition, sound art, Musique Concrète, sound design, cracked media, and acoustic ecology.
• Creative Sound Lab (20 credits): This module encourages students to develop skills in sonic experimentation and creative play, utilizing new and unconventional strategies for creating new audio works and artifacts.
Students will develop their own strategies while understanding the value, significance, and ideological groundwork of radical, speculative, and applied approaches to working with sonic materials. Please note that modules are subject to review and may have prerequisites. ## Assessment: Assessment methods for the program include:
• Public performances
• Presentations
• Essays
• Critical evaluations
• Project work
## Teaching: The program encourages active engagement with theory and practice through a variety of teaching methods, including:
• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshop discussions
• Individual tutorials
Feedback is provided on performance and projects to support students' learning and development. ## Careers: This program prepares students for roles in various areas, including:
• Music-related fields in the creative industries
• Participatory arts
• Arts management
• Entrepreneurship in the creative sector
The program also provides a foundation for further training to become a music teacher. ## Other:
• The program is offered on a full-time or part-time basis.
• Part-time students typically complete 40-80 credits per year.

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The annual, full-time fee for this course is: £9,250 if you're from the UK/Europe £16,000 if you're an international student (EU nationals will receive a £5,750 scholarship to reduce their fee to £10,250) Tuition fees for part-time students are £6,935 per 120 credits. Please note that part-time courses aren't available to international students who require a student visa to study in the UK.

• The discounted fee will be reflected in your offer letter.
Learn more in our Help and Advice article.

University of Sunderland

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Overview:

The University of Sunderland is a public university located in Sunderland, England. It offers a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various disciplines. The university has a strong focus on providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment for its students.

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Services Offered:

The University of Sunderland provides a comprehensive range of services to its students, including:

Academic Support:

Access to libraries, learning resources, and academic advisors.

Student Support:

Counseling, mental health services, and disability support.

Accommodation:

On-campus and off-campus housing options.

Career Services:

Career guidance, job search assistance, and internship opportunities.

Student Life:

A vibrant student union, clubs, societies, and social events.

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Student Life and Campus Experience:

The university boasts a diverse and inclusive campus community where students can connect with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Students can participate in extracurricular activities, engage in personal and professional development opportunities, and enjoy a vibrant social scene.

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Key Reasons to Study There:

Top-Quality Facilities:

The university has modern facilities, including a state-of-the-art library, sports facilities, and dedicated learning spaces.

Inclusive Culture:

The university fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students.

Vibrant City:

Sunderland is a dynamic city with a rich history and a low cost of living.

Strong Industry Links:

The university has strong connections with local businesses and industries, providing students with valuable career opportunities.

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Academic Programs:

The University of Sunderland offers a wide range of academic programs, including:

Arts and Design:

Fashion, Photography, Fine Art, and Graphic Design.

Sciences:

Pharmacy, Nursing, Medicine, and Biology.

Business and Law:

Business Management, Finance, Law, and Tourism.

Computing and Engineering:

Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Electrical Engineering.

Education and Social Sciences:

Education, Psychology, and Social Work.

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Other:

The university has campuses in Sunderland, London, and Hong Kong, offering students a global learning experience. It is also recognized for its commitment to sustainability and equality, diversity, and inclusion.