Program Overview

---

BA Music (W300)

2026 entry

Course summary

Bristol's Music Department is small enough to offer you a personalised degree experience. Our staff include some of the world's leading experts in their fields. Our graduates have gone on to be BBC producers, professional performers and composers, publishers, agents, lawyers, teachers, and even parliamentary private secretaries and university pro-vice-chancellors! A music degree from a highly regarded university is a fantastic entry point to a wide array of careers, and we stay in touch with a large number of former students, often via our ongoing work with music media (especially the BBC), publishers, choirs and orchestras.

We support our students' journey through their music degree with professional masterclasses and composition workshops for those who love performing and composing, while most of our history teaching is done in small group seminars where we share ideas on the latest research. We are exceptionally lucky to have first-rate professional musicians teaching our students who take performance, and students have many opportunities to develop as performers during their time with us, including conducting ensembles from small choirs to whole operas. For enquiries about organ and choral scholarships, please contact the Department directly.

Overview

Typical offer

• A-level standard offer: AAB
• A-level contextual offer: BBB
• Go to entry requirements for the full entry criteria and contextual offer eligibility.

Programme duration

• 3 year(s) full-time
• 6 year(s) part-time
• Part-time study with daytime, weekday teaching

Application method

• UCAS (Code: W300)
• Applicants for part-time study should contact the School directly

Location

• Clifton campus

Fees

• £9,535 per year, home students
• £30400 per year, international students
• Part-time tuition fees will normally be charged on a pro rata basis
• More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support

Course structure

In your first year, you will take units in music history, composition (acoustic and electro-acoustic), performance and harmony. In your second year, you can begin to pursue your own interests, with a choice of history topics relating to the cutting-edge research being done by department staff, and pathways through composition and studio work, including recording and production. Performers continue with one-to-one professional tuition and work towards an end-of-year recital.

Second-year music students can, if they wish, spend half of the year studying at a university abroad; for more details, please contact the department directly. In your final year, you can take up to two extended topics, which can be either composition, studio work, performance or a dissertation; alongside these, you will select from a free choice of units and will also have the chance to work on a project collaboratively with your fellow students.

Full details about the course structure and units for this course can be viewed in the programme catalogue.

Entry requirements

We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.

A-level standard offer

• AAB including Music. Where a candidate is not taking A-level Music we will accept AAB plus Grade 6 Theory or Practical or Performance at Pass.

A-level contextual offer

• BBB including Music. Where a candidate is not taking A-level Music we will accept BBB plus Grade 6 Theory, Practical or Performance at Pass.

BTEC

• DDD either in Music Technology BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma or in any Applied General BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma. All applicants must also meet our Music requirement (B in Music at A-level (or equivalent) or Grade 6 Theory, Practical or Performance exam).

International Baccalaureate Diploma

• 34 points overall with 17 at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in Music. Where a candidate is not taking Higher Level Music we will accept 34 overall with 17 at Higher Level plus Grade 6 Theory, Practical or Performance at Pass.

International Baccalaureate Diploma contextual offer

• 31 points overall with 15 at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in Music. Where a candidate is not taking Higher Level Music we will accept 31 overall with 15 at Higher Level plus Grade 6 Theory, Practical or Performance at Pass.

European Baccalaureate

• 80% overall, with 8.0 in Music. Where a candidate is not taking EB Music we will accept 80% overall plus Grade 6 Theory, Practical or Performance.

Scottish Qualifications Authority

• Advanced Higher: AB including Music, and Standard Higher: AAABB. Where a candidate is not taking Advanced Higher Music we will accept AB plus Grade 6 Theory, Practical or Performance at Pass.

Access to HE Diploma

• Access to HE Diploma in Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or History (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include 24 credits at Distinction and 21 at Merit or above. All applicants must also meet our Music requirement (B in Music at A-level (or equivalent) or Grade 6 Theory, Practical or Performance exam).

Welsh Baccalaureate

• Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales or the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.

Cambridge Pre-U

• Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/M2 is B, and M3 is C.

International qualifications

• The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students, and we accept a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

Selection process

• Regulations and codes of conduct we abide by to create a positive environment for learning and achievement are found in the University admissions policies and procedures.
• If applying with extenuating circumstances please see our policy.
• Full information about our selection processes for Music can be found in the Admissions Statement.

Applicants must also meet these requirements

GCSE profile requirements

• No specific subjects required.
• Further information about GCSE requirements and profile levels.

English language requirements

• If English is not your first language, you need to have one of the following:
  • IELTS 7.0 overall with 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other skills
  • GCSE English Language grade B or 6
  • an alternative qualification outlined in our Profile level B.

Additional requirements

• Where an academic qualification in Music is not available, Pass in Grade 6 Theory, Practical or Performance can be considered from one of the following awarding bodies: ABRSM, Trinity, RSL (Rockschool), LCME (London College of Music Examinations), LSM (London School of Music)