Music: Composition pathway
Entry requirements
You should have, or expect to get, a 2:1 Honours degree in Music. We can consider an Honours degree in another subject if you have significant professional musical experience and relevant qualifications.
In your personal statement, please include the MA Music pathway you're applying for in the first paragraph.
All applicants for the composition pathway must submit a portfolio of 3–4 compositions, showcasing your range of styles and compositional technique.
You'll need to submit the compositions as either scores (PDF files) or recordings. Audio and/or video files should be uploaded to SoundCloud/MixCloud or YouTube/Vimeo/Youku or Dropbox/WeTransfer/YouSendIt with the URL pasted into a text document and uploaded to the application portal.
The videos should be submitted at the same time as your application or uploaded within two weeks of submitting your application. If the videos aren't provided in this timeframe, then your application may be declined.
Months of entry
September
Course content
21st century music composition is a diverse and evolving practice, bringing together performers, an assortment of cultures and styles, and the latest technology. Our course will develop your skills as you navigate this exciting new world of composition.
You’ll be based within our state-of-the-art Bramall Music Building, and you’ll also have access to our wide range of innovative rehearsal rooms and recording spaces in our University Music Hub.
Our programme provides you with a variety of exciting opportunities, including the option to write works for the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and take part in visiting performer workshops. Past guests have included percussionist Joby Burgess, who can be heard leading the percussion sections on the soundtracks of the Ant-Man and Black Panther franchises.
- Choose from our diverse study options, including modules ‘Music Employability’, and ‘British Music in Performance'.
- The Bramall Music Building is home to our acoustically flexible 450-seat Elgar Concert Hall, five electroacoustic studios, 17-seat computer cluster and the recently installed Yamaha DM7 digital mixing console.
- Use the skills you’ve developed to write your composition portfolio and enjoy listening to your work being performed by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.
- Top 100 for Arts and Humanities in the world (QS University World Rankings 2024).
At Birmingham, research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Lecturers and professors continue to research in their field, offering valuable expertise in Music history, theory and performance.
- Taught modules - each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation.
- Seminars – modules are mainly taught by small group teaching.
- Composition portfolio – instead of a traditional dissertation, you’ll produce a composition portfolio. This consists of compositions between 13-23 minutes and a written commentary between 3,000-5,000 words.
Information for international students
If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate you have a suitable level of English proficiency, usually through the form of an IELTS or equivalent qualification.
For this course we require IELTS 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in any band, which is equivalent to:
- TOEFL: 88 overall with no less than 21 in Reading, 20 Listening, 22 Speaking and 21 in Writing
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): Academic 67 with no less than 64 in all four skills
- Cambridge English: C1 Advanced - minimum overall score of 176, with no less than 169 in any component
- LanguageCert ESOL SELT (UKVI): B2 'Communicator' with no less than 33 in each skill
Fees and funding
The College of Arts and Law is a vibrant community of students and academics, dedicated to ensuring that excellence is rewarded, and that fears about finance do not constrain current or prospective students. For this reason, in addition to University funding schemes, we offer our own College-specific funding initiatives.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MA
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Postgraduate Enquiries