Department of Music | BA Music

BA Music at Durham University

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Be inspired in a beautiful location to develop your creative, practical and critical skills in a top-class Department. This degree will challenge you to think about music in new ways.

BA Music combines the traditional and the modern in the study of music, exploring diverse genres from the past and present and developing exciting new approaches in musicology, composition (acoustic and electroacoustic), analysis, ethnomusicology, music and science, and performance.

The Department of Music is located at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Durham City – an extraordinarily beautiful place. But it is the juxtaposition of ancient and cutting-edge that makes Durham so unusual and inspiring; within the old buildings we strive to forge fresh interpretations and create exciting new music, using state-of-the-art technology.

Our teaching is research-led and enhanced by distinctive staff specialisations that include nineteenth and twentieth-century British music, Indian and Korean music, popular music, music technology, conducting, music psychology, opera, analysis, and contemporary composition.

We also have a variety of music-making taking place at Durham such as six orchestras, choral singing, theatrical productions, contemporary music and much more.

You can apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four. The first year of the course is designed to introduce a broad range of disciplines and approaches. In the second year, there is a much greater choice of modules to allow you to pursue your own interests.

The final year of this course is structured around an independent project, which can take the form of a musicological dissertation, a composition portfolio, a techniques portfolio (pastiche compositions) or a 40-minute solo recital.

We are one of the very best music departments in the UK, with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students. Our students benefit from passionate guidance from our staff and alumni, as well as support from our Careers and Enterprise Centre. 

Our students graduate with a range of skills which open up many opportunities for employment or further study. Graduates from the Department have gone on to work in diverse careers in the music industry and beyond, including education, music teaching, arts administration, broadcasting, music production, artist management and journalism.

Durham University: Inspiring the Extraordinary

We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world.

A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other!