COURSE CURRICULUM

The BA Music degree at Southampton is a three-year program designed to develop students’ skills across performance, composition, music history, production, and therapy, with opportunities to explore a wide range of musical styles. In the first year, students build foundational knowledge in common practice tonality, music production, and music history, while developing performance skills through individual tuition, workshops, and ensemble work. Optional modules allow further focus on composition or ensemble performance. In the second year, students deepen their expertise with modules such as film music composition, jazz composition, American musical history, Benjamin Britten’s operas, and music therapy fundamentals, alongside continued performance development and preparation for study abroad or a year in employment. This stage emphasizes critical understanding of musical cultures, historical contexts, and contemporary practices. In the third year, students can specialise in advanced topics such as European art music analysis, global hip hop, interactive music in media, and music therapy practice, while undertaking independent research projects. Additional modules provide practical experience in community music with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and collaborative performance projects. Across all three years, students gain technical, analytical, and professional skills through a combination of academic study, individual tuition, ensemble practice, workshops, and real-world applications, preparing them for a versatile career in music.