• Study mode: Full Time
  • Location: High Wycombe
  • Duration: Three Years
  • Start Date: September 2020 and February 2021

Course Overview

25 Years of Music EducationThis programme trains music performers to manage themselves. Whether you’re a musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, beat-maker or DJ, you’ll learn how to develop and manage yourself as a brand and business as well as gaining a broad understanding of the operations of the current Music industry.

What will this course cover?

Created for today's new DIY music environment, this innovative degree has been uniquely designed for music performers of the 21st century.

There will be a strong focus on online digital promotion, marketing techniques as well as learning about music publishing, contracts, intellectual property and entrepreneurship.

There will a strong emphasis on the analysis of music through the study of genres, a unique A&R module and performance workshops run by experienced music industry professionals where you will receive mentoring on how to improve aspects of your music.

You will spend time in the studio exploring production techniques and in your third year, learn how to set up your own production company.

A pioneering music degree

Developed in conjunction with the industry, this course covers the most important aspects required for individuals to manage themselves in today's ever-evolving industry.

We also offer this programme on a part-time basis, designed to fit around the performance commitments of students.

Develop your entrepreneurial skills

This course aims to harness and develop entrepreneurship, a key aspect in the music business. You'll learn creative strategies and how to make the most of business opportunities. These skills will enable you to navigate the industry successfully as a self-managed music performance artist.

Watch the Music Performance video below

More placements, more choices

Bucks is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.

We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.

Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student. To increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.

Course Details

UCAS CODE: WN32

Bucks pioneered music business and management degrees over 20 years ago. Having studied at Bucks you’ll be associated with our highly regarded teaching programmes and benefit from a leading team of lecturers. Our teaching staff have a wealth of professional and academic experience, with many still actively working in the industry.

Our students have the opportunity to go on an Erasmus exchange for a semester during their second year. Our partner institutions are based in the USA and in Holland and Sweden and have excellent connections to the music industries in their respective countries.

Bucks Industry Group Music
Our industry advisory group, BIGMusic, regularly reviews our music business and management courses. This ensures you graduate with up to date skills and knowledge relevant for today’s industry demands.

Excellent work experience opportunities
You’ll be able to take advantage of Bucks’ strong industry links to find excellent work placement opportunities. Previous students have worked with companies such as Sony, Sennheiser and Universal Music.

What are the course entry requirements?

A typical offer will be a UCAS Tariff score of 80. A minimum of two full A-levels (or equivalent) is required. Every application is considered on an individual basis.

For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for the three-year undergraduate programme, or those who do not feel fully prepared for a degree course, can apply for a four-year programme including a Foundation Year; find out more.

Course Modules

Module Map

This module map provides a list of the modules that make up your course.

Each module is worth a specified number of credits (typically either 15 or 30 credits for undergraduate courses). Compulsory (or ‘core’) modules cover key subject knowledge, while ‘option’ modules enable you to develop your own interests. For a full-time course you must take modules worth a total of 120 credits at each level of the course. The number of option modules you can take depends on the number of compulsory modules at each level. You can find more information about how your course is structured via the Academic Advice pages.

Our teaching is informed by research and employer requirements, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the subject area. In addition, where we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an option module, this may not be offered. If an option module does not run, we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

The modules available on this course are as follows:

Year 1 Modules

  • The DIY Musician
  • Professional Performance Context
  • Music Cultures
  • Introduction to Recording

Year 2 Modules

  • Music Publishing
  • Professional Performance Practice
  • Audio Production Techniques: Studio
  • The Music Entrepreneur
  • e-Commerce for the Music Industry

Year 3 Modules

  • Research Methods
  • Digital Music Marketing
  • A&R
  • Dissertation
  • Professional Production Project
  • Professional Performance Management

Fees

How much does it cost

Full Time Home and EU, Academic Year 2020-2021: £9,250 per year

Full Time International, Academic Year 2020-2021: £12,500 per year

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees.

You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.

Questions about fees?

Contact our Enquiries Team:
0330 123 2023
advice@bucks.ac.uk

How do I apply?

For application details please visit bucks.ac.uk/applying-to-bucks

Teaching team

Employability

What are my career prospects

By the time you finish this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in the music industry. You’ll have gained an insight into the various aspects of the business and be able to professionally manage yourself as a musician and performer which is especially important now as record labels and music business executives expect artists to develop their careers before they become involved.

Music management graduates have found employment in a wide range of areas including commercial and public radio, record labels, artist management companies, royalty collection, venue management, festivals and events. Alternatively, you may choose to further your studies at postgraduate level.

How will you help me prepare for my future career?
This programme trains music performers to manage themselves. Whether you are a musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, beat-maker or DJ, you'll learn how to develop and manage yourself as an artist, a brand and a business.

Created for today's new DIY music environment, this innovative degree has been uniquely designed for music performers of the 21st Century. Developed in conjunction with the industry this course is the first of its kind in Europe and designed for the new breed of artists; it covers the most important aspects for individuals to manage themselves in this rapidly evolving industry. You'll have access to our industry standard rehearsal and recording studios, and benefit from our leading team of lecturers who have a wealth of professional and academic experience, with many still actively working in the music industry.

There will be a strong focus on artist development, online digital marketing and promotion as all artists nowadays have to develop their careers before record labels and music business executives show interest. There is a strong emphasis on contextualising your music through the study of different genres, music production analysis (via the study of seminal artist albums) as well as a groundbreaking unique A&R module and workshops run by an experienced music industry professional where you will receive group and individual mentoring on how to improve aspects of your music and creativity.

You'll explore a variety of different marketing techniques as well as learning about contracts, music publishing, intellectual property and how to develop entrepreneurship, a key aspect in the music business. These skills will enable you to navigate the industry more successfully as a self-managed performance artist and brand.

You'll be able to take advantage of Bucks' strong industry links to find excellent work experience opportunities. Previous students have worked with companies such as Sony, Sennheiser and Universal Music. Music management graduates have also found employment in a wide range of areas including radio, record labels, artist management companies, venue management, festivals and events.

By the time you finish this course, you'll have the skills and knowledge needed for a successful career in the music industry as well as gaining a clear insight into the various aspects of the business and be able to professionally manage yourself as a musician and performer.

We also help you find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employment pages to find out more.

The Big Deal

At Bucks, we believe in putting our students first. That’s why our Students’ Union have developed our exclusive ‘Big Deal’ package. We’re the only university in the UK to offer free access to such a diverse and exciting range of activities – all to enrich the university experience.

We offer FREE events and entertainment, additional skills workshops, sports, recreational activities, societies and paid student rep schemes. All at one of the top 10 Students’ Unions in the UK.  It’s a big deal!

We are proud that our exciting and dynamic students’ union is ranked in the top three in the UK for representing student’s academic interests (NSS 2019). It’s a big deal!

Want to find out more? Visit our Students’ Union page or watch our video.

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