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

Course Overview

25 Years of Music EducationWhether you’re interested in managing artists, working for record labels or the business of songs, you’ll learn exactly what it takes to build a successful career in the music industry.

This course is ideal for anyone who wishes to gain the relevant expertise to work in the music business. It covers a broad range of music industry areas allowing you to develop your knowledge to help you gain employment across a variety of music business roles. It will also equip you with many key entrepreneurial skills to give you the option of building your own business from scratch. Whatever your ideal career path, this degree course will give you a comprehensive overview of the music business.

What will this course cover?

During your degree, you will develop solid business, marketing and management skills, allowing you to pursue many careers in this rapidly evolving industry. Key business modules will look at music publishing, the global music industry and the consumption of popular music. Key marketing modules will cover digital marketing, social media marketing and public relations.

Management skills will be addressed by modules covering classic management theory, how to develop as a music entrepreneur and how to manage creative talent. You'll also spend time focusing on legal issues such as intellectual property and music industry contracts. You will also be encouraged to develop other key skills such as communication and negotiation to allow you to demonstrate a portfolio of relevant skills to equip you to successfully enter the music business.

Watch the 90 Second Prospectus 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: N290

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 music business. Regular guest speakers are invited in to Bucks to share their knowledge and experience with you on subjects such as the art of songwriting, social media marketing and music publishing.

Our students have the opportunity to go on an Erasmus exchange for a term 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.

You’ll also be able to take advantage of Bucks’ strong industry links to find excellent work experience opportunities. Previous students have had the opportunity to meet and network with leading industry experts through our regular industry and alumni guest talks. Students have gained valuable work experience with record companies, music publishers and marketing/PR agencies.

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. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.

The modules available on this course are as follows:

Year 1 Modules

  • It's Not Only Rock 'n' Roll
  • Managing Your Brand
  • The DIY Musician
  • Music Cultures
  • Principles of Marketing
  • Introduction to Artist Development
  • License to Thrill
  • Entertainment Industry Framework

Year 2 Modules

  • Music Business Project
  • IP and the Music Industry
  • e-Commerce for the Music Industry
  • The Music Entrepreneur
  • Music Publishing (optional)
  • Music Publishing (Placement) (optional)
  • Research Methods

Year 3 Modules

  • Mosh Pit Politics
  • Creative Strategies
  • Music Industry Contracts
  • A&R
  • Digital Music Marketing
  • Dissertation
  • Music Industry Issues

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

When you finish this degree you’ll be qualified to follow a number of career paths in the music business. Record label management, artist management, marketing and promotions will all be an option, as will music publishing and royalty collection and organisation.

You’ll also be well suited for roles in sponsorship businesses and within music industry bodies. Entrepreneurship is taught throughout the degree course to give you the skills needed to launch your own business within the music industry. Alternatively, you may choose to further your studies at postgraduate level.

How will you help me prepare for my future career?
Throughout your time with us we'll support you on the route to your chosen career. We'll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and a good leader. You will become adept at networking and confident to pitch yourself.

We support work experience for our students, giving you the opportunity to develop your skills in a work background. Our modules and teaching expertise will help you become more independent as a learner and more certain of your discipline expertise. By the time you graduate, you will have a wealth of transferable skills giving you more diverse career choices.

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 2020). It’s a big deal!

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

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