Undergraduate degrees in music

Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/arts-creative-technologies/study/music-undergraduate/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/subject-explorer/

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Whether you’re captivating listeners in the concert hall or crafting the perfect mix in the studio, our courses are designed for musicians looking for a flexible and challenging education in music and sound.

Why study music at York?

We are internationally recognised for our creative, practical and scholarly approach to music. You’ll receive a rigorous musical education that gives you the flexibility to pursue your own passions and shape your assessments to suit your interests and career aspirations.

You’ll join a close-knit, thriving community where renowned performers, composers, producers and researchers work with you individually. A busy programme of masterclasses, workshops, research seminars and concerts complements a wide palette of option modules, allowing you to create a tailor-made degree - with practice and scholarship always hand in hand.

Our courses

Cross-faculty courses

Liberal Arts (BA)

Or search all undergraduate courses.

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Course options

There are opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course. You'll also have the chance to take a placement year.

If you're studying at a university outside the UK, you may be able to spend up to a year in York as a visiting student.

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Scholarships and funding

Find out about scholarships and studentships that are available to students in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies.

Undergraduate funding

Six recording studios

Our recording studios give you access to 60 years of audio recording - from vintage analogue to contemporary digital software integrations. Learn to record, mix and master a wide variety of music genres.

Variety of ensembles

Immerse yourself in music and join one or more of our many staff-conducted or student-led ensembles. From orchestras, Gamelan, and musical theatre societies, to modular synthesizer ensembles, York has ample opportunities for you to develop your musical interests.

Tuition with active experts

Our staff are experienced professionals who work and perform in major orchestras, opera companies, early music groups, and as solo artists. You will have direct access to highly skilled instrumental and vocal tutors. You'll also participate in lectures and masterclasses from industry engineers, musicians, composers and artists.

Facilities

As part of your programme of study, you will have access to bespoke facilities, with both teaching and practical work taking place across the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall buildings and the Ron Cooke Hub.

Our Arthur Sykes Rymer Auditorium is one of the finest listening spaces for reproduced sound in the UK. Designed for electroacoustic performance, the fully sound-proofed Rymer features a completely neutral acoustic and industry-standard monitoring speakers.

The Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall features a unique hexagonal design, resulting in a beautiful acoustic environment that is ideal for instrumental and vocal performance. As well as our pipe organ, our concert hall features two Steinway grand pianos, a chamber organ, a full complement of percussion and high-end recording capabilities including a Decca tree.

Furthermore, you'll have access to six recording studios and four mixing suites, as well as rehearsal spaces, performance venues, practice rooms and lecture rooms. All spaces are flexible and can be used for your projects, seminars, ensemble rehearsals and recordings.

Discover our facilities

Careers

You'll develop creativity, professionalism, and critical thinking in our Music degrees, setting you up for a wide variety of careers, both within music and beyond.
You'll collaborate with a variety of ensembles, each allowing you to hone your practical skills in performance, recording, composition, mixing or editing. Our ensembles include staff-conducted and professional associate ensembles, such as I Fagiolini, Quatuor Diotima, as well as invited musicians and groups.
As part of our careers support for Music students, your BA programme will include careers elements throughout your studies and a dedicated careers module in your final year. These will help you develop entrepreneurial skills, performance skills and technical abilities, as well as your ability to work as a facilitator in schools and community settings.
Recent graduate destinations include major orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra, high-end recording and specialist mixing studios, radio production (Proms, Radio 3, Radio 4, Classic FM, Global), a range of publishing houses, audio technology companies, film composition and much more.

Learn more about careers and employability

Find your career advantage: Turn ambition into achievement with our expert guidance and connections. From your first day here to life after graduation, we’ll help you succeed.

Student and graduate stories

Hear what our students and graduates have to say about studying with us.

The incredible facilities, countless ensembles and other opportunities give you the skills you need to thrive after your education. You'll improve as a musician, and develop teamwork, leadership and social skills too.

Michael, BA Music. Read Michael's blog post.

The musical community at York is thriving, supportive and creative with a love of music over anything else! Being in an ensemble is not only a great way to enjoy music you love, but to try new things and meet people.

Holly, BA Music. Read Holly's blog post.