BA Music
About this course
BA (Hons) in Music, a music degree centred on historical traditions, composition, performance and cultural analysis. Core topics include Research Methods. Lectures and research activities take place in a faculty featuring a professional concert hall, a specialized library and recording studios. The first year covers foundational historical and critical studies, tonal skills and general musicianship, and music analysis, alongside options such as performance or composition. The second year introduces subjects such as popular music and media, ethnomusicology, notation, keyboard skills, music and science, and performance studies alongside a dissertation. The final year allows further specialization through advanced performance, composition, notation and source studies, advanced tonal skills, and options including Exploring Music Psychology, Beginnings of Western Polyphony, Global Popular Musics, Issues in African American Music, Planetary Listening, Prokofiev and his Three Worlds, and Modernist Music Aesthetics.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level . To apply to any of our Colleges for Music, you will need: • A level/IB Higher Level (or the equivalent) in Music or • ABRSM Grade 8 Theory at Merit or above
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What students say
Based on about 16 final-year students who answered (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Teaching on my course: 100%
- Learning opportunities: 91%
- Assessment and feedback: 79%
- Academic support: 96%
- Organisation and management: 69%
- Learning resources: 94%
- Student voice: 77%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 55 students who started
- Continued on course: 98%
- Left higher education: 2%
What graduates do next
Based on about 15 graduates who answered (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Working: 60%
- Working and studying: 20%
- Further study: 15%
Most common jobs
- Business and public service associate professionals: 25%
- Teaching Professionals: 20%
- Artistic, literary and media occupations: 15%
- Teaching and Childcare Support Occupation: 10%
- Finance Professionals: 10%
- Find their work meaningful: 75%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 80%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 75%
Who gets in
Based on about 60 students who started
- A levels: 94%
- Other HE qualification: 6%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Gold overall, Gold for student experience, Gold for student outcomes.
Modules
- historical and critical studies – 2 papers covering issues involved in understanding music and its relationship to society and culture. These include studying historical topics in Western music and thinking broadly about the place of music in contemporary societies (world music, popular music, new music)
- tonal skills and general musicianship – one and a half papers giving you a thorough technical grounding in music of the Western tonal tradition, through writing music in a range of historical styles, aural work, and the acquisition of basic practical skills
- music analysis – a paper that gives you an understanding of what makes music work. You will study different approaches to analysing a broad range of music
- 2 half papers chosen from the following: extended essay, performance, composition, history workshop
- in-depth historical topics
- popular music and media
- ethnomusicology
- notation
- keyboard skills
- music and science
- performance studies, including recital
- composition
- a dissertation of 5,000 to 7,000 words
- advanced performance
- advanced performance skills (keyboard or choral)
- a dissertation of 7,000 to 10,000 words
- composition
- advanced tonal skills (including film score)
- portfolio of analytical essays
- notation and source studies
- Fugue
- Exploring Music Psychology
- Beginnings of Western Polyphony
- Operas of Da Ponte and Mozart
- Global Popular Musics
- Issues in African American Music
- Planetary Listening
- Prokofiev and his Three Worlds
- Modernist Music Aesthetics
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA Music at University of Cambridge earn?
The median salary is £27,000 after 3 years. After three years the middle half of graduates earn between £22,500 and £36,000. The £27,000 median after three years is £7,500 more than the UK median for Music.
What do graduates of BA Music at University of Cambridge do next?
95% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA Music at University of Cambridge?
100% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA Music at University of Cambridge?
The typical offer is A*AA at A level, or 41 points in the IB. The average entrant had 214 UCAS points.
How many students continue on BA Music at University of Cambridge?
98% of students continued into their second year, and 2% left higher education.