Popular Music BA Honours

Code

ACI05

Start

September 2027

Fees

£10,050 (UK) | £18,300 (INT)

Duration

3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

Location

Hendon campus

Entry Requirements

80-112 UCAS points

Why choose Popular Music BA at Middlesex?

Develop the creative, technical and professional skills to perform, write, record and produce original music for today's evolving music industry. Build a professional portfolio, gain real-world experience and graduate ready to pursue careers across performance, production, songwriting and beyond.

Through hands-on projects, creative collaboration and industry-focused learning, you'll:
Develop your musicianship through performance, songwriting, composition, music theory and production
Record, produce and present original music using industry-standard studios, equipment and production techniques
Explore today's music industry, from live performance and streaming to music for film, animation and games, while considering emerging technologies such as AI
Collaborate with musicians, artists and creatives on interdisciplinary projects that reflect professional practice
Learn how to build a sustainable career by understanding music business, copyright, royalties, contracts, funding and music entrepreneurship
Shape your future through an independent major project or specialist creative practice, developing a distinctive artistic identity and professional portfolio.

This course is subject to validation

A course marked as ‘subject to validation’ is in the final stages of approval and may therefore be subject to change. This approval process ensures that courses meet the highest academic standards to deliver you the best possible education. Once a course is approved, the webpage will be updated, the subject to validation statement removed, a full programme specification will be published and we will invite you to apply if you've registered interest with us.

If once validated the course is significantly amended, we will let you know if we have your details.

Opportunity to specialise

Develop specialist skills in performance, songwriting and music production while building a portfolio and preparing for careers across music industry.

Highly ranked

We are proud to be ranked in the Top 10 universities in London for student satisfaction in Music (Complete University Guide, 2027).

Specialist facilities

Study in The Grove, our £80m creative hub, with access to professional recording studios, rehearsal spaces and specialist production facilities.

Student stories and experiences

Student life

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Diversity at Middlesex University

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About your course

You will develop your skills in music performance, songwriting and production while building your understanding of the wider music industry. As you progress, you will refine your creative practice and critical thinking, exploring different areas of the music business and opportunities across the industry. In your final year, you will have the opportunity to gain practical experience through a music industry placement, applying your skills in a professional setting and developing your understanding of the industry.

Build the foundations of your musical practice by developing your understanding of music theory, notation, ear training, and acoustics. You'll strengthen your musicianship while exploring how music and sound are created, organised, and applied across contemporary performance, songwriting, and production.

Get hands-on in the studio as you learn the principles of recording, editing, and producing music. You'll develop confidence using professional recording equipment, studio technology, and production techniques to create high-quality recordings.

Start developing your artistic identity through performance, songwriting, and music production. You'll rehearse, perform, record, and create original music while building your musicianship, creative confidence, and collaborative skills.

Discover how today's music industry works, from live performance and streaming to music for film, animation and games. You'll also explore emerging trends, including how AI is shaping the future of music careers.

Develop insight into the principal sectors of the contemporary music industry, from live performance, to recording and streaming, and markets for music applied in other domains, such as film, animation, and games. The module also considers significant trends, including how AI will affect work in the music industries over coming years.

Refine your technical and creative skills as you develop original music through performance, songwriting and production. You’ll strengthen your musicianship and professional practice through developing, rehearsing, recording and presenting your work.

Explore the principles of music education and discover how to inspire others through teaching. You'll develop practical teaching techniques, inclusive approaches and an understanding of learning across different educational settings.

Collaborate with musicians, artists and other creatives on interdisciplinary projects that reflect professional creative practice. You'll develop teamwork, communication and creative problem-solving skills while working on collaborative projects.

Gain valuable industry experience through a professional placement, applying your skills in a real-world environment while building your confidence, professional network and employability.

Take ownership of a substantial independent project that reflects your creative interests or career ambitions. You’ll develop employability skills through a placement-related project or explore a specialist academic topic that can support further study.

Develop your own distinctive artistic identity through advanced performance, songwriting and production. Working independently and creatively, you'll produce professional-quality work that reflects contemporary music practice.

Learn how to build a sustainable career in music by exploring copyright, royalties, contracts, funding, taxation, costing and budgeting. You'll gain the commercial knowledge needed to navigate today's music industry with confidence.

This course is subject to validation. We will publish a full programme specification here when it is validated.

Teaching

You'll study in a collaborative learning environment that reflects the realities of today's music industry, combining academic insight with professional practice. Teaching is delivered by experienced academics and industry practitioners who bring current knowledge and real-world expertise into the classroom. Your learning combines structured teaching with independent study and collaborative project work, enabling you to build both the commercial knowledge and practical skills required to succeed in the evolving music industry.

You'll typically attend a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials each week, alongside dedicated time for independent study, creative practice and project work. Learning combines theoretical study with practical application, giving you the opportunity to explore music, sound and the creative industries in a range of contexts.

A typical week includes:

Lectures introducing key concepts, theories and contemporary industry practices
Seminars exploring music, sound, media and creative industry topics through discussion and critical analysis
Practical workshops in performance, composition, production, recording and sound design
Tutorials and project supervision to support your creative and academic development
Independent study, rehearsal and project work, allowing you to refine your practical skills and develop your portfolio.

Whether you study full-time or part-time, your timetable is designed to balance on-campus learning with independent study, creative practice, and other commitments.

Our excellent teaching and support teams will help you develop the skills relevant to your degree from research and practical skills to critical thinking. And we offer free 24-hour laptop loans with full desktop software, free printing and Wi-Fi to use on or off campus, even over the weekend.

This course is assessed through coursework, enabling you to demonstrate your knowledge, creativity and practical skills across a range of musical and professional contexts.

Throughout the course, you'll receive regular formative feedback through tutorials, workshops, presentations, performances, and project reviews, helping you refine your work as it progresses. Every assessment is accompanied by detailed feedback, supporting your academic development, creative practice, and preparation for employment or further study.

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Careers

How can the Popular Music degree support your career?

A degree in Popular Music prepares you for a wide range of careers across the contemporary music and creative industries. You’ll build practical experience in performance, songwriting, production and collaboration, alongside the technical and professional skills valued across the sector.

The course also provides a strong foundation for postgraduate study or careers in teaching, community music, and arts education.

You will be equipped for roles across the music and creative industries, including:

Artist manager
Music producer
Songwriter
Concert performer
Event or festival manager
Music arranger
Music journalist
Record label or music distribution professional
Recording studio professional
Music licensing or copyright executive
Session musician
Music technology specialist.

Many graduates also build successful portfolio careers, combining creative practice with teaching, freelance projects, performance, production, or consultancy. This flexible approach reflects the way many professionals work across today's music and creative industries.

You'll have the opportunity to undertake an optional placement in your final year, applying your knowledge in a professional environment while gaining first-hand insight into industry practice. Placements enable you to broaden your experience, strengthen your professional skills and build connections across the sector.

Previous students have collaborated with external partners including media company Sitting Duck, while education-focused placements have been offered through the North London Conservatoire and other institutions across North London. These opportunities provide practical experience in professional settings, helping you build confidence, expand your network and enhance your career prospects.

Our employability service Careers and Futures will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course. It offers placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1,000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.

As an alumni, we offer you lifetime career support so we can help you as your progress.

MDXcelerator student start-up support

Want to be your own boss?

If you want to start your own company, our MDXcelerator student start-up support offers the opportunity to pitch your idea, gain expert mentoring and win funding to launch your business.

Our MDX graduate competencies are the fundamental building blocks in preparing our students for their professional careers.

They were developed by our Careers and Futures service through extensive research and collaboration with global, national and local employers. There was also input from student groups across our campuses in London, Dubai and Mauritius.

The competencies are:

Leadership and influence
Curiosity and learning
Communication, empathy and inclusion
Collaborative innovation
Resilience and adaptability
Problem-solving and delivery
Technological agility
Entrepreneurial mindset.

Find out more about graduate competencies at Middlesex.

Students at Middlesex span 122 countries. You will be part of our thriving global network. After you graduate, you'll join our alumni network. You will get access to:

Lifetime careers support from the Careers and Futures employability service
A 20% discount on further postgraduate study, or 10% discount for alumni from our academic partners
Raise your personal profile as one of our featured alumni
Continued limited usage of the Sheppard Library
Exclusive MDX alumni networks to connect with your peers.

Entry requirements

At Middlesex, we're proud of how we recognise the potential of future students like you. We make fair and aspirational offers because we want you to aim high, and we’ll support you all the way.

Qualifications

UCAS Tariff Points: 80-112 UCAS tariff points
A-level: BB-BBC
BTEC Requirements: MMP-DMM
Access Requirements: Overall pass: must include 45 credits at level 3, of which all 45 must be at Merit or higher
Combinations: A combination of A-Level, BTEC and other accepted qualifications that total 80-112 UCAS Tariff points

We’ll always be as flexible as possible and take into consideration any barriers you may have faced in your learning. And, if you don’t quite get the grades you hoped for, we’ll also look at more than your qualifications. Things like your work experience, other achievements and your personal statement.

We'll accept T Levels for entry onto our undergraduate degree courses (including our extended courses with a foundation year) with the standard application of science requirements and GCSEs in line with UCAS tariff calculation.

Our entry requirements page outlines how we make offers.

If you have a qualification such as a foundation degree or HND or have gained credit at another university, you may be able to enter a Middlesex University course in year two or three. Find out how you can transfer courses.

If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, we may be able to count this towards your entry requirements.

Mature students (over 21)

We welcome applications from mature candidates, including those without formal qualifications, provided you can demonstrate relevant experience and ability.

We welcome students from the UK and all over the world. Join students from over 122 countries and discover why so many international students call our campus home:

Quality teaching with top facilities plus flexible online learning
Welcoming north London campus that's only 30 minutes from central London
Work placements and networking with top London employers
Award-winning career support to get you where you want to go after university.

Qualifications

We accept a wide range of qualifications across a variety of subject areas. Find out more about the accepted qualifications on your country's support page.

If you are unsure of the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest international office.

English language

You will need to meet our English language requirements. Don’t worry if you don't meet our minimum English language requirements, as we offer a Pre-sessional English course.

Visas

To study with us in the UK, you might need a student visa. Please check to see if this applies to you.

Please apply via UCAS.

Need help with your application? Check out our undergraduate application page.

Personal Statement

Find out how to make a an effective personal statement.

Interviews

You won't be required to interview for this course.

Register your interest

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Fees and funding

The following fees are for the 2027/28 academic year:

UK students¹

Full-time: £10,050*

Part-time: £83 per taught credit

International students²

Full-time students: £18,300

Part-time students: £152 per taught credit

Changes to tuition fees from the 2027-2028 academic year for UK undergraduate students

UK Government information on tuition fees for UK undergraduate students in the 2027/2028 academic year

If your course starts on or after 1 January 2027 and you're eligible, you may need to apply for funding through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). Applications open in September 2026. This funding will also be available for eligible modules.

More about the LLE

The changes below will apply from 1 August 2027. The government intends to lay regulations implementing these changes in early 2026 and will be subject to Parliamentary procedure. Further information can be found at GOV.UK's tuition fee changes webpage.

For the 2027/28 academic year, it is anticipated that the maximum annual tuition fee applicable to UK undergraduate students for approved providers will increase to:

£10,050 for standard full-time courses
£12,060 for full-time accelerated courses
£7,530 for part-time courses.

This means that if you start your studies in September 2026 on a standard full-time course, you will pay an annual tuition fee of £9,790 for your first year which will then rise to £10,050 for your second year of study starting in September 2027.

Subsequent tuition fee rises for UK undergraduate students

Depending on the duration of your study, your tuition fees for subsequent academic years beyond the 2027/28 academic year may therefore be subject to further inflationary increases by the UK government in due course. This means that the fee set out above is likely to be increased again for the 2028/29 academic year.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students directly in writing at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which the rise may apply.

The following study tools are included in your fees.

Free access to the resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course
Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
Free printing for academic paperwork.

The following course-related costs are not included in the fees, and you will need to budget for these.

Desktop or laptop computer with a stable internet connection, plus a webcam, microphone and headset.

To help make uni affordable, we do everything we can to support you. Find out more about undergraduate finance and all of our scholarships and bursaries.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase undergraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

Important information

We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.