Overview

On University of Birmingham 's MA Musical Composition pathway, you'll access practical opportunities to develop your compositional skills - such as writing works for the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and taking part in visiting performer workshops.

Past guests have included percussionist Joby Burgess, who can be heard leading the percussion sections on the soundtracks of the Ant-Man and Black Panther franchises.

You'll be able to create new works using the latest electroacoustic computer technology or traditional instruments and voices, or a combination of both.

Career opportunities

By studying a postgraduate degree in Music at Birmingham, you’ll develop transferable skills suited to a range of career paths. These skills include the ability to problem-solve, think creatively, plus self-management and presentation skills.

Our Music postgraduate students have gone on to work in careers such as 'Director of Music', 'Music Therapist' and 'Radio Producer' in organisations such as Birmingham Conservatoire, BBC and Tailor Made Music Agency.

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Programme Structure

Courses include:

Composition Tutorials
Composition Portfolio
Music Employability
Music as Critical Practice
Advanced Studies in Electroacoustic Composition
Advanced Studies in Instrumental/Vocal Composition

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Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months
Part-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-28 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-08-28 00:00:00 , National
- Apply before 2026-07-03 00:00:00 , International

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

88

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PTE Academic

67

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

180 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus, Online

Campus Location

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Disciplines

Music Composition View 48 other Masters in Music Composition in United Kingdom

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Academic requirements

GPA

Upper Second Class

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

88

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

67

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

You should have, or expect to get, a 2:1 Honours degree in Music. We can consider an Honours degree in another subject if you have significant professional musical experience and relevant qualifications.
In your personal statement, please include the MA Music pathway you're applying for in the first paragraph.
All applicants for the composition pathway must submit a portfolio of 3–4 compositions, showcasing your range of styles and compositional technique.
You'll need to submit the compositions as either scores (PDF files) or recordings.
The videos should be submitted at the same time as your application or uploaded within two weeks of submitting your application.

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

27090 GBP / year

≈ 27090 GBP / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

11250 GBP / year

≈ 11250 GBP / year

Additional Details

UK: £5,625 part-time

Living costs

Birmingham

United Kingdom

765 - 1134 GBP / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Musical Composition.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Career opportunities

Get more details

Programme Structure

Check out the full curriculum

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

Explore more key information

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Make sure you meet all requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic Applies to you

Additional Details

Living costs

Birmingham

Funding

Check for any work restrictions

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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