The BMus is a single-subject degree for those who are interested in pursuing a career in music. It provides a strong grounding in core disciplines and allows you to pursue your specialist interests in third and fourth years.

Programme structure

Year 1

In first year you will take courses in

• musicianship
• performance
• listening and repertory
• orchestration.

You will also take one course from topics such as

• aesthetics and philosophy of music
• opera
• jazz and blues
• romantic song
• J S Bach.

Year 2

In second year you will take courses in

• musical techniques
• composition
• performance.

You will also choose to study other topics such as

• sonic arts
• aesthetics and philosophy of music
• musical culture in the long 19th century
• jazz and blues
• romantic song
• J S Bach
• analysis.

Years 3 and 4

In the later part of your degree your studies become more specialised. You can take your composition further or concentrate on performance or pursue the creative use of music technology through sonic arts. If music history and culture is of more interest to you there are courses in 20th-century music, film music, performance practice, and the music of Scotland. You can also take the dissertation option, which allows you to pursue a research topic of your choice.

Special features

Our international links

Career prospects

Academic entry requirements
for entry in 2014

BMus

Admission to the BMus is subject to an audition and interview in addition to meeting qualification requirements. Applicants are encouraged to give a full and specific account of their musical interests in their UCAS personal statements and be prepared to discuss these at the interview.

In order to be called for audition, applicants must be proficient on a solo instrument or voice with at least a Merit at ABRSM Grade 8; alternatively, applicants should provide evidence of comparable performing ability and proficiency in reading staff notation. Applicants are encouraged to provide a URL pointing to video evidence of their performance ability; please note that this is not compulsory, though it may help support an application particularly for applicants without a Grade 8 qualification. See details of the audition and interview below.

Highers: AAAB including Music. Merit in Grade 8 practical and theory exams of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music will be considered in place of Higher Music.

A-levels: AAB including Music. Merit in Grade 8 practical and theory exams of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music will be considered in place of A-level Music.

IB: 34 points. Merit in the BTEC HND in Classical Music will also be considered.

Interviews

For audition, applicants are requested to prepare two short pieces to a total duration of approximately 10 minutes. At least one of these should be from the Western classical repertoire.

If you consider yourself primarily a popular, jazz, or traditional music performer, please bear in mind that we are looking for evidence of awareness and performing ability of Western classical repertoire, in addition to these idioms. In this case it may be necessary to demonstrate your performance ability in two different idioms, which could involve performing on different instruments. The audition will involve a small sight-reading test.

English language requirements

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training):

• overall score 6.5
• no sub-test less than 6.0
• or equivalent scores in another recognised qualification (see below)
   

Common equivalent English language qualifications:

• ibTOEFL: 92; no sub-test less than 20
• CAE (Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English): B minimum
• CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English): C minimum
• PTE Academic (Person Test of English, Academic test): 60; no sub-test less than 59

Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the Language Centre Pre-sessional courses. We also consider other BALEAP accredited pre-sessional courses:

• Language Centre, University of Glasgow
• BALEAP guide to accredited courses 

FAQs

Visa requirements and proof of English language level

It is a visa requirement to provide information on your level of English based on an internationally recognised and secure English language test. All test reports must be no more than 2 years old. A list of these can be found on the UK Border Agency website. If you have never taken one of these tests before, you can get an initial idea of your level by using the Common European Framework self-assessment grid which gives you a level for each skill (e.g. listening B1/writing B2 etc.) However, please note that this is not a secure English language test and it is not sufficient evidence of your level of English for visa requirements.

For further information about English language, please contact the Language Centre.

Tuition fees

How and when you pay tuition fees depends on where you’re from: see Tuition fees for details. If you’re from outside the EU, please see International students for more information.

Scholarships

We offer a wide range of scholarships to our undergraduates, including both home/EU and international students. The University is committed to supporting students and rewarding academic excellence. That’s why we’ve invested more than £1m in additional scholarship funding over the last year.
 
For a full list of scholarships including eligibility criteria and how to apply, please see:

• Scholarships