This programme combines the BA in Popular Music with a Minor pathway in Game Design Studies – a new and distinctive provision in the study of interactive audiovisual media. It builds on the Department of Music’s established reputation for both popular music and the study of sound and music in multimedia formats.

Programme in detail

Throughout your degree, you will develop an in-depth and critical understanding of popular music repertoires, cultures, and practices. We have a particular specialism in this area, having established the Institute of Popular Music (IPM) – the world’s first specialist centre for the study of popular music – in 1988.

A suite of compulsory modules in your first year will build the foundations for Years 2 and 3, in which your Popular Music modules will be entirely optional. We offer a broad range of theoretical, practical and industry-related modules, and teaching is supported by a range of newly-refurbished, industry-standard facilities.

The Minor pathway will introduce you to the study of video games, which includes topics such as the history and development of gaming cultures, the complex nature of interactive media, and the critical issues that accompany engagement with virtual worlds, multicursal narratives, and dynamic musical content. Digital games represent one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment media: consequently, there is a growing need for many jobs that are not only in the games industry, but in surrounding industries as well. This programme develops a wide range of skills that prepare students for employment at various entry points in the job market, including content creation, publishing, journalism, and marketing.

Studying Music opens up many career opportunities. As well as jobs in music (from performance, composition, and production, through to teaching, music therapy and community arts), employers in many sectors are increasingly seeking arts and humanities graduates for their transferable skills. As a music student you will achieve creative flair and imagination, confidence in expressing yourself, an openness to new ideas, a capacity for hard work and an ability to analyse data. You will learn the value of working with others towards a shared, finished product and a whole range of flexible, professional skills.