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Music at University of Bristol - UCAS

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

There are five pathways in this flexible MA programme:

  • Performance
  • Composition
  • Musicology
  • Medieval Music
  • Russian Music
The units you take will vary according to your chosen pathway, but all include shared training units, such as Research Skills for Musicians, specialised units specific to the pathway, and a large menu of optional units tailored to your interests. These are followed by a major project: a dissertation or edition for musicologists (including those on the Russian Music and Medieval Music pathways), a recital for performers, or a portfolio of compositions for composers.

Assessment method

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/media/postgraduate/admissions-statements/2025/ma-music.pdf


How to apply

International applicants

The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students and accepts a wide range of qualifications for postgraduate study. If you study or have studied at a university outside the UK, please select the relevant page for further information on qualifications, scholarships and education representatives in your country/region: bristol.ac.uk/international/countries

Entry requirements

You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in Music. Applicants for the Composition or Performance pathways are required to submit a portfolio of work. For further information on the required portfolio, please see the Department of Music website. Applicants for the Musicology Pathway will need to ensure that their personal statement addresses the following areas: - What do you hope to gain from the Music (MA) programme and from your time in Bristol? - Which two texts on Western music history and analysis that you have read in the last two years have you found to be the most influential, and why? Please explain in what context you have encountered these writers. - What topic are you considering for your dissertation? Please add as much detail as possible. - If you are currently completing a degree, we understand that your final grade may be higher than the interim grades or module/unit grades you have achieved during your studies to date. We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree. Specific module requirements would still apply. We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement. If you have at least one of the following, please include your CV (curriculum vitae / résumé) when you apply, showing details of your relevant qualifications: - evidence of significant, relevant work experience in the Music industry - a relevant postgraduate qualification. See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Channel Islands £6650 Year 1
England £6650 Year 1
Northern Ireland £6650 Year 1
Scotland £6650 Year 1
Wales £6650 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year. More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/support/finances/

Sponsorship information

Funding and studentship opportunities are listed on the Faculty of Arts funding pages. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/study/postgraduate/funding/

Music at University of Bristol - UCAS