Course summary
Discover how 21st century music composition brings together performers, different cultures and styles, and the latest technology. Combine theory with practice and enhance your own compositions. On our MA Music: 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. You’ll be based within our state-of-the-art Bramall Music Building, and you’ll also have access to our wide range of innovative rehearsal rooms and recording spaces in our University Music Hub.
- Get ready to turn your passion for music into your career with our practical employability module. Gain the tools you need to be a successful music professional.
- The Bramall Music Building is home to our acoustically flexible 450-seat Elgar Concert Hall, five electroacoustic studios, 17-seat computer cluster and the recently installed Yamaha DM7 digital mixing console.
- Produce your composition portfolio and enjoy listening to your work being performed by the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.
- Top 10 for Music in the UK (Complete University Guide, 2026).
Modules
The programme comprises 120 credits of taught modules and a 60-credit composition portfolio. Visit the course page on the University of Birmingham website for the most up-to-date module information.
Entry 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. Audio and/or video files should be uploaded to SoundCloud/MixCloud or YouTube/Vimeo/Youku or Dropbox/WeTransfer/YouSendIt with the URL pasted into a text document and uploaded to the application portal. The videos should be submitted at the same time as your application or uploaded within two weeks of submitting your application. If the videos aren't provided in this timeframe, then your application may be declined.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
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
For more detailed information on available funding and fees for postgraduate courses please visit: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/fees-funding
Provider information
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT