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Creative Music Technology (Top-Up) at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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University of Portsmouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Open days

7Dec
University of Portsmouth Open Day
Undergraduate

Course summary

Do you have an HND or Foundation degree in music technology, music production or similar? Would you like to top it up to a full Bachelor's degree? On this creative music technology top-up degree, you'll develop your creative and technical skills to degree level using new music technologies. You’ll get experience with sound software and hardware used by industry professionals, and get the chance to achieve additional certifications in the use of leading music technologies. At the end of the course, you’ll be ready to begin your career in various areas of music technology areas such as games and animation, music recording and production, and television and film. What you'll experience On this creative music technology top-up degree course you'll:

  • Turn your Higher National Diploma (HND), Foundation degree or equivalent qualification into a full Bachelor's degree
  • Develop your personal creative practice with emerging sound technologies
  • Choose optional modules that allow you to match what you study to your interests and career goals
  • Be able to apply for an optional Avid Protools accredited training certificate in Pro Tools Software
  • Get the chance to apply for Audiokinetic Wwise certification (we are one of only 2 universities in the UK to offer this)
  • Be taught by staff members with industry experience in composition, sound design and music production
You'll use:
  • Recording studios to engineer and produce music and sound design for games, film and TV
  • Sensors and alternative controllers to create sound installations or perform live
  • Hardware and software synths and plugins to create electronic music
  • Digital audio workstations to create and mix music
  • You’ll get your hands on some exciting gear in our studio suite, including:
A valve 32 channel TL audio mixing desk An SSL Matrix 2 console with 10 Neve 1074 preamps and 16 channels of Neve and SSL dynamics and EQ A 7.1 surround studio (Genelec) including a Slate Raven multi-touch console for multichannel work and spatial audio projects A Buchla System 7 synthesizer (1 of only 2 in the UK and the only one in a European university) 4 Oakley Modular synthesizers iMac Dual i7 computers running Logic Pro X, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Max/MSP (including Max for Live), Native Instruments (including Reaktor), Pure Data and Game engine software Careers and opportunities Music technology is a continually developing field that's key to the creative industries, so there will be lots of opportunities open to you after the course. What can you do with a creative music technology degree? Previous music technology graduates have gone on to work in areas such as:
  • studio recording
  • composition
  • music production
  • acoustics
  • sound design for television and film, animation and computer games
  • digital media
  • education
  • What jobs can you do with a creative music technology degree?
When you finish the course, our Careers and Employability service can help you find a job that puts your skills to work in the industry. You can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years after you leave the University as you advance in your career.

Modules

Year 1 Core modules in this year include:

  • Final Year Project (40 credits)
  • Collaborative Sound Project (20 credits)
Optional modules in this year currently include:
  • Composition for Visual Media (20 credits)
  • Flexible Client Project (20 credits)
  • Free Composition (20 credits)
  • Implementing Game Audio (20 credits)
  • Music and Sound Synthesis (20 credits)
  • Professional Studio Practice (20 credits)
  • Spatial Audio (20 credits)
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

The formal assessments you take on this music technology top-up vary according to the modules you choose. They include: a portfolio of original compositional works design and development of an audio/software project oral assessments and presentations written assignments including essays You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • The Joint Audio Media Education Services

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
W372
Institution code:
P80
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Relevant HE study leading to a Level 5 qualification, for example an appropriate HND, foundation degree or Advanced Diploma in Music Technology, Music Production or similar, or 240 credits from year 1 and year 2 of an undergraduate degree (BA/BSc), in a relevant subject. Applicants without relevant qualifications will be required to provide supplementary information.

Additional entry requirements

Other

Applicants without relevant qualifications will be required to provide supplementary information.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) (taken after January 2015). An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
PTE Academic62An overall score of 62 with a minimum of 59 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)7979 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.
Trinity ISEPassTrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students

There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £9535 Year 1
England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 1
International £17900 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

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship Placement Year and Year abroad (at the time of publishing for 2024/25): UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,385 EU – £1,385 (including Transition Scholarship) International (Non-EU) – £2,875. Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. All fees are subject to annual increase. For more information about fees, go to port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance/tuition-fees-living-costs-and-other-study-costs
Creative Music Technology (Top-Up) at University of Portsmouth - UCAS