Music

Music as an academic subject is far broader than performance alone. It encompasses the history of Western and world musics, music theory and analysis, composition, musicology, ethnomusicology, and increasingly the study of music technology and the music industry. Studying it at degree level develops your ability to listen with analytical precision, to understand how musical systems are structured and how they have changed over time, to engage with music as cultural expression, and to create and produce music in response to diverse influences and ideas.

This three-year, full-time programme at the University of Surrey integrates contemporary concerns with the traditional strengths of music at degree level. You will develop practical and analytical skills across the discipline, and the programme is designed to build digital literacy and creative confidence alongside musical knowledge, preparing you for a professional world in which technology is central to how music is made, distributed, and experienced. The Surrey approach emphasises the real-world dimensions of musical practice and positions you for roles in an industry that has been transformed by digital platforms and artificial intelligence.

Music graduates move into diverse careers both within and beyond the music industry. Performing, composing, arranging, and producing are natural destinations for those who develop their craft to a high level, while the broader music industry offers roles in management, booking, marketing, journalism, and education. The analytical and communication skills developed by studying music at degree level are also valued in arts administration, broadcasting, publishing, and the cultural sector more widely.

Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in musicology, composition, performance, music technology, or music education, developing specialist expertise for academic or high-level professional careers.