Music Business and Production - BA (Hons)

This is an archived course for 2021 entry
2023 courses

Studying Music Business and Production will give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to launch your career in the music industry.

Overview

Learn about the music business, developing your creative flair while studying key areas such as marketing, management, copyright legislation, industry practices, finance and entrepreneurship. You also develop creative production skills using the latest technology.

Our degree programmes

Our three innovative undergraduate music programmes specifically meet the needs of those pursuing careers in the music industry. They combine rigorous academic study, technical instruction, creative outputs and professional opportunities.

In addition to this programme, we offer:

Study abroad

We have partnerships with universities around the world, offering you the chance to study abroad for a term or for a year. Rising to the challenge of living in another country and immersing yourself in a different culture is a rewarding experience and demonstrates to potential employers that you are independent and flexible in your outlook.

Year in industry

It is also possible to undertake a year’s placement in industry either at home or abroad, gaining experience working in a professional environment. We offer support and advice to help you find a placement either in the music industry or other sectors such as charities and arts organisations.

Study resources

We are based on an inspirational waterfront environment in the Historic Dockyard Chatham, part of our Medway campus. We have excellent, industry-standard facilities and our studios are installed with state-of-the-art technology from leading manufacturers.

Our flagship studio integrates a new Neve Genesys Black G48 mixing console with our existing Genelec 5.1 surround system, and has a large live room and vocal booth.

We also have a number of other studios including an Avid HD studio with SSL Matrix mixing console, a Genelec multi-speaker studio, Foley recording studio and other well-equipped post-production suites and iMac workstation rooms.

In addition, our Music and Audio Arts Sound Theatre is one of the best in the UK.

Students can perform music in a variety of specialist spaces at the Medway campus and can also use the fantastic performance spaces at our Canterbury campus.

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Entry requirements

Please also see our general entry requirements.

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    A level

    BBC including Music or Music Technology at B.

  • medal-empty GCSE

    Grade C or 4 in Maths

  • medal-empty Access to HE Diploma

    The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. 

    If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.

  • medal-empty BTEC Nationals

    DMM (in a music subject, or alongside an A-level in Music or Music Technology at B). Alternatively, any BTEC can be considered alongside an A-level in Music or Music Technology at B.

  • medal-empty International Baccalaureate

    34 points overall or 14 points at Higher Level, including Music HL 5 or SL 6 and Mathematics 4 at HL or SL

  • medal-empty International Foundation Programme

    Pass all components of the University of Kent International Foundation Programme with a 60% overall average. Applicants need to have a background in music which can be technical or artistic (voice or instrument). Applicants will need to submit a portfolio – a music video or programme – to the Music Admissions Officer.

International students should visit our International Student website for further specific information. International fee-paying students who require a Student visa cannot study part-time due to visa restrictions.

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.

If you need to improve your English language standard as a condition of your offer, you can attend one of our pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes before starting your degree programme. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.

Course structure

Duration: 3 years full-time (4 with a year abroad/in industry), 6 years part-time

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  

On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

Year in industry

You can extend your studies from three to four years by taking the Year in Industry option (this option is not available if you are studying on a part-time basis). This provides the opportunity to gain relevant workplace experience as part of your programme of study. You can also increase your contacts and network so that you can hit the ground running when you graduate.

The Year in Industry is taken in addition to your standard undergraduate programme and normally falls between your second and final year. You typically work on a placement for the full calendar year, and salary and holiday entitlements vary according to the employer. The year is assessed on a pass/fail basis through employer feedback and a written report that you submit. Students also have the option to take a Term in Industry.

Year abroad

Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally.  You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.

All students within the Faculty of Humanities can apply to spend a Term or Year Abroad as part of their degree at one of our partner universities in North America, Asia or Europe. You are expected to adhere to any progression requirements in Stage 1 and Stage 2 to proceed to the Term or Year Abroad.

The Term or Year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification. Places and destination are subject to availability, language and degree programme. To find out more, please see Go Abroad.

Fees

The 2021/22 annual tuition fees for this programme are:

  • Home full-time £9,250
  • EU full-time £15,400
  • International full-time £20,500
  • Home part-time £4,625
  • EU part-time £7,700
  • International part-time £10,250

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

Fees for Year in Industry

Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.

Fees for Year Abroad

Fees for Home undergraduates are £1,385.

Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status. 

Additional costs

General additional costs

Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Funding

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

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University funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details. 

Government funding

You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.

Scholarships

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. 

The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of A*AA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.

Teaching and assessment

Our staff bring with them a broad range of experience, from our expert academic staff to our highly qualified technicians and practising professionals. Together they support, develop, challenge and inspire you throughout your studies.

We use a variety of teaching methods including practical and technical workshops, performance platforms, seminars, lectures and group projects.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Independent rankings

Music at Kent scored 91.4 out of 100 in The Complete University Guide 2020.

Over 94% of Music graduates who responded to the most recent national survey of graduate destinations were in work or further study within six months (DLHE, 2017).

Careers

Career opportunities for music graduates include many aspects of the creative industries, such as:

  • music recording and production
  • audio software development
  • sound for film
  • music performance
  • music management
  • composition and songwriting 
  • research and academia. 

It is also possible to pursue careers in areas including: 

  • video games 
  • live sound for theatres and festivals
  • audio installations for museums 
  • sonic arts and computer music.

Apply for Music Business and Production - BA (Hons)

This course page is for the 2021/22 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.

Contact us

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United Kingdom/EU enquiries

Enquire online for full-time study

Enquire online for part-time study

T: +44 (0)1227 768896

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International student enquiries

Enquire online

T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk

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School website

School of Arts

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