Professional Music (Songwriting) with Integrated Foundation Year

The BA (Hons) Integrated Foundation Year (4-year) degree courses at WaterBear incorporate an introductory year to help you build the core and specialist skills you’ll need for degree-level study on one of our specialist BA (Hons) Professional Music courses. The courses focus on the development of relevant and sustainable skills required by today’s musicians and entrepreneurs.

If you are taking on a subject that you are yet to study in depth, have been out of education for a while, or just need some extra time and support before studying at a higher level, then one of the Integrated Foundation Year courses could be for you. You will have the chance to explore your creativity, expand professional skills, improve study skills, and develop a deeper knowledge of the area you want to study.

The songwriting degree for singer-songwriters, producers and musicians.

As a songwriter, it’s all about finding your voice, unlocking your creative potential, and developing the confidence to say what you want to the world. This songwriting degree course is designed for singer-songwriters, composers, multi-instrumentalists, and producers who want to experiment, challenge, and explore the possibilities of their music.

The BA (Hons) Professional Music (Songwriting) degree at WaterBear is structured to give you the freedom to develop your craft. You’ll study songwriting, compositional techniques, arrangement, pre-production, live performance, and stagecraft in small classes (typically 8-12) alongside a structured 1-1 mentoring programme. It provides you with tools and techniques to take your compositions to a professional level. You can build your own music projects and activity into the course, which is underpinned by a strategic, proactive approach to building a long-lasting career. You’ll write, record, and perform original compositions in professional studios and real venues, learning the business skills needed to cut through the noise, get your music heard.

Whether your goal is to become an independent artist, professional musician, entrepreneur, or build a diverse portfolio career, you’ll engage in a comprehensive and flexible learning experience designed to support your strengths, interests, and your professional, artistic, and academic development.

Songwriting students access professional recording studios, rehearsal spaces, songwriting rooms, and live performance venues across the Sheffield campus. You’ll work with Pro Tools, Ableton, and Logic Pro, plus analogue and digital gear suited to composition, pre-production, and tracking.

You’ll showcase your original compositions regularly at live music venues across Brighton and Sheffield. Students also access masterclasses, A&R panels, co-writing sessions, work experience placements, networking events, industry development weeks, conferences, songwriting camps, sync opportunities, and collaborative projects. Last year we secured 500 performance and work experience opportunities, attended over 20 festivals and organised over 45 industry masterclasses and industry guest events. These opportunities connect you directly with songwriters, composers, publishers, and the local music scene, helping you build the industry contacts essential for a sustainable songwriting career.
This contemporary songwriting degree has been specifically designed for singer-songwriters, composers, multi-instrumentalists, and producers. Whether you’re focused on becoming an independent artist, professional songwriter, sync composer, or building a portfolio career that spans songwriting, performance, and production, this course provides the support and freedom to develop your own artistic identity. With structured 1-1 mentoring and small class sizes (typically 8-12), you’ll work in a supportive environment where you can experiment, create, and develop a tailored career plan aligned with your personal goals.

This course is taught at WaterBear in Sheffield, and awarded by Falmouth University.

Course Modules

The Integrated Foundation Year courses have been designed specifically for anyone with a passion for music who wants to study on one of our BA (Hons) Professional Music courses but may need some extra support prior to degree-level study, or hasn’t achieved their conditions of enrolment for the 3-year course.

Integrated Foundation Year degree courses contain a broad range of subjects that really matter in music and the music industry. Each week in classes you’ll study areas of music such as performance and production techniques, instrumental development, recording skills, market analysis, management techniques, branding, innovation, industry trends and project management – all whilst continually progressing towards your personal goals. And you’ll learn all you need to know from our team of top-level industry tutors and mentors about the realities of being a professional operator in today’s music industry. There are also regular networking events, masterclasses, collaboration and work opportunities so you can build your all-important contacts list.

The creation of high-quality original composition is at the heart of the BA (Hons) Professional Music (Songwriting) course. Each week, you’ll develop your songcraft, compositional techniques, arrangement, and live performance skills in timetabled classes. You’ll study songwriting, pre-production, creative composition, production tools, and stagecraft, performing live in working music venues with other WaterBear musicians. In your business classes, you’ll learn about publishing, licensing, sync, royalties, and navigating the music industry as a professional artist.

Every artist at WaterBear has their own story to tell and their own path to follow. We provide a supportive, safe environment for you to experiment and create. You'll also develop a tailored career plan to support your personal goals and ambitions.

Integrated Foundation Year Modules:

Production Know-How
What Makes Music Great
Music Performance
Creative Production Workshop
Music Promotion
Showcase

This three-year songwriting degree is structured around the creation of high-quality original composition. Each year, you’ll develop your songcraft through weekly classes in songwriting, arrangement, pre-production, live performance, and production techniques. You’ll also build essential business knowledge, learning how to navigate the music industry as a professional artist.

Level 4 Modules:

Your Songwriting
Navigating the Music Industry
Creative Composition
Your Strategy

Level 5 Modules:

Your Sound
Your Events
Innovation in Songwriting
Enterprise in the Music Industry

Level 6 Modules:

Your Professional Development
Specialist Report
Professional Project Portfolio

We regularly review course and module content to ensure our students receive a high-quality and rewarding academic experience. As such, there may be changes made to the curriculum which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on our website. Optional modules may be updated to maintain the best experience. Any students or applicants affected will be informed of approved changes directly.

https://waterbear.org.uk/courses/ba-hons-integrated-foundation-year/