Music Education

Applicants must also meet the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS) requirements before entry to the fourth year their degree.
Candidates are required to demonstrate a strong interest in the study of music as well as significant attainment in one or more of a range of disciplines including performance, composition, music technology, musicology, and community engagement. Entry to the programme will be assessed on the strength of the candidate’s academic record and personal statement where graded qualifications on instrument or voice are welcome but are not essential. Candidates may be invited to interview. Further information about the interview process is available on the Music Department website. Applicants outside the UK must also meet the above performance requirement.

Entry requirements for students joining after Year 1: For entry to Year 2:
Satisfactory completion of HNC Music (120 SCQF credit points). Also required: Interview, Audition, PVG Check, Higher English at Grade C and Nat 5 Maths at Grade C (or equivalent).

Studying Music or Music Education at the University of Aberdeen requires an ability to read and write musical notation. Entry to these degrees is conditional on your academic achievements so far, as well as your performance at interview and audition.

For the audition, you will be expected to play or sing a short piece of music of your choice. Choose something that enables you to demonstrate your technical ability on your instrument or voice, and be prepared to answer questions about the piece you have chosen. Your interview will focus on the breadth and depth of your knowledge of music and your interest in it. Be prepared to be asked about music in different genres to the one that you have performed, including classical music (which is an important ingredient of the Music and Music Education degrees at Aberdeen, amongst many other styles and genres).

For entry to Year 3:
Satisfactory completion of HND Music (240 SCQF credit points). Also required: Interview, Audition, PVG Check, Higher English at Grade C, and Nat 5 Maths at Grade C (or equivalent).

Auditions at the University of Aberdeen are centred around the classical music course. So, expect questions on classical music to pop-up in your interview. After the theory/ aural session you will be expected to play (or sing if you are a singer) on your main study. Then there will be a short interview. This interview will focus on classical music; so, be prepared for this. One example of a question which might be asked is, ‘can you talk us through the main points of Sonata form’. Or, another, ‘Talk to us about a work by Mozart or Beethoven’.

Although we welcome all genres of music, the course is primarily classical focussed.

Entry to these degrees are conditional on performance at interview and audition, entry at year three is not guaranteed by the academic requirements alone and in some cases entry to a lower year may be offered. https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/find-a-degree.php#music

Audition

Musical skills are assessed at interview, at which competence on piano will need to be demonstrated for those intending to take Music Education.

Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) / Disclosure Scotland Check

Interview

We are keen to encourage students from the widest possible range of backgrounds to participate in University studies, and we appreciate that not all students have the same opportunity to meet our advertised entry requirements.

For this reason we take contextualised information into account when making decisions on the applications we have received. Decisions are made in line with the University's Contexualised Admissions Policy.