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Music: Popular Music and Recording

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-Time
  • September 2027
  • Undergraduate
Peel Park Campus
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Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Serious about a career in the music industry? Ready to join a course that’s produced Mercury Prize nominees, award winning entrepreneurs, and professional film and television composers? If so, our popular music degree is the right choice for you.

When you join this course, you’ll embark upon your personal journey towards professional musicianship, developing your performance, composition and recording skills while deepening your knowledge of how the industry works. You’ll receive musical tuition in the instrument of your choice, get to grips with the essentials of studio recording, and expand your experience of performing in both solo and ensemble settings. Added to all that, you’ll take part in masterclasses led by established professionals, providing you with invaluable insight into what it’s like to work in the music industry.

As an undergraduate music student studying at Salford, you’ll have access to a vibrant local music scene with links to local venues and musical institutions. We’ll be providing you with the chance to regularly contribute to concerts and gigs, as well as to engage with like-minded creative artists.

Our popular music recording degree is well known for producing successful recording artists such as members of the British art rock band Everything Everything (Mercury Prize nominees 2018); recording artist and award-winning entrepreneur Caroline Redman Lusher (Founder and Creator of Rock Choir); Film and television music composer Louis Dodd (Love and Hate Crime, EMMY nominated Strike Back: Retribution, Amazing Hotels and BAFTA winning Long Lost Family), and songwriter/producer Rick Boardman (member of indie dance band Delphic and co-writer of hit singles including ‘Back to You’ performed by Louis Tomlinson and Bebe Rexha; ‘Real Love’ Clean Bandit/Jess Glynne and ‘Love On Me’ Galantis).

You will:

  • Be taught by practising music professionals on a course with a reputation for producing graduates in the popular music industry

  • Be able to fully explore your creative ideas and passions through specialist portfolio work

  • Work on projects in our industry-standard music recording studios

Modules

Course Modules

Year one

  • Musicianship Skills

  • Fundamentals of Composition, Arranging and Technology

  • Popular Music Style and Genre

  • Performance Studies (PP&R)

  • Applied Composition and Technology

  • Interpreting Popular Music

Year Two

  • Professional Development in the Creative Industries

You will choose three of the following options:

  • Advanced Musicianship Skills

  • Compositional Practice

  • Studio Composition

  • Audio for Media

  • Studio Recording and Production

  • Popular Music and Identity (PP&R)

You will then choose two of the following options:

  • Creative Compositions and Arranging

  • Advanced Performance Studies (PP&R)

  • Advanced Studio Composition

  • Advanced Studio and Location Recording

  • Music Journalism

  • Sound, Music and Society

Year three

  • Project Scope

  • Professional Practice

  • Negotiated Major Project

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Peel Park Campus

Study options

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) • Full-Time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • September 2027

Apply by
13 January 2027

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
J931
Institution code:
S03
Campus name:
Peel Park Campus
Points of Entry:
Year 1

University of Salford has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
13 January 2027

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:
J931
Institution code:
S03
Campus name:
Peel Park Campus

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff
Offer: 120

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English Language at grade C/4 or above (or acceptable equivalent).
You must fulfill the GCSE entry requirements in addition to the Level 3 qualification requirements.

Additional entry requirements

Interview

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland£10050

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

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.

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