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Contemporary and Popular Music

  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 21 September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Main Site (Newcastle)
More about Newcastle University

Course options

2025-20262026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Our three-year Contemporary and Popular Music degree focuses on a range of musics and approaches. From acoustic singer-songwriting to jazz and experimental electronic forms. From ethnomusicology to cultural theory.

You'll grow as an accomplished musician while developing your creativity and critical thinking.

While you may choose to specialise in contemporary and popular music, we offer a broad musical education. This means you can also take modules on world, classical, and folk and traditional music.

You’ll study a range of historical, cultural, theoretical and applied modules covering topics such as:

music analysis
music history
DJing and turntablism
songwriting
audio production

You'll receive one-on-one tuition and group lessons from our performance tutors, who are experts in their craft.

This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Main Site (Newcastle)

Study options

  • BA (Hons) • Full-time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • 21 September 2026

Apply by
14 January

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:
W301
Institution code:
N21
Campus name:
Main Site (Newcastle)
Campus Code:
-
Points of Entry:
Year 1

Newcastle University 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
14 January

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:
W301
Institution code:
N21
Campus name:
Main Site (Newcastle)
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

A level
ABB

ABB including Music, Music Technology or another music-related subject, or Rock School or equivalent performance experience. Applicants should be practitioners in a type of contemporary or popular music.

Alternatively BBB including Music, Music Technology or another music-related subject, or Rock School or equivalent performance experience plus Grade 8 Associated Board (Performance). Applicants should be practitioners in a type of contemporary or popular music.

If A Levels do not include Music or a relevant music-related subject, an offer of ABB plus Grade 8 Associated Board (Performance), Rock School or equivalent performance experience may be considered.
Board/Trinity (Performance) may be considered.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DDD

In a music-related subject.

Access to HE Diploma
D: 30 credits M: 15 credits

ABRSM/Trinity Music Theory G5 also required. Applicants should be practitioners in a type of contemporary or popular music.

Scottish Higher
AABBB

AABBB at Higher Grade including a music-related subject, or BBBBB including Music plus Grade 8 Associated Board (Performance), Rock School or equivalent. Applicants should be practitioners in a type of contemporary or popular music.

Scottish qualifications can be taken in more than one sitting.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
32 points

With Music at Higher Level. Standard Level Music may be considered, but will depend on the combination of subjects being studied. Applicants should be practitioners in a type of contemporary or popular music.

Extended Project

If you offer the Level 3 Extended Project Qualification in a topic relevant to the degree programme, we may take this into account in our consideration of your application.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H1, H2, H2, H3, H3

H1H2H2H3H3 at Higher Level including Music, or H2H2H2H3H3 including Music plus Grade 8 Associated Board (Performance), Rock School or equivalent. Applicants should be practitioners in a type of contemporary or popular music.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
D3, M2, M2

D3, M2, M2 including Music, Music Technology or another music-related subject, or Rock School or equivalent performance experience. Applicants should be practitioners in a type of contemporary or popular music.

If A Level does not include Music or a relevant music-related subject, an offer of D3 M2 M2 plus Grade 8 Associated Board (Performance), Rock School or equivalent performance experience may be considered.

Additional entry requirements

Audition
Interview

English language requirements

English Language requirementshttps://www.ncl.ac.uk/international/language/#tests(visa)

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

No fee information has been provided for this course

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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