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Professional Music (Performance)

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-Time
  • 13 September 2027
  • Undergraduate
WaterBear, Sheffield
More about Falmouth University

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

The performance degree for guitarists, vocalists, bassists and drummers

Are you an independent, self-motivated musician dedicated to your craft and committed to building a sustainable career in music?

The BA (Hons) Professional Music (Performance) degree at WaterBear is structured to give you the perfect blend of artistic freedom and technical discipline, alongside practical strategies to forge your own career. You can bring your own music projects and activity into the course, which is underpinned by a strategic, proactive approach to building your network and opportunities. This course aims to motivate you to deliver high-quality music and great live music performance.

Throughout this music performance degree you’ll develop instrumental and vocal technique, stagecraft, repertoire building, improvisation skills, ensemble performance, and performance psychology through small classes (8-12 students) and a structured 1-1 mentoring programme. This course is built around real-world practice, performing live in working venues, recording in professional studios. You’ll receive personalised support that helps you grow as an artist while building the business skills needed for a portfolio career.

All WaterBear degrees are approved and awarded by Falmouth University, one of the UK’s leading specialist universities for the creative industries. 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.

Performance students access professional recording studios, rehearsal spaces, instrumental teaching rooms, and live performance venues across the Brighton campus. You’ll work with Pro Tools, Ableton, and Logic Pro, plus analogue and digital gear suited to recording, rehearsing, and live performance. Partner studios include Spring Tank Studios, Tecna Studios, and Hybrid3 (Sheffield).

This contemporary performance degree has been specifically designed for vocalists, guitarists, drummers, bassists, and multi-instrumentalists. Whether you’re focused on becoming a session musician, touring artist, or building a portfolio career that spans performance, songwriting, and production, this course provides the support and freedom to develop your own artistic identity. With structured 1-1 mentoring and small class sizes, 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

Modules

Course Modules

Creating great music and live performance is the lifeblood of this course. Every week you’ll be honing your instrumental or vocal techniques, stylistic knowledge, improvisation and stagecraft, and expanding your creative repertoire in small classes (typically 8-12). You’ll perform live on stage in working music venues with other WaterBear musicians and collaborate regularly. In your business classes, you’ll learn how to navigate today’s music industry as a professional musician. You’ll also benefit from regular networking events, masterclasses, and work experience opportunities to build your industry contacts.


The BA (Hons) Professional Music (Performance) is a three-year degree, with each year consisting of two 15-week study blocks. Individual study modules cover a wide range of areas designed to develop your instrumental or vocal technique, stagecraft, creative repertoire, and music industry knowledge. The module titles, along with their linked weekly classes, are as follows:

Level 4 Modules:

Your Music Performance
Navigating the Music Industry
Creative Music Performance
Your Strategy

Level 5 Modules:

Your Sound
Your Events
Innovation in Music Performance
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-professional-music-performance/

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • WaterBear, Sheffield

Study options

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

Start dates

  • 13 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:
W378
Institution code:
F33
Campus name:
WaterBear, Sheffield
Points of Entry:
Year 1, 2, 3

Falmouth 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
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:
W378
Institution code:
F33
Campus name:
WaterBear, Sheffield

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

A level

We welcome A Levels in a wide range of subjects, especially in those relevant to the course for which you apply.

T Level
P-M

P (Pass) grade must be C or above, not D or E

UCAS Tariff
Offer: 104

A typical offer is between 104 and 120 UCAS points, primarily from Level 3 equivalent qualifications, such as A levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma or a Foundation Diploma, or current, relevant experience. Grade 4 (or C) or above in GCSE English Language, or equivalent, is a minimum language requirement for all applicants. Due to the creative nature of our courses, you will be considered on your own individual merit and potential to succeed on your chosen course. Please contact the Applicant Services team for advice if you are predicted UCAS points below this range, or if you have questions about the qualifications or experience you have.

Scottish Higher

A typical offer is between 104 and 120 UCAS points

AS

We may consider a standalone AS in a relevant subject, if it is taken along with other A Levels and if an A Level has not been taken in the same subject. However, you will not be disadvantaged if you do not have a standalone AS subject as we will not ordinarily use them in our offers.

Access to HE Diploma

60 credits (with a minimum of 45 credits achieved at level 3) in a relevant subject.

Scottish Advanced Higher

A typical offer is between 104 and 120 UCAS points

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

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

Extended Project

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Offer: 24

WJEC Level 3 Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales

a minimum of 40 UCAS tariff points, when combined with a minimum of 64 UCAS tariff points from the Supporting Qualifications

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

A typical offer is between 104 and 120 UCAS points

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

A typical offer is between 104 and 120 UCAS points

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

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

Leaving Certificate - Ordinary Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

A typical offer is between 104 and 120 UCAS points

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

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

a minimum of 40 UCAS tariff points, when combined with a minimum of 64 UCAS tariff points from the Supporting Qualifications

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

A typical offer is between 104 and 120 UCAS points

At Falmouth, we recognise excellence in many forms, and we see the whole you.

Our diverse community is creative, innovative and entrepreneurial.

We recognise that these qualities aren’t always shown in academic grades alone. That’s why, while many of our applicants achieve high academic grades, we also welcome those who can demonstrate their potential through an exceptional portfolio or performance.

To support this approach, during a friendly conversation with our academic team, we’ll consider your ideas, your creative output and your ambition to ensure you’ll thrive at Falmouth.

If you are able to demonstrate relevant, current, equivalent experience instead of formal qualifications, we encourage you to apply. Please contact our Applicant Services team before applying, for advice regarding your individual experience and eligibility.

If you are an international applicant and require a Student visa to study in the UK, you must have a recognised English language test approved and vouched for by the University at the appropriate level. You can see what we accept on our website https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/study/international/english-language-requirements Our Applicant Services team can help you with any general questions you may have about study visas or suitable language tests. For more specific advice, we recommend you also consult UKCISA http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/ https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/study/entry-requirements

Additional entry requirements

Interview

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to demonstrate English language skills that are sufficiently developed for successful completion of your studies. We accept a range of recognised English language qualifications that are equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic minimum score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listeninghttps://www.falmouth.ac.uk/study/international/english-language-requirements

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

At Falmouth University, we take a rounded approach to admissions. Instead of focusing on criteria like grades alone, we operate a contextual admissions policy, where we look at you as a person: your talents, your experiences and your potential. Every offer we make is shaped around you and your circumstances, and our conditional offers are always intended to be realistic and achievable.

Learn more on the Falmouth University website

International entry requirements

https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/study/apply/apply-as-an-international-student
We regret that this course is not available to international applicants who would require a Student 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

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Republic of Ireland, EU & InternationalTBC

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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