Skip navigation

Music

  • BA (Hons)
  • 4 Years
  • Full-time
  • 7 September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Merchiston Campus
More about Edinburgh Napier University

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
Apply

Course summary

Delivered by a diverse range of industry and research experienced lecturers, this course will enable you to respond to the changing landscape of the music and wider creative industries, making you adaptable and employable.

This course is designed to support you in following pathways that reflect your specialist interests in performance, composition, production, or other areas such as education, management and research.

You will have the opportunity to develop and demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of your creative and scholarly intentions and mindset, with music as the primary medium for exploration and expression across a range of genres, including Classical, Jazz, Contemporary Commercial, Avant Garde and Popular Music styles (including Hip Hop, and Electronic Music).

You will explore music in practical and contextual perspectives and domains, to develop your practical, critical and analytical skills and attributes. You will experience performance in a solo and/or ensemble/band context, depending on your specialism, with accompaniment provision (where appropriate). The practical application of orchestration/arranging and composition is emphasised through collaborative projects and workshops with instrumentalists. With modules that prepare you for careers in education and community music, we are also one of the few music departments in the country to offer an undergraduate module in Music Therapy.

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.

This course is not accepting applications for deferred entry.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Merchiston Campus

Study options

  • BA (Hons) • Full-time • 4 Years

Start dates

  • 7 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:
W303
Institution code:
E59
Campus name:
Merchiston Campus
Campus Code:
M
Points of Entry:
Year 1, 2, 3

How to apply

This course has limited vacancies, and is no longer accepting applications from some students. See the list below for where you normally live, to check if you're eligible to apply.
  • EU
  • Wales
  • England
  • International
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Republic of Ireland

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:
W303
Institution code:
E59
Campus name:
Merchiston Campus
Campus Code:
M

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

A level
BBC

Including English or a Literary Subject*

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

Minimum grades DMM (Distinction, Merit, Merit) in a related subject. Plus A Level English or other literary subject* at C.

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

Pass Access to HE Diploma in a related subject with 45 credits overall with minimum 30 credits at Merit & 15 credits at Distinction.

English or other Literary subject* must be studied at Level 3 as part of the Access to HE Diploma.

Scottish Higher
ABBB

Including English or other Literary subject*. If you are eligible for an adjusted offer under our Contextual Admissions Policy, please see the ‘Minimum Qualification Requirements’ below.

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

Minimum grades D*D (Distinction*, Distinction) in a related subject. Plus A Level English or other literary subject* at C.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
29 points

Award of Diploma with 29 points overall with three Higher Level subjects at grades 6, 5, 4 including English or other Literary subject* at grade 5.

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

H2, H2, H2, H3 at Higher Level including English or other Literary subject*

T Level
M

T Level must be completed in a English/Literary subject plus A Level English or other literary subject at C. Please contact ugadmissions@napier.ac.uk to check if you meet the subject specific requirements.
  • Literary subjects accepted are: Modern Studies, History, Psychology, Sociology, RMPS, Theology, Media Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Geography, Latin, Classics, A Level Government and Politics, A Level Classical Civilisation, A Level Drama.

Minimum Year 2 Entry Criteria.
Please note there are limited places available for Year 2 entry.

HNC - Pass HNC in a related subject (Music, Music Performance, Sound Production) with grade A in the Graded Unit.

Minimum Year 3 Entry Criteria.
Please note there are limited places available for Year 3 entry.

HND – Pass HND in Music or Music Performance grade A in the Graded Unit.

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Scottish Higher ABCC

Including English or other Literary subject*. The grades listed above are our minimum entry requirements for applicants who meet our widening participation criteria. For further information about our entry requirements and our widening participation criteria as outlined within our Contextual Admissions Policy please visit our website.

Additional entry requirements

Portfolio
You should state your specialist interests clearly on your application. This may be performance (please state your principal instrument), composition, or production. If you meet or are predicted to meet the minimum academic requirements, we will contact you to request a portfolio demonstrating your experience in areas of relevant practice: performance, composition or production. These requirements apply to all years of entry. Our entry requirements indicate the Standard (minimum) qualifications with which we normally accept students. Competition for places varies from year to year and you aren't guaranteed a place if you meet the minimum qualifications.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6No element below 5.5.

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 available

Historical entry grades data is not currently available for Edinburgh Napier University - we are working with them to try and make it available soon - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear

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

International - Year 1 £18,220 - £21,120 (See course page for details)

Related courses

At Edinburgh Napier University

Like this page