University of Portsmouth
Music Technology BSc (Hons)
University of Portsmouth

Course modalities offered

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 30 graduates of Music Technology BSc (Hons) and other courses in Music at University of Portsmouth for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Music.

Overall student satisfaction
73 /100
30 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Performing Arts

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Music at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £25000 £20500 £24000
25-75 percentile range £20000 - £28000 £16000 - £24500 £19500 - £31500


Salary of all UK Graduates of Performing Arts

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £21455 £18360 £22141
25-75 percentile range £17911 - £25024 £13492 - £22848 £16777 - £27979

Course Description

Overview

Our BSc (Hons) Music Technology degree course will help you lay the groundwork for a rewarding career in the music industry as a creative or technical producer.

You’ll learn how to engineer and produce music and sound using professional studio hardware and software, experiment with innovative practices and emerging technologies – including artificial intelligence (AI) – and through collaboration and project work, you’ll develop transferable skills that can be applied beyond your degree.

In year 1, you’ll explore subjects relating to recording and production, composition, and music computing. You’ll then choose a pathway that focuses on your chosen specialisation, preparing you for your future career.

In years 2 and 3, you’ll specialise in a specific area of music technology by choosing specific modules, and graduate with an exit award.

Exit awards

Depending on the modules you choose in your second and third years, you’ll get one of the following exit awards upon completing the course.

  • BSc (Hons) Music Technology (Recording and Production)
  • BSc (Hons) Music Technology (Composition)
  • BSc (Hons) Music Technology (Computing)

Course highlights

  • Familiarise yourself with industry-level studio equipment – including a 7.1 Genelec surround sound studio and Oakley Modular synthesisers
  • Create live installations and performances using sensors and alternative controllers
  • Develop original software tools for music and sound
  • Demonstrate your expertise with industry-standard applications to professionals by earning Avid Pro Tools and Audiokinetic Wwise-110 certifications
  • Gain valuable industry experience and knowledge by taking an optional placement – either with a company or as self-employed
  • Catch the eyes and ears of the public and potential employers by displaying your work at our annual Graduate Show

Careers and opportunities

Music technology’s a continually developing field that’s fundamental to many areas of the creative industries, including television, film, animation, computer games, and digital media.

The experience you get on this course means you'll be ready to use the latest technology and equipment available to employers, giving you a head start over others when it comes to applying for jobs.

You can also continue your studies at postgraduate level.

Graduate areas

Areas you could work in include:

  • visual media
  • computer games
  • audio programming
  • music studio work
  • education

Graduate roles

Job roles you could work in include:

  • composer
  • sound designer
  • audio/software developer
  • musical technician
  • studio manager
  • studio engineer
  • music teacher/lecturer
  • game audio professional (composition and sound design)

Whatever comes next after your studies, our Careers and Employability service will give you support and advice for up to 5 years after you graduate.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Music Technology BSc (Hons) at University of Portsmouth

20% Managers, directors and senior officials
10% Welfare and housing associate professionals
10% Teaching and Childcare Support Occupation
10% Teaching and Childcare Associate Professionals
10% Leisure, travel and related personal service occupations
10% Process, plant and machine operatives
5% Business and public service associate professionals
5% Welfare and housing associate professionals
5% Caring personal services
5% Managers, directors and senior officials

****You'll be assessed through:**** - practical projects - working journals - academic and evaluative essays - performances - oral presentations - case studies You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Minimum Required UCAS Tariff

112-120 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent. A relevant qualification or experience in music/sound is required.

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course

Qualification requirements

Including a relevant subject/science @ C or above (80 UCAS tariff points)

M in T Level Health, Healthcare Science, or Science.

Access to HE Diploma

Including one in a relevant subject/science (80 UCAS tariff points)

31-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects.

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

Including one in a relevant subject/science (90 UCAS tariff points)

The Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A Level at the A Level grades specified, excluding any subject specific requirements.

If Mathematics is not taken beyond GCSE, a grade 7, (or A) in GCSE Mathematics, or Core Mathematics grade B is essential

English language requirements

test Grade Additional Details
IELTS (Academic) 6

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

PTE Academic 54

An overall score of 54 with a minimum of 51 in each skill.

TOEFL (iBT) 79

79 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.

Cambridge English Advanced

Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.

Cambridge English Proficiency

Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.

Trinity ISE

Trinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components

Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Music Technology, BSc (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Music Technology BSc (Hons)

EU £9250 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Scotland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
Channel Islands £9250 year 1
Ireland £9250 year 1
International £18800 year 1

Additional fee information

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship

Placement Year and Year abroad:

UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £925 |

EU – £925 (including Transition Scholarship)|

International (Non-EU) – £2,000

Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice.

Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

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.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)
  • year 2

University Rankings

Positions of University of Portsmouth in top UK and global rankings.

See all 29 university rankings of University of Portsmouth

About University of Portsmouth

The University of Portsmouth is located on the United Kingdom’s only island city, Portsmouth. This public university, which was previously known as Portsmouth Polytechnic, forms part of the University Alliance, an organisation whose aim is to promote growth and innovation in the UK by putting an emphasis on links with business and industry.

List of 234 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Portsmouth - Course Catalogue

Student composition of University of Portsmouth

undergraduates:
18085
postgraduates:
5005
Total:
23090
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Where is this programme taught

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