Expand+How To Apply

Applications for admission to full-time undergraduate courses at Queen’s should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/...

Hide-How To Apply

Applications for admission to full-time undergraduate courses at Queen’s should normally be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Full information can be obtained from the UCAS website at: www.ucas.com/apply.

When to Apply

UCAS will start processing applications for entry in Autumn 2017 from 1 September 2016.

The normal closing date for the receipt of applications is 15 January 2017.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as is consistent with having made a careful and considered choice of institutions and courses.

Earlier applicants normally receive decisions more quickly, however, UCAS accepts that some applicants, especially those from outside the UK, may find this difficult. Late applications are, in practice, accepted by UCAS throughout the remainder of the application cycle, but you should understand that they are considered by institutions at their discretion, and there can be no guarantee that they will be given the same full level of consideration as applications received by the advisory closing date.

Take care to enter the details of the institutions and courses clearly and correctly on the application. For Queen's, the institution code name is QBELF and the institution code is Q75. These should be entered in the Choices section of your UCAS application. A Campus Code is not required.

Queen’s University Belfast Terms and Conditions 2017 Entry
The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.

http://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/TermsandConditions/

Expand+Selection Criteria
In addition to the entrance requirements below, it is essential that you read the How We Choose Our Students pdf prior to submitting your UCAS application.

Entrance Requirements
A-level: BBB including A-level Music. Where A-le...

Hide-Selection Criteria
In addition to the entrance requirements below, it is essential that you read the How We Choose Our Students pdf prior to submitting your UCAS application.

Entrance Requirements
A-level: BBB including A-level Music. Where A-level Music is not offered then A-level grades BBB plus Grade VIII Theory of Music (ABRSM, Trinity-Guildhall or LCM (not Popular Music Theory)) would be acceptable. AS-level Music is not acceptable in lieu of A-level Music.

Irish Leaving Certificate: H3H3H3H3H4H4/H3H3H3H3H3 including Higher Level grade H3 in Music.

Where Higher Level Music is not offered then grades H3H3H3H3H4H4/H3H3H3H3H3 plus grade VIII Theory of Music (ABRSM, Trinity-Guildhall or LCM (not Popular Music Theory)) would be acceptable.

Further Information: if an applicant has successfully completed a Grade VIII Practical Music examination this may be taken into account in August when deciding borderline cases. Applicants should indicate in the 'education' section of the UCAS application if they have, or intend to complete, a Grade VIII Practical examination, specifying the instrument and the awarding body.

International Students
For information on international qualification equivalents, please click on Your Country in the International Students website.

If you are an international student and you do not meet the entrance requirements, you should consider a preparation course at INTO Queen's University Belfast, which will prepare you for successful study on these degree courses. INTO at Queen's is based on the University campus and offers a range of courses including the International Foundation in Business, Humanities and Social Science.

For students whose first language is not English:
An IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component or an equivalent acceptable qualification, details of which are available at: http://go.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability to entry to this degree. Please click the links below for more information:
•English for University Study - an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
•Pre-sessional English - a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

Expand+Why Queen's?
Facilities: the School of Creative Arts has two major recital venues, excellent recording facilities, a collection of percussion and keyboard instruments, and world-class electronic and computer music facilities.

Partnerships: the Sc...

Hide-Why Queen's?
Facilities: the School of Creative Arts has two major recital venues, excellent recording facilities, a collection of percussion and keyboard instruments, and world-class electronic and computer music facilities.

Partnerships: the School has partnerships with the Ulster Orchestra, the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, and the Moving on Music initiative. The School also organises the internationally-renowned Sonorities Festival of Contemporary Music.

Placement: past students have gained work placement with organisations such as the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Ulster Orchestra.

Study Abroad: the School has an Erasmus agreement with the University of Athens in Greece. There are also opportunities to study in Canada, the USA and Australia.

Expand+Course Content (including module information)
As a basis for specialisation in performance, composition and musicology, students take modules in music history, harmony and analysis.

Level 1
Includes four core modules in Harmony and Music History...

Hide-Course Content (including module information)
As a basis for specialisation in performance, composition and musicology, students take modules in music history, harmony and analysis.

Level 1
Includes four core modules in Harmony and Music History, plus two optional modules chosen from:
•Composition
•Ethnomusicology
•Music Technology
•Performance

(Optional modules may be from another subject altogether)

Level 2
Includes two core modules in Analysis and History, plus four optional modules chosen from:
•Composition
•Ensemble Performance
•Improvisation
•Musicology (at least 3 modules offered)
•Music Technology
•Performance
•Traditional Irish Music

(Up to two optional modules may be in another subject)

Level 3
At Level 3, students take at least one module in a Music History special subject, plus a range of options chosen from:
•Composition
•Musicology
•Performance
•Dissertation
•Work Placement

(Up to two optional modules may be in another subject)

The Composition, Dissertation and Performance modules can be double weighted.

Students may also undertake a work placement in a musically-related field.

Expand+Assessment & Feedback
Assessment: The ways in which you are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments. Others are assessed through a combina...

Hide-Assessment & Feedback
Assessment: The ways in which you are assessed will vary according to the learning objectives of each module. Some modules are assessed solely through project work or written assignments. Others are assessed through a combination of coursework and end of semester examinations, which, in the case of Music, may take the form of a listening test. Practical modules include an end-of-year performance which, in the case of Year 3 students, takes the form of a public recital. Details of how each module is assessed are shown in the Module Outline Document which is provided to all students

Feedback (general): As students progress through their course at Queen’s they will receive general and specific feedback about their work from a variety of sources including lecturers, module co-ordinators, placement supervisors, personal tutors, advisers of study and peers. University students are expected to engage with reflective practice and to use this approach to improve the quality of their work. Feedback may be provided in a variety of forms including:
•Feedback provided via formal written comments and marks relating to work that you, as an individual or as part of a group, have submitted.
•Face to face comment. This may include occasions when you make use of the lecturers’ advertised “office hours” to help you to address a specific query.
•Placement employer comments or references.
•Online or emailed comment.
•General comments or question and answer opportunities at the end of a lecture, seminar or tutorial.
•Pre-submission advice regarding the standards you should aim for and common pitfalls to avoid. In some instances, this may be provided in the form of model answers or exemplars which you can review in your own time.
•Feedback and outcomes from practical classes.
•Comment and guidance provided by staff from specialist support services such as, Careers, Employability and Skills or the Learning Development Service.

Once you have reviewed your feedback, you will be encouraged to identify and implement further improvements to the quality of your work.

Expand+Career Prospects
Studying for a BMus degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree a...

Hide-Career Prospects
Studying for a BMus degree at Queen’s will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree at Queen’s are well regarded by many employers and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline.

BMus graduates have found employment in many different fields within music. These include performance, composition, teaching, academia, arts administration, music therapy, journalism, broadcasting and publishing.

Due to the diverse range of skills developed on the BMus, graduates are also highly sought after in professions unrelated to music. Recent graduates have embarked on careers in fields as varied as finance, public relations, and charity work overseas. Many students also apply the skills they develop through the degree entrepreneurially to create their own work opportunities and the University runs a number of extra-curricular programmes in entrepreneurship.

Placement Employers
Our past students have gained work placement with organisations such as:

•Arts Council of Northern Ireland
•Ulster Orchestra
•Wallace High School

Graduate Careers and Achievements

Our graduates have gone into a diverse range of careers, including the following:
•Jim Samson, Professor of Music, Royal Holloway, University of London
•Gráinne Hambly, Irish harpist
•Carol McGonnell, clarinetist
•Deirdre Gribbin, composer
•Marie-Claire Doris, Producer at BBC
•Noreen McFarland, Education and Outreach Officer, Ulster Orchestra
•Karen Diamond, NI Music Therapy Trust
•Angela Haley, Events and Conferencing Manager, Eventus
•Caroline Simpson, Online Marketing Executive, i3

You should consult www.creative-choices.co.uk, www.getintolivemusic.org and the Prospects website for more information concerning the types of jobs that attract Music graduates.

Further study, including Masters programmes, is also an option.

Other Career-related information: Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group and, therefore, one of the 20 universities most-targeted by leading graduate employers. Queen’s students will be advised and guided about career choice and through the Degree Plus initiative, will have an opportunity to seek accreditation for skills development and experience gained through the wide range of extra-curricular activities on offer. See Queen’s University Belfast full Employability Statement for further information.

Degree Plus and other related initiatives: Recognising student diversity, as well as promoting employability enhancements and other interests, is part of the developmental experience at Queen’s. Students are encouraged to plan and build their own, personal skill and experiential profile through a range of activities including; recognised Queen’s Certificates, placements and other work experiences (at home or overseas), Erasmus study options elsewhere in Europe, learning development opportunities and involvement in wider university life through activities, such as clubs, societies, and sports.

Queen’s actively encourages this type of activity by offering students an additional qualification, the Degree Plus Award (and the related Researcher Plus Award for PhD and MPhil students). Degree Plus accredits wider experiential and skill development gained through extra-curricular activities that promote the enhancement of academic, career management, personal and employability skills in a variety of contexts. As part of the Award, students are also trained on how to reflect on the experience(s) and make the link between academic achievement, extracurricular activities, transferable skills and graduate employment. Participating students will also be trained in how to reflect on their skills and experiences and can gain an understanding of how to articulate the significance of these to others, e.g. employers.

Overall, these initiatives, and Degree Plus in particular, reward the energy, drive, determination and enthusiasm shown by students engaging in activities over-and-above the requirements of their academic studies. These qualities are amongst those valued highly by graduate employers.