Music and Music Psychology MArts, BA

Course overview

Our unique Music and Music Psychology degrees are the only courses of their type in the country. You can choose between two options for studying music and music psychology with us:

If you choose to take the MArtsBA in Music and Music Psychology you’ll study for four years and graduate with both a masters (MArts) and bachelors (BA) qualification in music and music psychology.

Alternatively, if you choose to take the BA in Music and Music Psychology you’ll study for three years and receive a Bachelor of Arts qualification on graduation.

The core of the course balances modules focused on music psychology with those drawing on musics from a range of genres, styles, cultural and social contexts, and geographic locations to explore key concepts, theories and approaches. You’ll develop your skills as a creative, critical and reflective thinker, gaining the tools and experience needed to be an independent worker, musician and music psychologist, ready for life after university. The first two years maintain a dual core of music and music psychology, with the proportion of credits taken in music psychology increasing in the final two years. You can personalise your course in all years by choosing optional modules from a broad range of areas – including aesthetics, analysis, contemporary composition, film music, the music business, musicology, music technology, performance (solo and collaborative) and popular music – enabling you to shape your degree to fit your interests and ambitions.

You’ll study with academics who are experts in their fields, receive support from a dedicated technical team, and take lessons with a visiting professional specialist if you study solo performance. Across your course you’ll engage with the latest research, explore a range of theoretical, creative and applied aspects of music and music psychology, and develop a set of valuable subject-specific and transferrable skills. You’ll have opportunities to work independently and collaboratively, developing your skills and knowledge in contexts that extend beyond the University environment. All these elements combine to provide you with an exciting and dynamic educational experience that is unique to Leeds.

We are one of the largest schools of music in the country, which means you’ll benefit from the impressive range of specialisms within our curriculum, reflecting our ethos that music is music, regardless of genre or style. We attract a diverse body of students from across the UK and internationally, which gives the School a vibrant community and culture. Decolonisation, equality and inclusivity are embedded within our curriculum, so all our students can feel a sense of belonging in the School and can thrive on their course, no matter what their background and musical experience.

In the recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) exercise, 93% of our research was considered to be ‘internationally excellent’ or better in terms of its originality, significance and rigour, with 56% rated as ‘world leading’, the highest classification. Each of these measures places us within the top 10 Schools of Music in the country based on the REF 2021 results for the subject area. Our staff expertise feeds directly into our curriculum, with specialisms including:

• Applied music psychology

• Black, popular, independent and global musical cultures

• Contemporary and experimental composition

• Electronic and computer music

• Film music

• Historical musicology

• Music analysis

• Music and wellbeing

• Music industry and management

• Music technology in theory and practice

• Musical aesthetics and postcolonialism

• Opera

• Performance and performance practice

• Practice research in music and the arts

• Science and technology studies

We work closely with our students, particularly through our active Student Staff Partnership Forum, to ensure that we offer the best possible experience to everyone studying in the School of Music. Our Industrial Advisory Board – an invited body of professionals from across the professional music sector, including several alumni – actively supports the ongoing development of our courses to ensure they deliver the skills and opportunities our students need to prepare them for life after university.

The School of Music is part of a strong musical community at the University of Leeds, and there are numerous Leeds University Union (LUU) clubs and societies that offer opportunities to get involved in music and performance activities. The Leeds University Union Music Society (LUUMS) is one of the Union’s largest societies and boasts ten ensembles including orchestras, choirs, brass and wind ensembles, and a composers’ collective. LUUMS is linked to the School of Music as our departmental society, and the School and LUUMS work closely on social events and the promotion of musical opportunities. School of Music students also often participate in other campus-based ensembles, including the Clothworkers Consort of Leeds (led by School of Music staff members) and Student Union performance societies, such as:

• The LUU Big Band

• Various musical theatre, opera and pantomime groups

• Societies focused on jazz and blues, folk, and pop music

• A cappella (unaccompanied) singing

• Electronic music and DJing

The Clothworkers Concert Hall in the School of Music hosts our diverse International Concert Series, and the Students’ Union runs regular gigs and its long-standing Friday evening club night, ‘Fruity’. Beyond the University campus, the city of Leeds provides numerous opportunities to engage with a wide variety of musics at venues including:

• Leeds First Direct Arena, a fixture on the national touring circuit for leading artists and bands

• Leeds Grand Theatre, which routinely presents touring West End musicals, comedy and other shows, and is the home of Opera North (a partner of the University) and Northern Ballet

• Leeds Playhouse, which presents a range of stage musicals and other theatrical productions, several of which then tour nationally

• Leeds Town Hall, home to the Leeds International Concert Season (LICS), which usually features a wide range of international orchestras within its programming. LICS also run various chamber music series at venues including Holy Trinity Church, Leeds Cathedral, and The Venue at Leeds Conservatoire

• O2 Academy Leeds hosts a range of popular-music events including its regular ‘Indie Thursdays’ and ‘PROJEKT’ club nights

• Seven Arts, an independent arts space and a not-for-profit Community Interest Company that presents a range of jazz, popular and light musics within its diverse programme

• The Brudenell Social Club, which hosts events most nights of the week and covers a wide range of musical genres

All these elements combine to make studying Music at the University of Leeds a distinctive and memorable experience that actively supports our students to pursue careers or future study within and beyond music.

Specialist facilities

The School of Music provides you with dedicated, purpose-built facilities complete with rehearsal, performance and practice spaces, computer clusters, a lab for studying the psychology of music, and dedicated learning and teaching spaces. There are also studios for sound recording, software development and computer-music composition, supplemented by a wide range of specialist software and recording equipment to help you with your studies.

At the heart of our School is the Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall, a beautiful performance space that hosts a large and varied programme of concerts in term time. As a student in the School, you can attend events in the International Concert Series programme free of charge. The spacious Clothworkers Foyer is the School’s social hub, and doubles as a venue for popular music and informal performances, including the LUUMS ‘Friday Feature’ series.

We were the first Russell Group university to have All-Steinway status. Over £700,000 was invested in the pianos – a combination of uprights, baby grands and concert grands – and all 29 pianos in the School are Steinways. Our instrument collection also includes a specially commissioned gamelan, historic and modern keyboard instruments and a large selection of orchestral and world percussion.

Fieldwork

Elements of local fieldwork may be embedded in a range of modules that take you outside teaching spaces as part of the learning experience. The second-year module Towards the Future: Skills in Context requires you to undertake work or volunteering activity, starting the connection between your studies and life beyond university. You might also undertake fieldwork through module activities such as sound recording in external locations, composition sessions designed to capture and work with sounds in natural environments, performance activities in off-campus venues, or trips to local music and performance venues to inform understanding of management, acoustics or other aspects of music.

Course details

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Introduction to the Psychology of Music (20 credits) – This module provides you with a foundation in the subject of the psychology of music. You’ll be introduced to the main approaches within the subject (e.g. cognitive, developmental, and social psychological approaches), and key methods used to explore the aspects of musical behaviour that can be investigated by these strands of research. You’ll be supported to develop your skills in critiquing empirical and theoretical music psychology research, and presenting your work in an appropriate style. 

Music Psychology and Society (20 credits) – Understanding the social functions of music reveals much about its value in a variety of contexts. On this module, you’ll explore the ways music psychology helps us understand the role of music in a range of contexts, such as improving our mental health, promoting social connections, forging collective identities and reinforcing wellbeing. The module will consider themes that may include music psychology in everyday life, music and education, researching communities (fieldwork techniques), musical participation, and music in commercial environments.

Music and Society (20 credits) – This module supports the development of research and practice-research skills and sets you on the way to being a critical and creative thinker. Rather than offering a chronological overview of music history, the module provides a thematic exploration of music in historical and contemporary, Western and global contexts (including the specific and diverse musical culture of Leeds), examining how musical practice reflects and shapes society. The development of academic research skills is integrated into this exploration, enabling you to thoroughly engage with the topics covered, to understand and address the challenges and arguments they present.

Materials of Music (20 credits) – This module brings music theory into the twenty-first century. You’ll encounter materials of music and music theory from across the globe in their cultural contexts – from jazz, popular music, and world musics to Western art music. The module does not assume familiarity with Western notation and harmony. Instead, you’ll develop your listening skills to put theory into practice by learning the fundamentals of improvisation across a variety of musical traditions.

Optional module in an area of music such as (each 20 credits):

• Collaborative Performance

• Contemporary Composition

• Film Music

• Music Business

• Music Technology

• Performance

• Popular Music

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Psychology of Listening and Performance (20 credits) – On this module, you’ll explore how psychological research data, models and theories have been used to explain a range of behaviours associated with performing and listening to music. This may include consideration of topics such as practice and the development of performance skills, the role of the body in performance, music performance anxiety, musical preferences, and everyday functions of music listening. 

Therapeutic Applications of Music (20 credits) – Music has a rich history of improving mental and physical health. This module combines an introduction to key theories of music’s therapeutic potential with a consideration of how music is applied to achieve therapeutic goals. Therapeutic applications of music range from musical self-care to clinical applications, and you’ll study areas such as physical rehabilitation, communication and expression, emotion regulation, identity, improved attention, behaviour modification and holistic wellbeing.

Researching Music (20 credits) – Music is a multi-disciplinary subject, and musical research employs a diverse range of methods. On this module, members of staff draw on their own research projects to support your development of musicological (text-based, archival, analytical), practice-based (creative practice as research, applied research) and empirical (questionnaires, focus groups, interviews) research techniques, leading to you creating a proposal for your own research project.

Towards the Future: Skills in Context (20 credits) – This module aims to provide you with an opportunity to think about the ways in which your knowledge and expertise can be applied outside your university studies. You’ll be supported to secure an opportunity to volunteer or work in an external context, such as school education, or with a charity or community group. Alternatively, you could use experiences you are gaining through engagement with the Students’ Union or other on-campus activities. You’ll be encouraged to consider the relevance of your academic studies and skills beyond Higher Education and to reflect on how framing your studies within an external context can inform your learning and academic practice. The module will support you to reflect on your personal skills development and the ethical implications of working with external partners.

Optional module in an area of music such as (each 20 credits):

• Aesthetics

• Collaborative Performance

• Contemporary Composition

• Film Music

• Music Business

• Music Technology

• Musicology

• Notation Studies

• Performance

Year 3

Compulsory modules

Researching Music Psychology (40 credits) – This module supports the development of your understanding and application of quantitative and qualitative research techniques in the field of music psychology. You’ll consider the ways in which empirical research can enhance understanding of human minds and behaviour, developing confidence in using analytical tools to explore music-psychological data. The module emphasises putting theory into practice and provides an opportunity to design, conduct, analyse and write an empirical research project.

Advancing Music Psychology (20 credits) – This module considers the ways in which research and researchers can and/or should be advancing music psychology as a discipline. You’ll explore current topics and concerns in music -psychology research and the ways in which they interact with local, national and global concerns and priorities. You’ll consider what's new in music psychology and discuss the motivators, priorities and methods that should lead future development of the field.

Music Beyond Graduation (20 credits) – This module provides you with an opportunity to examine the ways in which expertise in music can be applied beyond your studies. You’ll be encouraged to consider the relevance of your academic studies and skills beyond Higher Education and to reflect on how framing your studies within an external context can inform your learning and academic practice. You’ll work in a small group on a project commission, responding to a brief provided by either an external partner or an academic researcher. The nature of the outputs will depend on the specific needs of each project and may involve research and analysis, curating an exhibition or event, creating online resources, or developing a project plan for a musical intervention.

Optional module in an area of music such as (each 20 credits):

• Collaborative Performance

• Contemporary Composition

• Critical Theory

• Music Analysis

• Music Business

• Musicology

• Music Technology

• Performance

Year 4

Compulsory modules

Integrated Masters Dissertation (60 credits) – This module allows you to explore an area of music psychology of your own choosing. You’ll identify and apply appropriate research methods to contextualise and answer your research questions through an extended dissertation. Alongside a supervisor, you’ll develop the scope and topic, working through any ethical issues arising from the planned research to produce your independent empirical project.

Case Studies in the Applied Psychology of Music (30 credits) – This module provides you with a contextual understanding of the field of applied psychology of music, enabling you to develop and refine your skills of critical evaluation, reasoning, and literature searching. The module adopts a case study approach, examining key concepts and texts thematically, considering areas such as education, therapy, advertising, technology, science, and society, making significant use of class discussions to consolidate learning.

Optional Module in an area of music such as (each 20 credits):

• Aesthetics

• Applied Research

• Contemporary Composition

• Music and Wellbeing

• Musicology

• Performance

Optional modules in years 1 to 3 are presented in ‘baskets’ from which you may choose up to two, with no more than one from a basket. Very few modules have pre-requisites, meaning that as you progress through your degree you can craft your own path that aligns with your musical interests and ambitions. You must choose one optional module to complete your enrolment in year 4.

Learning and teaching

On this course, you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Entry requirements

A-level: AAB. We also welcome BTEC applicants with DDD normally including Music and/or Psychology.

If these don't include A level Music, we would normally expect an essay/discursive subject and evidence of Musical Literacy.

GCSE: usually 5 at A-C, including English at Grade C/4 or above

Other course specific tests:

Alternative qualification

Read more about UK and Republic of Ireland accepted qualifications or contact the School’s Undergraduate Admissions Team.

Alternative entry

We’re committed to identifying the best possible applicants, regardless of personal circumstances or background.

Access to Leeds is a contextual admissions scheme which accepts applications from individuals who might be from low income households, in the first generation of their immediate family to apply to higher education, or have had their studies disrupted.

Find out more about Access to Leeds and contextual admissions.

Typical Access to Leeds offer: BBB at A Level and pass Access to Leeds.

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English
If you're an international student and you don't meet the English language requirements for this programme, you may be able to study our undergraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

Fees

UK: To be confirmed

International: £28,250 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2024/25
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students are set by the UK Government and will be £9,250 for students starting in 2024/25.

The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation only, as a consequence of future changes in Government legislation and as permitted by law.

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2025/26
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2025/26 have not yet been confirmed by the UK government. When the fee is available we will update individual course pages.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2024/25 and 2025/26
Tuition fees for international students for 2024/25 are available on individual course pages. Fees for students starting in 2025/26 will be available from September 2024.

Tuition fees for a study abroad or work placement year
If you take a study abroad or work placement year, you’ll pay a reduced tuition fee during this period. For more information, see Study abroad and work placement tuition fees and loans.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

Additional cost information

Equipment and materials costs

If you are enrolled on optional Performance modules you’ll continue to be liable for covering ongoing costs of insuring and maintaining your own instrument and buying instrument-specific materials such as reeds, strings, etc. These costs are variable depending on the type of instrument and the nature of the maintenance required. You’ll have access to a good supply of sheet music that is available in the University libraries. Additional sheet music required for Performance modules can usually be ordered through the library; however, for final-year recitals, you might need to purchase your own repertoire (costs for this are variable).

All specialist software required for your programme can be accessed through our Computer Clusters and Studios. Some optional Music Technology modules require the use of a (non-programmable) scientific calculator (approximate cost: up to £10).

Reading materials

You’ll have access to a good supply of books, academic journals, periodicals, etc., that are available in the University libraries. You’ll also have online access to an extensive range of reading resources. You might decide, however, to purchase required books that are recommended on your programme.

Study trips and placements

There may also be the opportunity for optional study trips and individual projects / placements. Costs will depend on the project / placement undertaken, and on the nature and location of each trip.

There may be general additional costs related to being a student at the University of Leeds – you can read more about this here.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There is help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more in our Undergraduate funding overview.

Applying

Apply to this course through UCAS. Check the deadline for applications on the UCAS website.

International students apply through UCAS in the same way as UK students. Our network of international representatives can help you with your application. If you’re unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

University of Leeds Admissions Policy 2025

This course is taught by

School of Music

Contact us

School of Music Undergraduate Admissions

Email: musicug@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Career opportunities

A degree in Music and Music Psychology from the University of Leeds equips you with valuable subject knowledge, cultural and social awareness, and a strong balance of musical, psychological and transferrable skills. We worked with our undergraduate students to identify a skillset that all our graduates will develop across their courses, and we continue to review these attributes with the student body and our Industrial Advisory Board to ensure they meet the needs of students as they leave university.

Skills such as communication, leadership, time and resource management, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively are particularly attractive to employers, and you’ll also be able to demonstrate the flexibility, resilience and confidence needed to adapt to new situations and environments. Your musical knowledge will bring your critical, creative, research and problem-solving abilities to the fore, and you’ll be able to articulate how the experience gained through your degree has prepared you for whatever comes next, be that work or further study.

Our courses equip our graduates to work in a wide range of areas within the music industry, including:

• Performing

• Composing

• Teaching, lecturing and coaching

• Music therapy

• Arts research

• Arts, artist, project and event management

• PR

• Creative production

• Theatrical stage direction and musical direction

• Music supervision

• Music publishing and copyright

• Marketing and digital marketing

Our graduates also use the skills developed through their Music degree to pursue careers in other sectors, including business, chartered surveying, data management, healthcare, law, management and media, and many progress to postgraduate study in Music or a related discipline, including continuing to Masters study here at Leeds.

Careers support

Skill development is built into our courses, so you start becoming more employable from the moment you begin your studies, and your degree is designed to help you recognise your skills and understand how you demonstrate them. Reflection on and understanding of your skillset is one of the learning outcomes for your course, meaning we will support you to be able to demonstrate these things by the time you graduate.

As you progress through your degree you’ll have additional opportunities to develop your skillset and your CV, such as supporting your fellow students and the School community by being a peer mentor, becoming a course representative and participating in our Student Staff Partnership Forum on behalf of your cohort, or applying to be our School Undergraduate Representative and working with School and Faculty staff and the Students’ Union to drive the School and University forward.

Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. You’ll also have access to the University’s ‘MyCareer’ portal and have opportunities to discuss your personal and professional development with your Academic Personal Tutor. We run careers events every year in collaboration with our Faculty Employability Team and encourage all our students to attend to develop their awareness of the opportunities that exist beyond graduation, even if they are not yet sure what they want to do after their degree. Alongside this, the Careers Centre provide a range of support and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate.

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

Leeds for Life is our unique approach to helping you make the most of University by supporting your academic and personal development. Find out more at the Leeds for Life website.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more about Careers support.

Study abroad and work placements

Study abroad

During your second year, you’ll have the opportunity to apply to transfer onto our MArts, BA Music and Music Psychology (International) variant and extend your degree by a year, spending your third year studying at one of our many partner universities worldwide. The University has over 300 University exchange partnerships worldwide, including many of the world’s top-ranking institutions in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, East and South-East Asia, South Africa and Latin America.

The University also has a ‘Horizon Year Abroad’ scheme with selected partner institutions in Africa, Asia and Latin America. On the Horizon scheme the focus is on developing linguistic and intercultural competencies, and you’re not limited to taking modules in your degree subject.

Studying abroad is a great opportunity to enhance your CV and gain a new perspective on your studies, as well as deepening your cultural awareness through a more varied experience. In addition to being a highlight of your degree, it can give you real confidence in a competitive job market.

Find out more at the Study Abroad website.

Work placements

Practical work experience can help you decide on your career and enhance your employability. You’ll have the opportunity to extend your programme by doing a work-placement year working with one or more organisations across the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK, or overseas. This is usually done between your second and third years of study, but a placement can instead be carried out between the third and final years with the agreement of the programme leader. It’s a great opportunity to gain valuable experience and contacts, and some students go on to work for their placement companies after they graduate.

An industrial placement could be the opportunity you need to impress potential employers. It can also give you the chance to learn more about working in the music sector (though you can do a work placement in any area – it does not have to relate to music), discover the sorts of opportunities and pathways that exist, and improve your chances of identifying and securing the career you want.

There are lots of benefits of doing a work placement year, including:

• gaining invaluable insight into working as a professional in your chosen sector

• building professional contacts within your chosen field

• advancing the learning and skills cultivated through your degree by putting them into practice beyond your studies

• improving your employability through development of your skills and experience, and enhancement of your CV

• increasing your confidence, self-belief and resilience

• transfering onto our MArts, BA Music and Music Psychology (Industrial) variant, demonstrating your added experience to future employers and making your degree stand out.

The work-placement scheme is managed by our dedicated Faculty Employability team, who can support you to find the right placement to suit you and your future career goals. Examples of placements Music students have recently completed include:

• Product Test Placement Student at DiGiCo (UK) Limited

• Events Assistant at Saffron Hall

• Teaching Assistant at Tracart, Barcelona (Spain)

• Assistant Archivist/Programmer/Researcher/Music Editor at Contemporary Media Music Productions

• Camerata in the Community Placement at Manchester Camerata

• Junior Promotor (PR/Marketing) at Hot Vox

You can also find general information about work experience on the Careers website.