English Language/Music

English language and music is a degree that brings together two very different ways of understanding and creating meaning. English language and linguistics combines the study of the structure and meaning of the English language, past and present, with an examination of what language reveals about culture, society, and human cognition. Music is a discipline that develops the capacity to analyse, perform, and create one of the most powerful and universal forms of human expression, engaging with musical works as both aesthetic objects and cultural artefacts.

At the University of Glasgow, this programme brings these two disciplines into dialogue. Through the English language strand, you will study the structure of English at every level, from sounds and words to sentences and discourse, alongside the history of the language and its social variation across communities. You will examine how English works as a system, what it shares with other languages, and what it reveals about the minds and communities of its speakers.

Through the music strand, you will engage with music history, analysis, and performance, developing the critical and practical skills to understand how music works and what it means in different cultural contexts.

The programme is offered on a part-time basis, giving you the flexibility to balance your studies with other commitments. It also includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to experience different linguistic and musical cultures firsthand.

Graduates from English language and music degrees are equipped for a wide range of careers in education, arts administration, music management, broadcasting, publishing, communications, and research. The analytical skills developed through linguistics are transferable to data, technology, and professional contexts where language understanding is valued. Postgraduate study in linguistics, musicology, education, or related fields is a natural route for those who wish to develop further.