Music with Year Abroad

Music as an academic and practical discipline encompasses an extraordinary breadth: the study of sound and its organisation across every historical period and cultural tradition, the technical and expressive practice of performance, the craft of composition, the history and sociology of musical cultures, and the technology that shapes how music is now produced, distributed, and experienced. A music degree at its best is both a rigorous intellectual training and a sustained development of practical and creative capabilities that no other subject quite provides.

At Southampton this four-year full-time BA offers a broad musical education that allows you to study the music you care about while developing the skills and knowledge for a successful career. You can specialise in areas including performance, music history, composition, and music technology, giving you the depth to pursue a specific direction while remaining grounded in the broader culture and history of music. The year abroad, studying music at an international institution, gives you the opportunity to develop international performance experience, broaden your musical perspectives, and build a global professional network that extends well beyond the UK.

Note that although the programme is titled with a year abroad, the course data indicates this feature may not currently be available in this version. Please check directly with Southampton for the current programme structure.

Graduates pursue careers in performance, composition, music production and technology, music education, arts management, broadcasting, journalism, music publishing, and the wider creative economy. Many also continue to postgraduate study in music performance, composition, musicology, or music technology. The skills that music develops, including disciplined practice, collaborative sensitivity, creative problem-solving, and analytical rigour, are valued well beyond music itself.