BA (Hons) Sound and Music for Media
Course overview
Start date
September 2021
Subject area
Music and Performance
Attendance
Full-time
Part-time
Learning
On campus, dual delivery
Blended
Course summary
The sound and music industry is transforming. Traditional careers are adapting to include creative industries that require skills in sound and music production. The broadcast, film, theatre, games and immersive experience industries are growing and thriving.
We see opportunities for multi-skilled, digitally fluent, dynamic and adaptable sound and music creators, who can initiate and present innovative ideas in modern and engaging ways.
The BA (Hons) Sound and Music for Media is part of a suite of programmes for applied practice in professional industry contexts. The key features of these programmes are: A focus on Ideas, Creative Enterprise and Collaboration, Portfolio of Transferable Skills, Professional Industry Projects
You will develop and apply a range of specialist technical and creative skills in sound and music production, working collaboratively within interdisciplinary projects modelled on professional practice in the media industry.
The principal focus of the Sound and Music for Media will be Music Composition and Production, Sound Design, and Studio Recording and Production, with some elements shared with other programmes in the suite.
Return to campus: dual delivery
In a Covid-secure environment, enjoy learning on our state-of-the-art campuses and flex between online delivery
Find out moreDevelop skills
Students will have the opportunity to specialise in developing specialist skills and collaborative projects, building a professional practice portfolio that represents the breadth of their skills and experience, both within the specialist field of Sound and Music for Media, and also across the range of skills sets within the sound and music programme suite.
Industry links
The programme capitalises on links with thriving media and art and design programmes at the University of East London (including media production, animation, film, immersive experience), and links with professionals and companies within the audio production industry.
Placement opportunities
The programme features a placement module and a placement year, which will provide significant opportunity to exploit links with industry, and enrich your experience, transforming your opportunities for employment within the sector.
Fees and funding
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees, which will be paid directly to UEL. There are no up-front fees required. Repayment only starts after you finish your course and are earning over £25,000. If you haven’t finished repaying your loan after 30 years it will be automatically cancelled.
To apply visit gov.uk/student-finance
Maintenance Loan
You can apply for a loan to help with living costs such as food, travel and accommodation. How much you can borrow depends on where you live and study, and whether you are currently on welfare benefits. The maximum loan you can apply for is £12,729.
To apply visit gov.uk/student-finance
Supplementary Grants
The government also offer the following additional support:
- Parents' Learning Allowance
- Adult Dependants' Grant
- Childcare Grant
- Disabled Students’ Allowance
- All nursing and many allied health students on courses from September 2020 will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year from the government.
For further information visit gov.uk/student-finance or contact Student Finance England.
All students will receive:
Bursaries Schemes for which you can apply
- Care Leaver and Foyer Bursary - up to £1,500
- Progression Bursary - up to £2,000
- Engagement Bursary - up to £2,000
- Hardship Bursary - up to £2,000
- Helena Kennedy Foundation - £1,500
- Going Global – awards range from £300 - £700
Scholarships Schemes for which you can apply
- Vice Chancellor Scholarship - up to £27,750 over three years
- Dean Scholarship - up to £13,500 over three years
- Civic Engagement Scholarship - £1,000
- EU Scholarship (EU Only) - £1,000
- ELSEF Scholarship - £1,000
- UTC Scholarship - £1,500
- Sports Scholarships - up to £6,000
There are a number of external organisations that offer financial help to
students. Please see the list below list to view additional support options.
Alternatively, you can visit the Scholarship Search website.
Please note that the University of East London is not responsible for
the content of these external sites and is not associated in any way
with the funding schemes and their application processes.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate your finances while you are a student at the University of East London.
We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement.
Email: study@uel.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8223 4444
You don't need to pay this up front.
EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals starting a course in September 2021, will no longer be eligible for Home fees. However, such nationals benefitting from Settled Status or Citizens' Rights may become eligible for Home fees as and when the UK Government confirms any new fees regulations. Further information can be found at UKCISA.
Tuition fees are subject to annual change. Fees for future years will be published in due course.
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees, which will be paid directly to UEL. There are no up-front fees required. Repayment only starts after you finish your course and are earning over £25,000. If you haven’t finished repaying your loan after 30 years it will be automatically cancelled.
Maintenance Loan
Part-time students can access maintenance loans from Student Finance England.
From academic year 2018/19, part-time students can access maintenance loans from Student Finance England.
You can apply for a loan to help with living costs such as food, travel and accommodation.
Part-time students need to study their courses at a rate of at least
25% of an equivalent full-time course in each academic year.
For further information visit gov.uk/student-finance
We appreciate that finance is one of the key considerations when you are applying to university. That's why alongside your Government loan, you can apply for scholarships to help towards your finances. We have invested over £2 million worth of scholarships to financially assist new students, starting in September 2019. If you are awarded a scholarship you don't need to pay it back.
All students will receive:
Ebooks
Bursaries Schemes for which you can apply
Scholarships Schemes for which you can apply
There are a number of external organisations that offer financial help to
students. Please see the list below list to view additional support options.
Alternatively, you can visit the Scholarship Search website.
Please note that the University of East London is not responsible for
the content of these external sites and is not associated in any way
with the funding schemes and their application processes.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate your finances while you are a student at the University of East London.
We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement.
Email: study@uel.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8223 4444
Price per 30 credit module.
EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals starting a course in September 2021, will no longer be eligible for Home fees. However, such nationals benefitting from Settled Status or Citizens' Rights may become eligible for Home fees as and when the UK Government confirms any new fees regulations. Further information can be found at UKCISA.
At UEL, we understand that studying in another country is a big financial commitment. If you apply early for an undergraduate, you may be entitled to a scholarship of up to £3,000.You can find out more about the international scholarships here.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) also run an Emergency International Fund to assist international students in hardship.
You can contact our SMART team on 02082233333 or study@uel.ac.uk
As part of the Tier 4 student visa requirements, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) estimate that you will need £1,265* per month to cover your living costs. It includes expenses for accommodation, food and drink, travel within London, text books, entertainment, clothing, toiletries and laundry. Most Tier 4 students are required to show they have sufficient funds to cover the first nine months of the course before they start- a total of £11,385- in addition to the tuition fees. You can find more information about the specific requirements of the Tier 4 student visa here. The amount that you will spend can vary depending on your lifestyle. The UKCISA International Student Calculator can help you plan and manage your money. Please make sure you also factor in the fees for the visa application and immigration health surcharge when budgeting.
* Please note the Immigration Rules are subject to change and this figure is likely to be increased by UKVI year on year. Please therefore check our ISA pages for more information at the time of preparing your visa application.
Deposits and paying by instalments
International students are required to pay a deposit prior to being issued a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
Your remaining balance will be paid in five monthly instalments over your first term. The first of these instalments must be paid when completing your enrolment on arrival at UEL. Please follow the payment instructions here.
After the required payment has been made, you will be asked to complete the online International Student Reply Form to confirm your acceptance of our offer and of our terms of admittance and fees policy.
Our International team at UEL are available for advice and guidance on studying in London, fees, scholarships and visa requirements.
Email: international@uel.ac.uk
EU, EEA and Swiss Nationals starting a course in September 2021, will no longer be eligible for Home fees. However, such nationals benefitting from Settled Status or Citizens' Rights may become eligible for Home fees as and when the UK Government confirms any new fees regulations. Further information can be found at UKCISA.
Tuition fees are subject to annual change. Fees for future years will be published in due course.
Entry requirements
- September 2021
-
Degree
112
New UCAS Points
Access to HE Diploma (QAA approved) with 60 credits overall and 45 credits at Level 3
We will also consider the UEL New Beginnings pre-entry course
Overall IELTS score of 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking (or recognised equivalent).
If you do not meet the academic English language requirements for your course, you may be eligible to enrol onto a pre-sessional English programme. The length of the course will depend on your current level of English and the requirements for your degree programme. We offer a 5-week and an 11-week pre-sessional course. Find out more here.
Level 2 equivalences such as Level 2 Functional Skills in English / Maths, Level 2 Key Skills in Communication / Application of Number and Level 2 Adult Literacy / Adult Numeracy
Please note that some courses require applicants to meet the entry requirements outlined on the course page. Our pre-entry Information Advice and Guidance Team are able to provide further advice on entry requirements and suitability for study.
What you'll learn
We’re
offering you a unique opportunity to develop and apply specialist skills in
collaborative industry-focused projects.
You will develop
a range of practical skills and techniques, and collaboration skills, while
developing an understanding of the professional, cultural, social, and
technological contexts of your practice.
If you join in
the foundation year, you will have the opportunity to transform and develop
your existing experience and skills in creative practice and establish key
academic skills to prepare you for undergraduate study.
The first year of
undergraduate study develops core technical and creative skills in key areas
of disciplinary practice and collaboration. You will participate in
industry-modelled projects in collaboration with students from other related
disciplines.
In the second
year you will experiment further, explore different approaches to individual
and collaborative practice, engaging with external practitioners and
organisations, and developing employability skills as part of a Professional
Life module.
In the third year
of study you will become more focused on the development of your own
specialist ideas, practice and research, individually and in collaboration
with others, internal and external to the University.
You
will graduate with a rich and dynamic digital portfolio to present to
industry professionals and future employers.
What you'll study and when
We consistently review our courses to ensure we are up-to-date with industry changes and requirements from our graduates. As a result, our modules are subject to change.
- Sound and Music Skills 1
- Group Work 1
- Professional Outcomes
- Sound and Music Skills 2
- Group Work 2
- Mental Wealth: Professional Life
- Sound and Music for Media Technique 1
- Collaboration 1
- Public Project 1
- Sound and Music for Games Technique 2
- Collaboration 2
- Professional Life 1 (Mental Wealth)
- Sound and Music for Media Craft 1
- Multidisciplinary Collaboration 1
- Public Project 2
- Sound and Music for Media Craft 2
- Multidisciplinary Collaboration 2
- Professional Life 2 (Mental Wealth)
This course offers the opportunity of year-long placement between years two and three. If you choose to take this option, you’ll spend your third year on a placement with a relevant company or organisation, adding valuable practical experience to your growing academic knowledge.
The extra placement year means it will take four years to complete your studies, instead of three.
- Sound and Music for Media: Advanced Practice and Innovation
- Final Project: Research and Development
- Public Project 3
- Sound and Music for Media: Advanced Practice and Enterprise
- Final Project: Engagement and Impact
- Professional Life 3 (Mental Wealth)
How you'll be assessed
Projects
Professional
practice, innovation, enterprise and engagement will be modelled and applied in
live projects and assessed through the development of an online creative
portfolio. Each piece of coursework will be
presented as a digital portfolio.
Assessment
of portfolios is split as follows: 80% Practice Portfolio and 20% Coursework
Portfolios.
Practice Portfolio
Practice portfolios are used to capture multi-dimensional evidence
relating to the product of a creative process (e.g. soundtrack, composition,
installation, improvisation, workshop, site-specific activity, interactive
artefact (e.g. interactive documentary or website), and other artefacts
relating to the creation of this material, including formative assessment
evidence (e.g. plans, notes, storyboards, evidence of collaborative development
/ devising).
Coursework Portfolios
Practice
and Theory are integrated, so that research skills, critical reflection and
evaluation, and contextual studies are embedded in your project work throughout
the programme.
How you'll learn
Your
journey may begin at Foundation level, where you will establish core skills and
techniques in common projects: Music Performance, Music Production, Studio
Production, Sound Design and Creative Portfolio Development.
At level 4 you will begin to focus on developing specialist techniques for your
chosen programme pathway, as well as collaborating in live projects with
students from other programmes, including Music, Games, Media, Theatre, and
Dance: Urban Practice.
Level 4 Projects:
Music Skills,
Producing an EPK, Imaginary Productions, Linear Recording Methods, Sound
Design and the Environment, My Music My Revolution, Performance Skills 1,
Live Collision, Sound Design for Adaptive Contexts, Creative Portfolio
Production.
At level 5 all programmes will take common
projects that develop core skills in creative practice and contextual
awareness, and specialist projects:
Common Projects:
Narrative Production,
Design Thinking, Creative Agency, Our Music Our Revolution.
Specialist
projects:
Sound and
Music for Film, Performance Skills 2, Instant Composition, Creative Capture and
Production, Sound Craft, Linear Composition, Adaptive Audio Programming, Sound
and Music Direction
At level 6 the key focus will be upon a pattern
of research, development, implementation and impact, through which you will
develop a portfolio of advanced practice and skills innovation, and a final
project portfolio.
Your future career
Sound
and Music programmes at the University of East London develop an existing base of core skills in sound
and music creation and production and apply these to specific industrial
contexts in collaborative projects that simulate professional practice, and
which integrate with the media industry in live projects.
The
BA Sound and Music for Media programme will develop a core set of skills in Music Composition
and Production, Sound Design, and Studio Recording and Production, and will also develop transferrable skills (linked to UEL
Core Competencies and the Career Passport) for the creative industries.
Students
will be able to collaborate and participate in a range of projects, resulting
in a portfolio of project work that represents a broad range of skills and
experience, with depth of both disciplinary and interdisciplinary skills.
This
approach anticipates a diverse world of work, building skills in learners to
create coherence and impact that is transferrable across multiple contexts.