About Composition - Mmus / Pgcert / Pgdip in Birmingham City University

Unlike many composition courses at this level, the course actively celebrates the diversity of today's musical genres, and fosters artists who challenge, innovate and transform notions of artistic practice today. You'll spend most of your time writing music for professional and student ensembles, whether you choose to respond to our set briefs or work on your own projects.

You'll be encouraged to express yourself in multiple musical and artistic genres.

By studying composition within a thriving conservatoire setting, you'll have excellent opportunities to collaborate with performers and to have your works performed.

Alongside your focus on composition, our course provides opportunities for you to develop other skills relevant to a future career in the music profession.

• Regular individual tuition in composition from internationally recognised composers.
• A chance to develop a distinctive compositional voice within the context of a broadly based course, enhancing your employability.
• The opportunity to participate in a wide variety of creative projects, including interdisciplinary collaborations.
• Regular forums, seminars and masterclasses with distinguished visiting composers and performers.
• Opportunities to have works performed/workshopped by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and other leading professional ensembles and musicians.
•  Frequent chances to have works performed by student performers, including by the Conservatoire’s own Contemporary Music Group (Thallein Ensemble) and other ensembles.
•  In PgDip and MMus, a core career development module designed to get you thinking about your future professional plans. 
• In PgDip and MMus, the flexibility to choose from a broad menu of Professional Development modules designed to help you work towards achieving your personal career aspirations.
• In MMus, a core module designed to develop your skills as a researcher or informed practitioner.
•  In PgCert, the ability to focus wholly on the Principal Study area.
• The possibility of transferring between PgCert, PgDip  and/or MMus (as appropriate) once you have begun your studies (but before completion of your original course).

Academic qualification equivalents

• Bachelors degree - (Pass) in a related subject

English language requirements (one of the below):

• An IELTS score of 7.0
• A TOEFL score of at least 600 (paper-based test) / 100 (internet-based test) / 250 (computer-based test)
• PTE score 50-58

Birmingham City University Highlights

Birmingham City University Average Tuition fees and Other Expenses

This figure is an estimate of the basic living costs during the first nine months of studies, which covers most expenses including average tuition fees.