The University of Birmingham is a public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham, and Mason Science College, making it the first English civic or 'red brick' university to receive its own royal charter. The University have a long and proud history of firsts, at the University of Birmingham; they were the first – and are now one of the largest - civic universities in the UK.

At Birmingham, the institution teach and research across the full breadth of academic disciplines, creating a vibrant community with multi-disciplinary opportunities for research and education. The University is a truly international community consisting of more than thousands of staff, students, and alumni. The student community is not only one of the largest of any UK university, it is highly diverse, with 82 per cent of home undergraduate students from state schools, 32 per cent from a BAME background, and 35 per cent in the first generation of their family to attend university.

Core modules
You will study three core modules:

Advanced Performance 1
This module focuses on the technical aspects of performance, and is for advanced performers who are approaching a professional standard. The module culminates in a recital which helps to establish technical skills needed for Advanced Performance 2 and further recital modules.
Assessment: 10-minute recital

Advanced Performance 2
Following on from Advanced Performance 1, your skills will be honed through individual tuition with experts on your instrument/ voice.
Assessment: 20 minute lecture recital (10 minute performance + 10 minute lecture).

Introduction to Musicology
This module prepares you for the field of Musicology by examining key issues, theories, and methodologies in the field. It is taught as a series of seminars by a number of staff in the Department of Music, and any research presentations organised for department staff and visiting scholars.
Assessment: Two 2,500-word essays

Optional modules
You will also choose three optional modules from a range which typically includes:

Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art
British Music Studies 1850-1975
Electronic Music Studies
Fieldwork Methods
Historically Informed Performance (recommended)
Introduction to Global Popular Musics
Performance Skills 1 and 2
Topics in Early Music
For more information, see our Music module descriptions.

Recital (with commentary)
In addition to your taught modules, you will present a substantial solo recital, of around 30 minutes in length, supported by a prose commentary of 3,800 words. The recital offers you the opportunity to unite practical and theoretical musicianship. The performance interpretation should be informed by historical context, and the commentary should establish and discuss the rationale for the interpretation with reference to that context. The recital programme should be built around a particular historical repertory or technique. Students are also required to attend and to write short summaries of research seminars presented during the academic year.

Please note that the optional module information listed on the website for this programme is intended to be indicative, and the availability of optional modules may vary from year to year. Where a module is no longer available we will let you know as soon as we can and help you to make other choices.

You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

• Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
• Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it