Music study guide 2023/24

Music at Bristol

Our BA Music is a well-established and highly regarded programme. Our graduates go on to work in the music profession, the creative industries and a host of other careers.

We offer a broad range of units in musicology and composition across diverse styles and genres. These are complemented by weekly concerts and opportunities to get involved in the dynamic music scene in the city of Bristol. The department is exceptionally friendly and welcoming and staff run ensembles and perform with students.

You will be taught by internationally recognised musicologists and composers. Our teaching and music-making takes place in the magnificent 19th-century Victoria Rooms, a familiar Bristol landmark with a 530-seat auditorium.

Musical literacy is expected for Music Department units. If in doubt, contact Dr Justin Williams, current Study Abroad Academic Director for Music.

Unit structure

The department offers many classes that are based in a single semester, and can therefore accept unit requests from Study Abroad students who want to join Bristol for just the autumn or spring semester.

Unit levels

The department offers units across all undergraduate levels of study: year 1 (level C/4), year 2 (level I/5), and year 3 (level H/6) units. Postgraduate units are not available.

Unit codes

Unit codes in the Department of Music begin with 'MUSI'. This is followed by a number indicating the year (1, 2, 3). For example:

MUSI10000 = year 1 unit
MUSI20000 = year 2 unit
MUSI30000 = year 3 unit.

For more information about each unit, check the University's unit catalogue for 2023/24. Applicants on all study abroad programmes must review the unit details on the catalogue before listing unit choices on their application form. This includes checking the format of assessment for each unit. The unit catalogue for 2023/24 is updated by April 2023.

Your unit choices cannot be guaranteed. Some units may not have capacity to accommodate all of the unit requests we receive. Registration on a unit also depends on whether you meet the pre-requisite conditions through prior study at your home university.

Units available on the study abroad programme in 2023/24

The following units from the Department of Music are open to inbound Study Abroad students.

Year 1 (level C/4)

TB1

Music and Society 1 (TB1) - MUSI10061

TB2

Music and Society 2 (TB2) - MUSI10060

TB4

Composition (TB4) - MUSI10059
Practical Studies: Criticism (TB4) - MUSI10062
Practical Studies: Performance (TB4) – MUSI10058 - please note that performance-based units are only available to Music majors. The Department is unable to consider requests from those majoring in other subjects.
Technical Studies I: Harmony and Harmonic Analysis (TB4) - MUSI10047

Year 2 (level I/5)

TB1

Approaches to Music History I (TB1) - MUSI20142
Further Technical Studies (TB1) - MUSI20099
Hip-Hop Music and Culture (TB1) - MUSI20071
Music and Sex (TB1) - MUSI20111
Writing for Orchestra (TB1) - MUSI20141

TB2

20th-Century Opera (TB2) - MUSI20130
Approaches to Music History II (TB2) - MUSI20143
Composers as Film Figures (TB2) - MUSI20139
Composing Live Electronics (TB2) - MUSI20126
Compositional Strategy (TB2) - MUSI20047
Introduction to Composing for Screen Media (TB2) - MUSI20131
Music Recording and Production (TB2) - MUSI20124
The Romantic Imagination (TB2) - MUSI20121
Transcription and Editing (TB2) - MUSI20056

TB4

Performance (TB4) - MUSI20058 - please note that performance-based units are only available to Music majors. The Department is unable to consider requests from those majoring in other subjects.

Year 3 (level H/6)

TB1

Aesthetics and Criticism (TB1) - MUSI30029
Composition Project (TB1) - MUSI30064
Hip-Hop Music and Culture (TB1) - MUSI30107
Music and Sex (TB1) - MUSI30120

TB2

20th-Century Opera (TB2) - MUSI30147
Advanced Technical Studies (TB2) - MUSI30113
Composers as Film Figures (TB2) - MUSI30083
Composing Live Electronics (TB2) - MUSI30141
Music Recording and Production (TB2) - MUSI30132
Studio Project (TB2) - MUSI30065
The Romantic Imagination (TB2) - MUSI30130

TB4

Performance (TB4) - MUSI30066 - please note that performance-based units are only available to Music majors. The Department is unable to consider requests from those majoring in other subjects.

Year 4 (level M/7)

None available

Application queries

Contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:

Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: cfsa-inbound@bristol.ac.uk

Auditing

Students cannot audit units. Study abroad students are fully registered on units for credit purposes and must attend teaching only for classes that they are registered on.