The course is designed for anyone with a passion for music and who wishes to forge a lifelong and varied career in the industry.
The degree is aimed at songwriters, producers and DJs, and those wishing to run small record companies or to stage live events.
You will work with UWS staff and visiting lecturers, who are themselves practising music industry professionals, and make key contacts across the music industry. Whether you are interested in a career in music promotion, tour management, sound engineering and production or performance, this degree will prepare you for success in the fast-changing modern music business.
Music is one of the UK's largest industries by export alone and this programme aims to help those with talent, drive and ability to forge a varied career. Developed in response to industry requirements, the focus is on a rapidly developing modern music business and the exciting opportunities brought about by new media.
Guest speakers have included Shirley Manson and Ricky Ross.
BA Commercial Music is part of the UWS Creative Skillset Media Academy, is an Avid Authorised Training Partner and has JAMES accreditation.
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
Don’t worry if your qualifications are not listed here, we take a range of factors into account when assessing your application and are happy to consider other alternative combinations of qualifications and experience.
If you are applying with an EU or non-EU qualification, please check our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page which gives more information about country-specific entry requirements.
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf), applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:
* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.
West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
The degree is aimed at songwriters, producers and DJs, and those wishing to run small record companies or to stage live events. You will work with UWS staff and visiting lecturers, who are themselves practising music industry professionals, and you'll make key contacts across the music industry.
Whether you are interested in a career in music promotion, tour management, sound engineering and production or performance, this degree will prepare you for success in the fast-changing modern music business.
Introduction to the theory and practice of music performance and production.
Focus on your chosen specialism of performance or production, while developing your understanding of media theory and intellectual property.
Deepen your engagement with your specialist area of study, completing a major self-directed project. You may also undertake work-related learning.
Complete a major research dissertation and undertake a music project where you release a piece of music on a variety of platforms.
This course also gives you the option of taking a language module, which can count towards your degree. These modules cover multiple languages and range from absolute beginner to near-native speaker level. The cost of your language module is included in the tuition fees. Find out more
BA (Hons) Commercial Music is designed for student success by promoting creativity, autonomy and employability both in terms of module content and course structure. We offer inspirational and transformative learning within a flexible and personalised curriculum. This is based on a model of inquiry-based learning, with a mix of practical, project-based work and critical analysis of contemporary popular music culture and the global music industries.
Find out more about the structure, learning outcomes, compulsory and optional modules in this course.
£1,820 cost per year of study (paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,250 Cost per year of study for four years but not more than £27,750
£9,250 Cost per year of study for four years but not more than £27,750
£10,600 per year of study
£1,820 cost per year of study (paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,250 Cost per year of study for four years but not more than £27,750
£9,250 Cost per year of study for four years but not more than £27,750
£12,000 per year of study
The cost of attending university is an investment in your future career.
In addition to tuition fees and living expenses, some courses involve extra costs like study materials, field trips, equipment and uniforms.
Fortunately, there is a great deal of financial support available to help students meet the cost of their study. This ranges from:
The sections below provide details of additional costs that your course may involve along with any financial support that may be available.
You can also find additional information in our Undergraduate Money, Fees & Funding section.
Students on certain degrees will incur some additional costs not covered by their tuition fees. These could be for things like specialist equipment, study materials, work placements, graduation, membership of relevant organisations or costs related to carrying out fieldwork.
For students on course with an element of fieldwork, there may also be extra costs for travel and accommodation.
Please contact the course leader for details of the additional costs associated with this course.
Tuition fees are calculated based on where you are from and what you are studying. Some courses also involve additional costs, such as mandatory field trips, equipment or studying abroad.
Find out how much it will cost you to study at UWS as an undergraduate student.
Scottish students studying at undergraduate level at UWS are entitled to various funds and support towards tuition fees and living costs.
English, Welsh and Northern Irish students studying at undergraduate level at UWS are entitled to various funds and support towards tuition fees and living costs.
EU students studying at undergraduate level of UWS may be eligible for SAAS funding, as well as support to meet the costs of childcare and various sources of additional funding.
There are several scholarship and incentive schemes available to international students studying at undergraduate level at UWS, as well as support to meet the costs of childcare and various sources of additional funding.
UWS administer a range of discretionary and childcare funds. These are designed to support students who are experiencing financial difficulty or struggling to meet the costs of childcare.
Becoming a student can have an impact on your entitlement to certain benefits. It may mean you are no longer eligible to claim a benefit you have been receiving, or your new income from student funding may affect the amount you are able to receive.
If there isn’t a statutory source of funding for you or your course, or you are in need of additional financial support, you may wish to consider more alternative sources of funding such as trust funds and scholarships.
Choosing to become a student can have a big impact on your budget and you may need to reassess your spending to account for a reduced income. We’ve put together some guidance to help you manage your money and make the right financial choices for you and your family.
All UK and EU applicants for undergraduate study, not applying through an agent or partner, should apply through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)
The on-time application deadline for 2019/20 entry is 15 January 2019, 18:00 (UK time). For some courses it may still be possible to apply beyond this period, subject to suitable vacancies remaining. The final deadline for late applications via UCAS is 30 June 2019, 18:00 (UK time). Beyond this deadline, you may be able to apply via ‘UCAS Clearing’ if the course you are interested in has remaining places.
Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide for domestic & EU/EEA to find more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS.
Students from non-EU/non-EEA countries can apply directly to UWS via our dedicated online application system. The latest we can process your application is 6 weeks before the course start date to allow for visa processing times. For more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS please refer to our International Undergraduate Application Guide.
For part-time & online study, you should apply directly to the University through our online application system, not through UCAS. Please select the part-time mode of study when submitting your application. Before you begin your application, it is important to read the part-time application step-by-step guide for a smooth process.
To come to UWS as a visiting student on a study abroad or exchange programme, you must apply entirely through our online system.
An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
Going to university is about much more than getting a qualification, it’s also the chance to enjoy an exciting social life, gain some independence and make the most of the new opportunities available.
DiscoverWe will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.