Music and Philosophy

You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials (including one-to-one supervision), as well as instrumental or vocal tuition and performance and composition workshops. The number and balance of these activities will change over the degree as you develop your knowledge and abilities as an independent learner.

For each module, weekly lectures will introduce you to the broad questions and current issues in music and philosophy. Seminars or tutorials will give you the opportunity to engage with the topics introduced in lectures, discuss key issues in small groups, and look in detail at musical and philosophical works.

Instrumental or vocal lessons will help you develop your abilities as a performer, while composition seminars and workshops will allow you to explore approaches to composing. Practical training in both generic study skills and music-specific skills such as using notation software, recording equipment and transcribing music are embedded within the core modules.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by a variety of means, including continuous assessment, examinations and recitals.

Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on the development of independent research skills. Teaching methods and coursework are designed to help you achieve this; for example, you will receive reading lists, assignments, presentation briefs and online materials to direct your research in preparation for seminars.

In your third year you will undertake a major project which can be a dissertation, composition portfolio or a solo recital.

A level offer – AAB including Music. ABRSM Grade VI Theory is acceptable in lieu of A level Music

Contextual offer – BBB/ABC including Music. ABRSM Grade VI Theory is acceptable in lieu of A level Music

When applicants have not been given the opportunity to take A level Music, or a qualification requiring an equivalent level of music theory understanding, we ask for evidence of such understanding (in addition to 3 other A levels). We will accept ABRSM Grade 6 Theory as evidence. Applicants who have not followed the ABRSM route are invited to contact the Music Department to ask about alternative arrangements for assessing theoretical understanding

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma/OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma – DDD plus Music as above.

IB Diploma score – 36 with 665 in higher level subjects, including Music. Please see above for requirements.

• We also consider other level 3 qualifications, including T-levels.

• We consider each application holistically. Whilst academic achievement is important, it is not the only factor that we consider when assessing applications and applicants who have achieved, or are predicted to achieve, close to our typical offer, but who have not met it exactly, will be welcome to apply if they have a strong application in other key elements, for example if they have practical music accomplishments or can demonstrate merit and potential through their personal statement or their reference. 

• We welcome applications from mature students with non-standard qualifications or who may have had a break in their study and may consider other experience in place of formal qualifications where applicable. Mature applicants may also be interested in our Music with Foundation programme (W301).

• Grade 7 or 8 in first instrument is advisable but by no means essential.

• Keyboard skills are advisable (but not absolutely essential), since they aid score reading and analysis. 

Alternative qualifications

• Other UK qualifications

• EU qualifications 

• International qualifications

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

English language requirements

Country specific information

The tuition fees for 2025/26 academic year have not yet been finalised, they will be displayed here once approved.

The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

We are one of the very best music departments in the UK, with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students. Our students benefit from passionate guidance from our staff and alumni, as well as support from our Careers and Enterprise Centre. 

Our students graduate with a range of skills which open up many opportunities for employment or further study. Graduates from the Department have gone on to work in diverse careers in the music industry and beyond, including education, music teaching, arts administration, broadcasting, music production, artist management and journalism.

Of those students who graduated in 2020-21:

• 90% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

• 94% are in high skilled employment
• With an average salary of £27,500.

(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

Philosophical training  will equip you with a range of theoretical and transferable skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, communication, project management, presenting and researching, that will be of value to employers across a range of industries. 

Our graduates work in a vast range of employment sectors worldwide, including law, the Civil Service and politics, management, public relations, teaching, journalism, media and publishing, marketing, retail and business, IT and financial services. Examples of recent employers include Penguin, Random House Publishing, Save the Children, Amnesty International and The Guardian.

Of those students who graduated in 2020-21:

• 84% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

• 80% are in high skilled employment
• With an average salary of £27,000.

(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

The Department of Music is a vibrant and welcoming community focused on hosting and supporting enriching musical experiences. Join us and develop your creative, practical and critical skills in one of the best music departments in the UK.

Durham is one of the leading university music departments in the UK, offering innovative courses that are informed by our internationally recognised research. When you study with us you will be encouraged to engage actively with music, both familiar and unfamiliar, as we challenge you to think about the subject in new ways.

Our curriculum strikes a distinctive balance between breadth and depth, covering perspectives from history, theory, ethnography, science as well as composition and performance.

The curriculum will challenge you intellectually, stimulate your curiosity and equip you with the skills to produce an independent project that engages with the latest research in your chosen area of study. In the first year, teaching will revolve around six foundational areas. As you progress through the course there will be increasing choice and flexibility, including study options from other departments. To further develop your skills, we offer the opportunity to spend a year studying at an overseas music department or on a work placement.

By the end of your studies, you will be equipped with the theoretical, practical and independent research skills necessary for further study or future employment.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

• 6th in The Complete University Guide 2024

• 6th in The Guardian University Guide 2024

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the Music Department pages.

Research Excellence Framework

• 6th in the UK for Research Output Quality in Music (REF 21).

Facilities

We are located at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Durham City. Our students have access to a beautiful concert room. Four fully equipped practice rooms are available for individual practice and group rehearsals, with additional practice spaces available across the University. We also have three studios with music production equipment that ranges from early analogue to current digital technology. Our recording studio comprises a control room and up to three recording rooms, with state-of-the-art equipment.

We also have an audio-visual documentation and analysis laboratory, a music and science lab and a fully equipped music technology workshop.

Gain a deeper understanding of this complex world and change your outlook on life with this ancient and fascinating intellectual discipline. Philosophy at Durham covers many of the profound and important questions that arise in all areas of human life.

Philosophy is an ancient and diverse discipline that is fundamental to our understanding of what it is to be human. Amongst the most prestigious departments in the UK, at Durham we pride ourselves on our excellence in teaching and research and we are committed to the pursuit of philosophical knowledge and understanding. Our distinctive, research-led approach to learning means that our undergraduate courses are constantly shaped in line with research and to reflect contemporary study in the area.

We offer a range of single and joint honours degrees with flexible pathways to suit your interests and career aspirations. As well as covering more traditional areas of philosophy, such as ethics and values, philosophical traditions and moral theory, our curriculum also highlights the relevance of philosophy to current issues in the world. This includes modules relating to the ethics of science and medicine. You can further develop your skills and experience with the opportunity to spend a year studying overseas or on a work placement.

During your time with us you will learn as much about how to think about difficult questions, as you will learn about the answers that can be given to them. You will develop the ability to detect a bad argument, whether in politics, in the media, or with the people in your day-to-day life, and an ability to produce better arguments of your own. Whatever you end up doing with your career, philosophy will forever change your outlook on the world.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

• World Top 50 in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2023
• Top 10 in The Guardian University Guide 2024
• Top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2024.

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the Philosophy Department pages.

Research Excellence Framework

• Top 20 in the UK for the quality of our research (REF 21).

Facilities

The Department of Philosophy is located at Old Elvet in the picturesque city of Durham. We occupy a listed building in this ancient part of the city, near the medieval Elvet Bridge, and within easy walking distance of the Students’ Union, the colleges and Durham’s historic centre with its Castle and Cathedral.

Undergraduate students are invited to attend the Department’s extensive programme of research-related activities, including weekly lectures and seminars, many of which are given by renowned UK and overseas philosophers. Recent visitors have included Amie Thomasson, Noam Chomsky and Peter Singer.

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