Taking applications now for September 2023 entry

BA (Hons) Music Production and Performance (Foundation Entry) Degree Programme

All information correct as of October 2022

Course Introduction

We have Clearing places available to start this September

We understand that you may have some questions, like ‘what is university Clearing’ and ‘would a Foundation Entry course be suitable for me’?

If you would like to speak to us about the course or clearing, please fill in our Guidance Interview Form

Are you looking for an industry-accredited music production course? Do you want to follow your passion for music production and audio engineering, whilst gaining an internationally recognised academic qualification in the process?

This course is designed for students who both love music and have the ability to study for a degree, but don’t have the necessary formal qualifications to enter directly on to their chosen Honours degree programme.

Come and study at the School of Electronic Music to get a fantastic grounding in music production, preparing you for a full degree.

Qualification	BA (Hons) Music Production and Performance
Duration	1 year (Foundation) progressing to a further 3 years to achieve the degree qualification.
Mode of Study	Full-Time
Days of Study (Semester 1) Sept 18th, 2023 – Jan 2024	Mondays and Tuesdays
Days of Study (Semester 2) Jan 2024 – May 2024	Tuesdays and Fridays
Hours of Study	Outside of lessons, you will be required to undertake 6 hours per week per module of studio work.
Start Date	Start Date Monday 18th September 2023
Tuition Fees	Foundation year at SEM : £5995 Years 1, 2 and 3 at UCLan Preston, or Manchester: £9250 per year (Full time) or £1540 per year (Part time)
UCAS Code	Campus Code: I Institution Code: C30 Course Code: W375

UCLan’s Foundation Entry students are more likely to attain a first or upper-second degree classification and are more likely to progress onto professional level employment or graduate level study than those undertaking a standard three year Honours degree programme.

Apply for a guidance interview at SEM now

Apply through UCAS now

Entry Requirements
Standard Entry Requirements

Applicants must be over 18, have five GCSE’s or equivalent at grade C or grade 4 including English Language.

Ideally, you will have a minimum of 72 UCAS points.

Music production experience is desirable but not essential.

Non-Standard Entry Requirements

We positively welcome applications from mature students who may not meet the standard entry requirements but who may have industry experience and/or can demonstrate an ability and willingness to study at this level.

EU and Overseas students who already hold a visa to study in the UK are welcome to apply.

International applications will require an IELTS score of 6.0.
Access to cutting edge studios
You will have access to cutting edge recording studios and production suites throughout the course.

Join a UCLan student partner institution
You will have access to a range of services and facilities at UCLan, such as membership of the Students’ Union, access to the library.
Duration
This hands-on, four year, full-time course will not only prepare you to be a music producer, it will prepare you for a huge range of careers in the creative industries; composing music for film, TV and games to sound recording, post-production, live sound and video production.
STUDY LOCATION
Foundation year studied at SEM. Years 1, 2 and 3 studied at UCLan Preston, or Manchester.
CITY CENTRE CAMPUS
SEM is very close to both Manchester City Centre, and MediaCity:UK

LECTURES

You can expect three lessons per week taking place over 2 days. The course will run for two semesters. You’ll also have 3 studio slots per week to make the most of the studios.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Your Foundation year will be studied with us at SEM Manchester. You’ll then progress to study years one to three at UCLan’s Preston campus, or a Manchester institution.

Course content

Click on a module to read more

Music Production in Practice The Creative Musician Sound Recording & Design Research and Contexts Progression

Credits: 40

Duration: Semesters 1 & 2

Overview

This is a practical module designed to enable students to develop a technical skill set covering all the main aspects of the modern DAW. It will cover the technicalities of creating and editing electronic music in a purely software-based environment.

Teaching is based around practical workshops that will introduce techniques and develop creative practice.

Students will learn fundamental sound design techniques using a range of software applications, both native to the DAW and third-party manufacturers, which will encourage creative experimentation and evaluation. Essential sequencing, processing and mixdown techniques such as EQ and compression will be taught.

Learning Outcomes

Use software to sample, synthesise and process sound in the production of music
Organise and back up data/project/sound files
Use basic sequencing techniques
Describe working processes using subject specific language

Assessment

Assessment will take the form of practical projects accompanied by a report of working methods

Credits: 40

Duration: Semesters 1 & 2

Overview

This is a practical module designed to enable students to develop and extend their musical abilities.

It will cover devising, performing and recording skills including improvisation, composition, arrangement and music technology.

Teaching is based around a series of practical workshops that will introduce techniques and develop creative practice but will also encourage students to develop habits of independent practice, rehearsal and reflection.

Within the module students will learn fundamental performance skills, rehearsal techniques, group working practices and workshop protocols.

Learning Outcomes

Use basic musical techniques within a musical realisation
Contribute to the composition of original music
Use reflective practice to identify personal and group strengths and areas for development in the creation of music

Assessment

Assessment will take the form of a practical project accompanied by a reflective document

Credits: 20

Duration: Semester 1

Overview

Students will be introduced to the basic principles and protocols of audio production. You will develop skills in the use of recording software and hardware, professional studio practice and protocols for the use of recorded music.

The module will cover multi-tracking, mixing, audio recording and sampling, including the use of music and sound effects for audio–visual media.

Students will be given a basic grounding in the ways in which sound works in relation to both music and media related work.

Learning Outcomes

Use audio software for multi-tracking, editing and mixing
Implement the basic principles of audio recording production
Produce audio appropriate for moving image

Assessment

Assessment is based on a portfolio comprising one multi-track recording and one sound design for animation

Credits: 20

Duration: Semester 2

Overview

This module will provide a foundation in study skills to facilitate progress and success in undergraduate study within performing arts through the following:

Researching elementary information related to the context of creative work
Consideration of the structuring of ideas when writing reports and presentations informed by research
Engaging with different ways to interpret creative practice

Study will focus on the following areas:

Developing independent study, research and presentation skills
Exploration of contemporary and historical contexts particularly in performance and media areas
Students will be exposed to work from a range of discipline areas
Debates concerned with a wider understanding of the students’ own practice

Learning Outcomes

Write a contextual report focussing on an aspect of creative work
Deliver a presentation which discusses an aspect of creative work from an identified discipline

Assessment

Assessment comprises one written report and one ten minute presentation

Following years content on UCLan’s BA (Hons) Music Production and Performance

Year 1
Song writing and Arrangement
Composing with Sound
Recording Techniques and Technologies
Performance Techniques and Technologies
Music Contextual Research
Career Development 1 – Online Profile

Year 2
Composition and Performance
Recording & Production
Music for Visual Media
Career Development 2 – Client Live Brief
Research Project
Career Development 1 – Online Profile

Year 3
Major Composition Project
Advanced Recording and Production
Dissertation
Career Development 3 – Professional Preparation
Music Contextual Research
Career Development 1 – Online Profile

Is this course for me?

Apply for a guidance interview at SEM now

If you’re passionate about music production and want to expand your knowledge in this area, this course is for you.

The Foundation Year will help you acquire the skills to successfully progress and complete a full BA (Hons) degree course, which will equip you with the knowledge and experience to then work in various areas of the creative industries.

It also provides an ideal solution if you perhaps chose the wrong A Level subjects, instead of repeating a year at school or college, giving you the university experience from the outset.

Apply Now for a SEM Guidance Interview

Apply Now via UCAS

Course FAQS

Course Information

This a Foundation Entry year for the BA (Hons) Music Production. This means you will study for one year at the School of Electronic Music.

Assuming you pass this year, you will then progress onto year 1 of a certified UCLan Degree Course.

Course Fees

Year One

Course Fees: £5995.

Studied at School of Electronic Music.

Years Two, Three and Four

£9250 per year (Full time)
£1540 per year (Part time)

Studied at University of Central Lancashire.

Tuition Fees are per year unless otherwise stated and may be subject to increase annually in line with UK Retail Price Index inflation rate.

All UK full-time students can apply for a loan to cover their tuition fees. You need to apply via Student Finance and if you are eligible then we are paid directly by Student Finance.

You can find out more and apply at www.gov.uk/student-finance.

Students from Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have different student support available.

You only start to repay the loan once you are employed and earning enough, currently repayments start once you are earning over £21,000.

Course Timetable

The Foundation Entry course is split into two 12-week semesters. For each semester, your contact time will be as follows:

Lessons will take place on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays (daytimes)

You will be expected to undertake an additional 6 hours per week of study per module.

Practical Access

You’ll also get a minimum of eight hours per week of studio access, which can be booked to suit your timetable.

We’re open from 10am – 10pm Monday – Friday, and 12 – 9pm on weekends for you to use the studios.

In-house tutors are on hand 7 days a week to offer assistance if you need it.

Do I need equipment for the course?

Essential

Music production headphones with a 1/4″ adapter, an external hard-drive or USBs to save your work, and writing materials are all recommended

If you need advice on what flat-response, comfortable music production headphones to purchase, please speak with Bop DJ Manchester who are 5-minutes walk from SEM. They can also offer you discounts as a SEM student, and they have excellent product knowledge.

Strongly Recommended

A computer capable of running Ableton Live Suite, and an Ableton Live Suite licence (discounted through SEM)

Every student has access to their own iMac workstation in the school which contains all the software, samples and plugins that you will use throughout the course, but a computer at home is also recommended.

Mac or PC?

We use all Macs throughout SEM, but PCs are equally fine and can be more cost-effective. If you’re working on a budget, we would strongly recommend firstly thinking about whether a laptop vs a desktop is going to be better for your needs. Once you’ve decided, we would advise focussing on processing power as this will allow your software to run more quickly. Remember that you can get up to 15% discount on Apple once becoming a SEM student.

Software

The latest Ableton Live Suite is the main music production software used on this course. If you wish to make music at home, you will need to get this for home use. You can benefit from a heavily reduced cost version of Ableton Live through SEM (approx. £220, down from £539).

Once you have a copy of the software, as long as you have a computer (Mac or PC) with adequate system requirements, you should be able to use this to make music at home as well as at SEM. We recommend getting Ableton as early on in the training as you can should you wish to make music at home.

Nice-to-haves but not essential

Pro Tools, flat-response monitors, an audio interface and a MIDI keyboard

We have some awesome music production partners which you can view on our student discount page for a range of extra music equipment. Remember – these are not essential, but ‘nice to haves’!

Pro Tools should you wish to get this, can be bought on a subscription package with a great student discount. At the time of writing, this was £79 for the year, but is not essential for home use.

Do you provide student accommodation?

Student accommodation is not provided with the course.

Please see our accommodation page which has detailed information on both student halls, and private renting in and around Manchester.

It is advised that if you are moving to Manchester from abroad or a different city, the atmosphere of student halls might be better for you.

We can help you with other aspects of re-locating, such as advising you on the best transport links to find us, and where some of the best musical venues around Manchester are.

See our accommodation page for more information.

How should I apply?

Places are very limited on this course.

You can apply for a guidance interview here – we recommend applying this as soon as possible.

Alternatively if you feel ready to apply, you can complete the UCAS application directly here.

If you have any questions, give us a call on 0161 833 4722.

Essential and Important Course Information

Applicant Information Guide and Policies

Please find the following essential information relating to the course and the application process.

Course Handbook for Applicants
Tuition Fees
UCLan Student Policies and Regulations
Accompanying Information and Conditions Of Offer
Summary of Student Policies
Student Complaints Procedure
Academic Appeals Procedure
Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedure for Academic Misconduct
Mitigating Circumstances Policy and Procedure
Regulations for the Code of Conduct of Students
Academic Regulations
Summary of Student Policies
UCLan Access and Participation Plan

Questions?

If you are interested in applying for this course, or have questions about it, we strongly advise booking in for a Guidance Interview – or give us a call on 0161 833 4722 and ask to speak with Lawrence Allen or Paul Carnac.

I am an international student. Can I apply?

Unfortunately, SEM cannot accept overseas or EU students unless they satisfy UK government requirements

More information can be found here:

Student finance: Eligibility – GOV.UK

Information for EU students:

Who qualifies?

Taking applications now for September 2023 entry

BA (Hons) Music Production and Performance (Foundation Entry) Degree Programme

All information correct as of October 2022

Course Introduction

Entry Requirements

Access to cutting edge studios

Join a UCLan student partner institution

Duration

STUDY LOCATION

CITY CENTRE CAMPUS

LECTURES

COURSE STRUCTURE

Course content

Click on a module to read more

Following years content on UCLan’s BA (Hons) Music Production and Performance

Is this course for me?

Course FAQS

Ask us anything

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CONTACT

QUICK LINKS

ACCREDITATION

SEM EDUCATION PARTNER