What Music Courses are available in Manchester

Manchester has an incredibly deep-rooted cultural history; famous for its ground-breaking live music scene and electronic music heritage. The city has become a strong leader in other areas of the creative industries, with it’s long-standing reputation as a hub for music, theatre and creative arts. 

The music education within Greater Manchester is no different, with courses spanning the full spectrum of the music industry—from performance to business, from production to event management, from songwriting to marketing. Each of our universities presents an unique ecosystem in which students can realise ambitious projects within their discipline and work in collaboration with like-minded creatives.  

Here is a full breakdown of all the music-focussed courses in and around Manchester on offer to prospective university students. 

University of Manchester: Music BA  

The MusB Music at the University of Manchester is the UK's longest-running taught music degree,  having been established in 1891, now set in a 21st-century cosmopolitan city bursting with music and creativity. The course is made up of a bespoke mixture of ensemble performance, conducting, film composition, musicology, ethnomusicology, and music theory. Find your own voice in composition and make use of the latest technology in the stunning NOVARS studios, or focus on solo performance with their outstanding roster of professional instrumental and vocal teachers. 

See the full prospectus here. 

Manchester Metropolitan University: Music and Sound Design BA 

Manchester Metropolitan offer a Music and Sound Design BA at the School of Digital Arts (SODA) and aims to prepare you for a career in the creative sector. This practice-based course aims to provide an exciting and challenging collaborative learning environment to develop you as an independent musician and sound designer. Work with others to create music and sound for a wide range of applications that test your skills and develop your expertise. 

See the full prospectus here. 

RNCM: Classical and Popular Music BMus   

Whether you’re following a classical route or want to pursue popular music, the RNCM’s Undergraduate School offers flexibility to build a programme that’s right for you. Studying alongside likeminded musicians, you’ll enhance and refine your technical, creative, and critical skills, developing professionally and personally within a stimulating and enviable environment. 

They were recently awards the highest Gold status in the most recent Teaching Excellence Framework, and they’re the UK’s leading music college for research for post graduate and beyond.  

Find the full prospectus here. 

BIMM: Performance, Business, Songwriting 

One of the countries leading multi-campus creative colleges is BIMM, with locations across the UK and Europe. One of their largest campus is in Manchester, offering over 15 different undergraduate and masters degree courses. Ranging from popular music, music business, sound production, event management, music marketing or a combination of each. Their courses have been designed and developed with the industry, for the industry, which means that everything you learn while studying with there is 100% relevant for when you make the move into the workplace. 

Read the full prospectus here. 

Access Creative College: Performance, Technology and Production  

Access Creative College (ACC) is the UK’s largest national independent training provider, with 30 years of experience in educating creative 16-18 and 19+ year-olds. ACC offers full-time vocational courses in music, media, games, esports and computing. Offering Level 3 and 4 apprenticeships in a multitude of creative subjects, including music performance, vocal studies and music production. Manchester is home to not one, but two ACC centres on Oxford Street and Hulme Street. The Oxford Street centre hosts their music students, so you’re situated right in the heart of the city while you study. 

See the full prospectus here. 

Spirit Studios: Production, Engineering, Business, Event Management  

Spirit Studios was the UK's first sound engineering and music production school, founded in Manchester and joint with University of Central Lancashire. They offer a range of specialist courses focusing on music production, sound engineering, music business and events management. With ten recording and mixing studios, edit suites, DJ booths, computer suites and a live venue all brimming with the latest music technology and DAW software, their facilities are one of the main reasons students choose to study with them year after year. 

Find out more in the prospectus here. 

DbS Institute: Electronic, Production, Engineering, Live Sound    

A newer edition to the city, DbS Institute focus their education on Electronic Music Production and Music Production HE degrees, with both undergraduate and postgraduate opportunities. You’ll find their state-of-the-art Manchester campus in the basement level of New Century, an iconic Manchester venue that has been transformed into a new home for live music, events and industry-leading education in music technology and game development.  

Find the full prospectus here.