The Open University provides a wide range of opportunities to study music, from Access level to postgraduate research. For detailed information about our courses, follow the Courses & Qualifications link.
There is a music component in the Arts Foundation Course AA100 - The Arts Past and Present. Degree-level study specialising in music begins with the second level course A214 Understanding Music: Elements, Techniques and Styles. This course provides students with basic musical skills which they will require in order to study music at third level. Specialised study of music continues at third level with AA302 From Composition to Performance: Musicians at Work, a topic-based course covering many areas of repertoire and musicological skills. This course will be presented in its second edition for the first time in February 2010. The innovative bi-disciplinary course AA317 Words and Music makes an excellent companion to AA302. It requires less in terms of musical prior knowledge, and covers topics within Literary study. Other interdisciplinary courses including musical components do not assume prior musical knowledge, but make excellent choices to complement the courses specific to the Music Department.
Students registered for postgraduate degrees may work either towards the taught MA in Music, or a research degree (MPhil or PhD). Research students work under the supervision of one of the academic members of the department, sometimes in collaboration with an external supervisor from another university. Follow this link for more information about postgraduate research in the department.
Students on music courses may be working towards a wide variety of qualifications, from the credit of passing a single course, up to a full degree. Qualifications specific to Music currently comprise the Diploma in Music and the BA (Humanities with Music) within the BA (Humanities) degree scheme. There is a postgraduate taught degree of MA in Music. Postgraduate research students may work towards the degrees of MPhil or PhD.