Overview
Delivered in one of the musical capitals of the world, this highly personalised degree leads to advanced work in three areas: historical and cultural studies of music, performance from a range of traditions, and composition. Students interested in performance will benefit from our relationship with the Royal Academy of Music, while those interested in composition will enjoy our expert teaching and access to London’s rich contemporary music scene.
The course introduces all students to a broad range of theoretical and historical approaches to music, and will develop essential skills in critical thinking, expression and research.
Key benefits
- Study a flexible course that will allow you to explore an unbeatable variety of music, from opera and jazz to Bollywood and Haydn.
- Enjoy our strong links with the Royal Academy of Music and School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)—all in the cultural heart of London.
- Refine your musical skills by using our array of practice rooms overlooking the River Thames or joining some of the musical ensembles and societies at King’s.
- Develop the key creative and analytical skills sought after by employers, opening the door to a vast range of career options in music and beyond - from music performance and opera direction to public relations, business management, fundraising, and broadcasting.
- Broaden your student experience by spending a semester at one of our global partner institutions in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, or the USA.
- Choral and organ scholarships are available.
One of the best things about the Music BMus is how much it allows you to interact with the faculty. Whether it is through individual instrumental teaching at the Royal Academy, through 1-on-1 tutorials or through weekly seminars and office hours, the opportunities to learn from leading experts in the field are endless.
Course essentials
This music degree will immerse you in the world of sound, stretching across the centuries and spanning the globe. You’ll learn from a diverse curriculum bursting with various approaches to the study of music that combine music performance, composition, and learning across humanities subjects.
Comprised mostly of optional modules, this Bachelor of Music has a flexible syllabus and we pride ourselves not only on the range of modules we offer, but also on the diversity of the approaches we employ, including contemporary critical theory, historical scholarship and ethnographic studies alongside training in performance and aural skills, composition and musical analysis.
There is plenty of opportunity at King’s to participate in concerts and ensembles, from pop to classical. You may audition for the KCL Symphony Orchestra (KCLSO), participate in various other student-led groups such as the Jazz Society Big Band, King’s Opera, or the Music Society, or audition to sing in the Chapel Choir. Our students often gain leadership experience in these performance groups. Concerts take place throughout the year.
You are eligible to take Performance modules as long as you have ABRSM Grade 8 or its equivalent in your chosen instrument or voice. Individual performance tuition in classical music, jazz, and music theatre is provided with a teacher from the Royal Academy of Music, and in popular music and global traditions with a teacher of equivalent standing.
Course aims
- You’ll begin your Music BMus curriculum with a series of required modules that will teach you an expansive history of music and introduce you to musicological debates and areas of study. You’ll be exposed to a variety of music from different centuries and around the globe to give you a flavour of the depth and breadth of music you could specialise in.
- This foundational part of your music degree syllabus will see you taught by world-leading experts who share their research before it reaches the textbooks. For example, you could learn about troubadour songs, jazz, Latin American music, Bollywood, classical opera, composition today, and more from research-active, renowned academics.
- The rest of your first year is shaped by optional modules. You could choose to study music theory, where you’ll learn how to analyse music or write music in the style of a particular composer.
- If you have ABRSM Grade 8 in a classical or jazz instrument or vocal style, you can study performance with a teacher from the Royal Academy of Music. If your performance skills are in popular music or a global tradition, you can audition to take performance with a teacher of equivalent standing. You’ll also get to work on your aural training with another module devoted to listening to music and understanding what you hear.
- The second and third years of your music degree consist entirely of optional modules, which means you can shape your own curriculum to follow your musical passions and strengths, whether they be in performance, composition, or music humanities. For example, you could hop through a broad programme of humanities modules that might cover the music of the 18th, 19th, or 20th/21st Centuries, film music, music and digital cultures, global histories of music, and more. You could also learn about performance as a research method, opera studies, and beyond.
- You might choose to focus your bachelor of music degree on composition or specialise in performance. Both pathways might conclude in taking advanced modules to round off your music study with longer performance recitals or a composition portfolio.
- It’s also possible for you to take up to a quarter of your degree from different departments in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. For example, if you develop a passion for 18th-century German music, you could take relevant modules taught by the history or languages departments. Similarly, you could deepen your study of film and music with related modules taught by the film studies department or delve deeper into digital cultures in the department of digital humanities.
- If you’d prefer to focus on humanities research and writing about music instead of composition and performance, you might choose to produce a dissertation at the end of your Music BMus.
- There are many ways to enhance your studies during your Bachelor of Music studies, thanks to the numerous extracurricular opportunities available to you at King’s. You could audition for the KCL Symphony Orchestra (KCLSO) or participate in concerts and chamber music groups, for example. Various student-led ensembles, such as the Jazz Society Big Band, the Modern Music Society, or the King’s Opera Society, offer more chances to gain leadership experience in performance groups. Studying abroad can also strengthen your experience.
Special features
Optional study abroad
Key Information
Course type:
Single honours
Delivery mode:
In person
Study mode:
Full time
Required A-Levels:
AAB
Duration:
Three years
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2025
Application deadline:
09 September 2025
Administrative bodies
Awarding body
King's College London and Affiliates
Regulating body
Base campus
Strand Campus
Strand Campus feels like the heart of London—historic yet buzzing with energy. Nestled by the Thames, it offers world-class academics, vibrant student life, and endless inspiration from the city’s culture and diversity.