Music

Music at university is far more than performance training. It is an academic discipline that asks serious questions about how music works, what it means, how it has been created and received across cultures and centuries, and how the skills of composition, performance, and listening can be developed to a high level. The range of approaches available within music studies reflects the breadth of the subject itself, from historical musicology and music theory to ethnomusicology, composition, and performance practice.

At the University of the Highlands and Islands you will engage with music across these different dimensions, developing your musical skills and knowledge in an environment shaped by the distinctive cultural context of the Highlands and Islands, a region with its own rich traditions in song, traditional music, and Gaelic culture. The programme is offered part-time, making it accessible to students who need to combine their studies with other commitments and who may already be active musicians looking to develop their understanding alongside their practice. You will engage with music theory, history, and analysis as well as with the practical dimensions of the subject that allow you to develop your own musical voice.

Music graduates pursue careers as performers, composers, music educators, music therapists, arts administrators, music journalists, sound engineers, and music industry professionals. The analytical and creative skills the degree develops are also transferable to a wide range of careers in education, the arts, communications, and the public sector. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in music performance, composition, musicology, or music education.