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About the Course
Music has been part of the intellectual and cultural life of Oxford for more than eight centuries. Today, there are 15 academic staff in the Faculty (all professorial staff) all of whom have internationally distinguished reputations as musicologists, performers or composers. Their work is complemented by that of College Fellows and Lecturers, bringing the total staff number to about 30.
The large number of visiting speakers and performing ensembles adds further richness and enjoyment to the experience of being a music student here. The Faculty building includes practice rooms for solo, chamber and orchestral work; there is an electronic studio; and the library holdings of scores, recordings and books and other research materials are probably the most extensive in the UK. The world-famous Bate Collection of Musical Instruments is also housed within the building, and many of these historical instruments are available for use by students.
The Oxford course offers the advantage of a very broad base without compromising the possibility of increasing specialisation in one or more areas – from performance to history, composition to analysis – as the student proceeds. Combined with the rich opportunities for personal development which arise from the musical facilities and activities sustained throughout the collegiate University and the city, this course helps every student to graduate as a mature and well-rounded musician with an informed and lively sense of the contemporary study and practice of the subject.
Tuition is by means of lectures organized by the Faculty of Music, and by tutorials (generally held in small groups) given by the Fellow in Music and other subject specialists. Financial assistance for those intending to take a performance exam is available from the Faculty for instrumental or vocal lessons.
The Music course lasts for three years, with formal university examinations at the end of the first and third years. Further details can be found here.
The first year
The first year ends with the First Public Examination, Preliminary Examination in Music (‘Prelims’). In the first year, students study a mix of compulsory papers and options.
The second and third years
The final year ends with the Second Public Examination, the Final Honour School in Music (‘Finals’). A candidate must be examined in eight modules, in which some are compulsory. You can tailor your degree to suit your strengths and interests in terms of topic or the way you submit your work. Up to 25% of the degree can be performance-based.
College collections
Colleges also set internal exams called ‘collections’. These are designed to give focus to an undergraduate’s studies, to monitor progress, and to provide practice in examination technique. The forms of assessment vary from examination to examination, and from college to college. The results of the collections do not form part of the University examinations.
