Music & Sound Production at UCA

Our BA (Hons) Music & Sound Production degree course at UCA Farnham will give you the skills to thrive as a music producer in today’s industry, equipping you to stretch beyond just working with musicians in a studio, or programming beats.  

You’ll learn how to produce music and sound in a variety of genres, but you’ll also learn how to operate a recording studio environment, use multiple Digital Audio Workstations for music production and performance (Ableton), record, mix and master (Logic Pro), deliver sound editing and design projects (Pro Tools), and design a unique and fully functional digital sampler instrument.

As part of UCA Farnham’s vibrant creative community, you’ll collaborate with fellow students across film and television, and animation and acting, to work on exciting projects throughout your studies. You’ll also respond to professional briefs and build a portfolio that suits your career ambitions to ensure you graduate ready for the industry.

 

Course entry options

Select from the following options to find out more about the different study options available for our BA (Hons) Music & Sound Production degree:

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Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W302
Campus
farnham
Start date(s)
September 2025, September 2026
Duration
3 years full-time
Entry requirements

112 UCAS points
International equivalent qualifications

Close
Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W30F
Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements
Close
Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W30H
Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements

 

 

Close
Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W303
Campus
farnham
Start date(s)
September 2025, September 2026
Duration
4 years full-time
Entry requirements

112 UCAS points
International equivalent qualifications

Close
Institution code
C93
UCAS code
W30G
Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements
Close
Institution code
C93
Campus
Start date(s)
Duration
Entry requirements

 

 

Upcoming webinars

We offer a range of webinars throughout the year that Music & Sound Production students may be interested in.


This includes subject talks, masterclasses, application proccess advice and student life guides. Check out our upcoming webinars and book your place today.

Accreditations, partners and industry connections

British Film Institute (BFI) logo

British Film Institute (BFI)

The BFI is a charity and the UK’s leading organisation for film and moving image. It promotes and supports British film from newcomers to established makers, and cares for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive.

ARRI logo

ARRI

ARRI is a leading designer and manufacturer of camera and lighting systems for the film, broadcast, and media industries. The ARRI Certified Film School accreditation is awarded to institutions that meet rigorous standards of technical excellence, creative education, and professional development.

National Theatre logo

National Theatre

The National Theatre has been sharing unforgettable stories for more than 50 years. In its role as the leader of theatre in the UK, it works tirelessly to bring theatre to audiences around the world and encourages the art of theatre through commissioned work, learning programmes and strategic partnerships.

Shakespeare’s Globe logo

Shakespeare’s Globe

Shakespeare’s Globe is a world-renowned theatre, education centre, and cultural landmark. Inspired and informed by the unique historic playing conditions of two beautiful iconic theatres, our diverse programme of work harnesses the power of performance, cultivates intellectual curiosity, and excites learning to make Shakespeare accessible for all.

What you'll study

What you'll
study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

Digital Environments
You’ll explore how digital technology is used for producing music, learning how to use a variety of software tools to create original sounds and combine these with audio samples to produce finished tracks. You will also delve into the world of mixing, and study the history of studio technology.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The unit provides an opportunity for students to explore what is meant by equality, diversity, and inclusion and the implications of these concepts for creative practice. It will equip students to understand how our social identities (such as gender, race/ethnicity, class, disability, sexual orientation, and religion) contribute to the inclusion and/or exclusion of individuals in creative spaces.

Digital Project
As you create your own productions for live shows, you will explore how computers can be used as flexible musical instruments. You will learn about both planning and improvising during live performances, and you will experiment with different performance techniques using digital audio workstations and software controllers. This unit also encourages you to explore the music of diverse genres and cultures.

Analogue Environments
This unit explores the world of analogue technology as an environment for music production and sound design. Through interactive studio sessions, engaging seminars, and hands-on workshops, you will learn how to record live instruments using an analogue signal path and mix tracks using traditional studio approaches.

Professional Development
This unit introduces you to the current working structures and operations of the UK and global music and media industries, giving insights into how music producers, film/media producers and businesses interact with each other on a creative and commercial basis.

Analogue Project
This unit builds on the fundamentals of analogue production and sound design and presents your work in the form of a live performance. Through a series of studio sessions and workshops, you will engage in the rehearsal process and learn how to mix and capture live sound on location, working in small groups to prepare content for live performance on campus to an audience of your peers, academics, and the public.

Core units

You will study the following core units:

Sound Design
This unit builds upon what you have learned so far about sound design in your first year and helps you refine your skills in editing and creatively manipulating audio. You will develop efficient workflows for editing and enhancing a wide range of sounds, such as realistic Foley and special effects. You will be introduced the world of coding and programming languages, exploring everything from customized digital workflows to the generation of musical ideas using algorithmic processes.

The Conscious Practitioner
This unit aims to promote progressive values and attitudes to diversity and inclusion in creative practice. You’ll have the opportunity to explore global perspectives and influences on creative practice, drawing upon interactions with varied identities, cultures, politics, and histories. The unit will explore how beliefs, values and attitudes drive behaviour and practices. Students will reflect on the development of their own creative influences, perspectives, practices, and sense of belonging as developing creative professionals in global and contemporary spaces.

Sampler Instruments
In this unit, you will discover the art of sampling and how to create your own digital sampler instrument, building upon your experience of creating both original music and tools used in the production process. Through workshops and seminars, you will explore the exciting possibilities of sampler instruments in music and sound production, from realistic virtual instruments to sound effects and Foley.
 
By the end of the unit, you will apply your knowledge and skills in a DAW-based production that features your unique sampler instrument. 

Placement / Live Brief 
You’ll be required to research, negotiate and undertake a self-initiated work experience placement opportunity or other professional interactions within a business appropriate to the music, sound or media industries such as a “live brief” or collaboration with a student from another course. This placement or “live brief” should be designed to meet your own aspirational and identified developmental needs. 

Elective units

There is a choice of elective units available and more details of the units available will be provided to you once on the course. Examples of elective units from previous years include:

  • Physical Theatre: You’ll work together with students from a wide range of courses to make a live physical theatre production. This could be further augmented by animated material or filmed material. TV or film students may also be involved capturing or streaming the performance.
  • Acting Through Song: You’ll learn and develop skills relevant to character and narrative-driven musical performance, rehearsing and performing a sharing that may include selected sequences from a play or plays with music or musical theatre.
  • Interdisciplinary Collaborations in Music and Theatre: This unit encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between Music, Acting & Performance, and Design for Theatre & Screen to plan, rehearse and deliver a live performance piece to an audience of peers and the public. This project puts music performance at the centre of the collaboration. 
  • Film Production: This unit is designed to provide learners with practical skills and knowledge in film production, with a focus on collaboration, professionalism, and self-reflection. The unit will culminate in a group film production project, where learners will have the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge.
  • Screen Writing: You’ll be introduced to a range of creative writing skills and, in particular, the highly visual medium of writing for film and television. You will view and compare the work of some of the industry’s most accomplished contemporary screen writers, learn how to present and format a script and write your own story outline for a short film, series or screenplay.
  • Cinematography: This unit is essential if you want to develop your skills in visual storytelling and creating compelling visuals for film and video. By taking this unit, you will learn the principles of cinematography and gain hands-on experience using industry-standard equipment to create professional quality visuals.

If you opt to complete a professional practice year, this will take place in year three. You will undertake a placement within the creative industries to further develop your skills and CV.

While on your Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. This fee will be determined using government funding regulations. Based on current regulations, we expect this to be a maximum of 20% of the tuition fee rate that you are charged for your second year of study. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during this year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this as you approach your Professional Practice Year.

Please note: If you are an international applicant, you will need to enrol onto the course ‘with Professional Practice Year’. It will not be possible to transfer onto the Professional Practice Year after enrolment

Dissertation
The dissertation is documentation of a sustained academically rigorous argument. This is normally through a written and referenced piece of writing, as might appear in a peer reviewed journal. It may be possible to do a multimedia submission, depending on your area of focus. You will develop and research an area of enquiry from which your question and title are formed. You are responsible for the topic, but it will be discussed and negotiated with your course tutor.

Music Business
The Music Business unit will enable you to develop strategies, plans and pragmatic information needed for your next steps in the music business. The unit combines general knowledge on contracts, fees and rights with bespoke mentoring. Taken together, you’ll create a dossier, which evidences the steps taken to prepare yourself for the future.  

Final Major Project
The Final Major Project is a culmination of your skills, passions and creativity. You will develop, in coordination with the unit leader, a brief for your project.  If you are working as part of a wider collaborative team, then a defined role within the group will also be negotiated. The brief and role description set the parameters in which you your final major project will develop. It should be ambitious but achievable and framed within how you want to promote yourself as a composer, musician or music producer.  

This course is designed to offer you (if eligible) the opportunity to study part of your degree aboard at a UCA partner university, while still earning credits towards your UCA degree.

For more information please visit the Study Abroad section

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Explore our gradshows

Each year, we’re privileged to be able to share our graduates’ incredible work with the world. And now’s your chance to take a look.

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Fees & funding

Fees & financial support

Tuition fees - 2025/26

  • BA course: £9,535

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2025 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,900. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Tuition fees - 2025/26

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2025 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,900. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Tuition fees - 2025/26

  • BA course: £17,500

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2025 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £3,390. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

Please note: The fees listed on this webpage are correct for the stated academic year only, for details of previous years please see the full fee schedules.

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of the Course Information Documents for more details of the costs you may incur.

Career opportunities

Graduates of this course can expect to continue in their career within a variety of different roles. These include:

  • Sound engineer
  • Music and audio technician
  • Technical support specialist
  • Audio producer
  • Music and sound design technician
  • Technical producer
  • Studio engineer

You may also like to consider further study at postgraduate level.

We will help you find the correct course for you and support you in your application should further study be for you.

What’s it like being a student at UCA?

That’s a big question. Get some answers from people who are studying right here, right now.

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A day in the life of a Music student

Second year student, Clayton De Haan, tells us that there is no such thing as an average day on his course.

Read Clayton's story

Entry & portfolio requirements

We’ll need to see your portfolio of musical work for this course:

  • UK applicants: We will invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person.
  • International applicants: We will ask you to submit an online portfolio. 

View Music & Sound Production portfolio advice

Select your country to find the equivalent requirements

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