We provide music education for everyone, whatever your prior experience. If you’re looking for an undergraduate qualification, our BA (Hons) Music will help you develop technical skills to analyse music, critical skills to discuss music in its cultural context and reflective skills to grow your own musical practice. You can also study music alongside other disciplines, either as a focused BA (Hons) Arts and Humanities, or in a broader Open degree.  We also offer a taught Masters degree: a postgraduate qualification that will develop your research skills and deepen your critical thinking about music. 

Can I study music?

You can sign up for our BA (Honours) Music without any of the prerequisites set out by most other universities, such as A-Level Music or exams in music performance. To study our MA in Music, you’ll need to have gained a good bachelor's degree (2:1 or above), ideally in a subject that has given you experience of writing essays and engaging critically with texts and ideas, as well as experience of music as a performer, listener or composer.

Our study environment

Studying at The Open University means you have a lot of flexibility about how and where you can study. Although you will study for most of your degree in a distance-learning programme, our music degree offers students the chance to take part in a residential school at Trinity Laban, as part of the Creative Music Making module. You’ll receive hands-on teaching from leading professional musicians to help develop your music-making skills, whatever your level of attainment and whatever kind of music you make.

Music and your career

Studying music develops a range of skills that are useful and highly valued in both music-related careers and other career choices. These videos, produced by The National Association for Music in Higher Education, explore the skills music graduates feel they have gained.

Find out more

Our qualifications list will help you decide what you want to study.

Take a look at our taster materials.