Let your musical ambitions take centre stage, on our acclaimed and well-established BA (Hons) Popular Music course. With expert advice from our team of professional performers, composers, and academics, find your voice and sing your heart out as you develop your creative and professional skills, in a positive and stimulating learning environment.
Enjoy excellent on-campus facilities including music production workstations (Pro-Tools and Logic), band rehearsal rooms, a professional performance theatre, and three state-of-the-art acoustically-designed Eastlake recording studios. Perform solo and with a band, in renowned venues and festivals around Scotland, and explore your full creative potential in all course work, from song writing and composition, to collaboration and research.
Special features
You will benefit from excellent facilities on campus, including music production workstations (Pro-Tools and Logic), band rehearsal rooms, a professional performance theatre and access to three acoustically designed Eastlake state-of-the-art recording studios
You will experience real life scenarios of performance situations
Instrumental study is part of the course
An impressive guest speaker programme forms part of the course
You will have the opportunity to perform solo and with a band
You will have the opportunity to network with and perform in renowned venues and festivals around Scotland
You can study full time or part time to suit your personal circumstances
What can I do on completion of my course?
Once you have successfully completed your BA (Hons) Popular Music, a variety of career paths will be open to you in the music and media industries.In the past, graduates have gone on to work in many areas of the music industry and education. Career destinations include:
Instrumental teaching practice
Performance, composition and production freelance opportunities in the creation of albums and television commercials, and video games scores.
International touring and recording.
West End theatre productions
If you have the talent and determination and are prepared to develop this by study in an excellent learning environment, then these possibilities are now open to you for a future career.
Duration: Full-time: 4 years, 40 hours per week, Part-time: 8 years, 20 hours per week, negotiable.
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
September 2025
UHI Perth
Crieff Road,
Perth,
Perth and Kinross,
PH1 2NX, Scotland, United Kingdom
Entry to year one, HNC, is 1 Scottish Higher at grade C or above OR
1 A level at grade D or above OR
NC Music
Prospective students without the standard entry requirements as listed above are encouraged to apply
This is a Category 2 PVG course: PVG Scheme membership is required for specific optional modules/unit(s), where there is guaranteed contact with vulnerable groups in optional module/unit(s), but an alternative pathway exists to achieve target qualification. For further information visit our PVG scheme webpage
You will be asked to attend an audition and interview. You should prepare and perform a piece that demonstrates your skillset on your instrument or voice and, for writers, this can be an original composition or song. As a guideline, grade 4/5 is a rough equivalent of performance level for this course. However, consideration will also be given to musicians with similar experience that have not participated in graded repertoire.
The interview will give you the opportunity to see our campus, meet staff and learn more about the course, including the resources and learning opportunities we offer to support your development.
Advanced entry to year two:
Direct entry to year two may be possible if you have completed the HNC Music, with 15 credits, and a B in the graded unit.
IELTS Academic - Overall score of 6.0 with no element below 5.5, TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT4 - Min 78 or above with min 18 in each section.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
The University of the Highlands and Islands prides itself in its small class sizes, offering a personalised and focussed style of learning.
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