Teaching and assessment
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers and practitioners, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
Teaching format
Expect expert-led teaching, interactive small-group sessions, performance workshops and practical activities embedded throughout the curriculum, with many learning experiences shared across year-groups. Your contact hours include rehearsals, one-to-one supervision, tutorials, and concert as well as seminars and lecturess. Course content evolves with staff research, keeping pace with changes in music culture and technology. Our staff bring experience from world-class institutions including IRCAM, Abbey Road Studios, the Royal Opera House and BBC Philharmonic.
You’ll attend seminars, composition workshops and performance masterclasses led by visiting composers, artists and researchers. Ensemble participation is a core part of the course, with many students joining multiple groups. You’ll also attend professional concerts and can perform in our student-run lunchtime concert series, gaining valuable experience as a performer and organiser.
Timetabled activities
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures |
1-2 hours per week |
| Seminars |
8 hours per week |
| Ensembles |
2–3 hours per week minimum, often more if you join additional ensembles (many do) |
| Concerts |
2 hours per week (expected to attend at least 5 concerts per term, but many choose to attend more) |
| Instrumental/Vocal tuition |
1 hour every two weeks, with additional weekly performance classes available |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
Facilities
Our facilities are exceptional. Perform in our 350-seat concert hall and Rymer auditorium, one of the finest listening spaces in the UK. Delve into music history with our extensive library collections and archives. If your passion lies behind the mixing desk, our five recording studios give you access to 60 years of audio recording - from vintage analogue to contemporary digital software integrations. These facilities, and over 35 practice rooms and larger rehearsal spaces, are all bookable for student use.
John Paynter Music Library
The John Paynter Music Library is an elegant facility, located within the University's JB Morrell Library, and houses the main music collections. It is also equipped with digital pianos and media replay equipment. The physical collection as well as an extensive range of electronic resources are searchable through the YorSearch.
Sound Resources
The University Library houses and extensive collection of CDs and DVDs, which are available for listening and research. There are also archival recordings available for student use in the University of York Sound Archives.
Explore our facilities
Teaching location
You will be based in the School of Arts & Creative Technologies, with facilities on Campus West and Campus East. Nearly all of your teaching will take place within the School.
About our campus
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
Assessment and feedback
We don't assess through written exams or set essay titles: instead, you work with your tutors to craft research projects that fit your interests, with opportunities to be assessed through performance, composition or other practical work alongside written submissions. We provide you with the creative flexibility you need to flourish as a musician.
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