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The music element of your degree gives you the opportunity to develop your skills, knowledge and advanced understanding of the subject. You can choose to study music within the classical tradition, from the Middle Ages to the present day, or you can opt to focus upon popular styles and songwriting. Development of your technical skills in one or more of the following areas form important strands in your music studies: performance, composition and songwriting.
Overview
The literature element of your degree covers traditional areas (such as Shakespeare or Dickens) and newer fields such as American literature, creative writing, postcolonial literature and recent developments in literary theory. Studying for a joint honours degree with another subject allows you the freedom to explore your other passions whilst developing skills associated with the study of literature.
Study at two inspiring locations
For the English and American Literature element of this course, you study at our Canterbury campus. For the music element, you study at our Medway campus equipped with specialist facilities including state-of-the art studios.
The University of Kent operates a coach service between Medway and Canterbury campuses.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, 91% of English students at Kent were satisfied with the overall quality of their course. Kent was also ranked 8th in the UK for English and Creative Writing in The Guardian University Guide 2016.
Of those graduating in 2014 with a music degree, Kent students were the most successful at finding work or further study opportunities, according to the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey*.
*conducted by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules, you may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Stage 1
Core modules
You take two 30 credit modules
- Romanticism and Critical Theory
- Music Studies 1
Options
You choose a further two 30 credit modules (one from each of the following lists)
- Writing America
- Readings in the 20th Century
- Early Drama
- Music Performance 1
- Music Composition and Artsblend
- Sonic Art
Stage 2
Modules may include:
- Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama
- Chaucer and Late Medieval Literature
- Novelty, Enlightenment and Emancipation: Eighteenth-Century Literature and Culture
- Declaring Independence: 19th Century U.S. Literature
- Modernism
- The Contemporary
- Empire, New Nations and Migration
- Reading Victorian Literature
- Early Modern Literature, 1500-1700
- Found Image, Found Sound
- Popular and World Music
- Interdisciplinary Project
- Music Performance 3
- Individual Project
- Professional Practice Music in Education
Stage 3
Modules may include
- Charles Dickens and Victorian England
- Language and Place in Colonial and Postcolonial Poetry
- Heroes and Exiles: An Introduction to Old English Poetry
- American Crime Fiction Lyric, Ballad and Popular Song
- English Long Essay Postcolonial
- Long Essay
- Innovation and Experiment in New York, 1945-1995
- Bodies of Evidence: Reading the Body in Eighteenth-Century Literature
- Places and Journeys
- The Brontës in Context
- The Stranger
- Metropolis: Writing and Spectacle in Early Modern London
- Composition, Orchestration and Arrangement
- Music Performance 2
- Popular and World Music
- Songwriting 2
- Cinema for the Ears: Composing with Sound and Space
- Interdisciplinary Project
- Music and Sound for Film and Television Music in Education
- Music Studies 2
- Popular and World Music
Teaching and assessment
Music
You receive instrumental tuition both individually and as part of groups and ensembles. In each module, there are opportunities for one-to-one tutorials where you are given individual support and guidance. Assessment is by coursework, including compositional projects, seminar presentations, music performances, audio production tasks, essays and written assignments.
English and American Literature
Modules are taught by weekly seminars. Core modules include a weekly lecture, plus individual supervision is offered for the Long Essay. Assessment at Stage 1 is by a mixture of coursework and examination. Some modules may include an optional practical element.
Careers
Music
Career opportunities include composition, performance, music criticism, music production, music for film, television, video games and the internet, music festivals, concert events, teaching and further study at postgraduate level.
We regularly welcome high-profile visiting performers, composers and experts to talk to our students, and we give specialist advice on current work and employment matters during our Stage 3 module, Music and Professional Practice.
English and American Literature
Throughout your studies, you learn to think critically and to work independently; your communication skills improve and you learn to express your opinions passionately and persuasively, both in writing and orally. These key transferable skills are essential for graduates as they move into the employment market.
Our graduates have gone into: journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching; more general areas such as banking, marketing analysis and project management; or on to further study for postgraduate qualifications.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB including English Literature or English Language and Literature grade B. UK-based candidates are interviewed and auditioned. (A level grade B in Music may be used instead of an audition/music qualification). Non-UK candidates supply a digital portfolio and may be interviewed. |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.