Studies & Degrees in Music
Music Study Programs
Studying music at an advanced level means choosing between two broad paths, which many schools combine. The first is practical: performing on an instrument or with the voice, composing, conducting, or producing and recording sound. The second is academic: musicology, which studies the history, theory and cultural role of music, together with ethnomusicology, music education and music technology. Whatever the path, students train the ear, learn harmony and analysis, study repertoire from different periods and traditions, and spend many hours in individual practice and ensemble work.
Entry is rarely based on school grades alone. Performance and composition programmes normally ask for an audition or recordings, and applicants are expected to arrive with several years of instrumental or vocal training behind them.
Qualifications and levels
The route depends on the country, and on whether the training takes place in a conservatory or in a university.
- Spain, conservatories: official music education has elementary, professional and higher levels. Professional studies last at least six years, are entered through a specific entrance test and lead to the Título Profesional de Música. The higher studies (enseñanzas artísticas superiores) take four academic years of 60 credits each, 240 credits in total, and are offered in seven specialisations: composition, conducting, performance, musicology, pedagogy, production and management, and sonology. Admission requires a specific entrance test, and the qualification is official and valid throughout Spain. The higher studies are organised in two cycles, bachelor's level and master's, and specific doctoral programmes may be organised.
- Spain, universities: universities teach the academic side. The Universidad de Oviedo, for example, offers the Grado en Historia y Ciencias de la Música, a four-year bachelor's degree of 240 ECTS credits taught on campus in Spanish and English.
- United Kingdom: a bachelor's degree usually takes three years. The BA Music at the University of Southampton lasts three years full time and asks for A-levels including Music and Grade 8 in a practical music exam or an equivalent standard, which is checked by audition.
- United States: music schools inside universities offer several bachelor's degrees side by side. Penn State, for instance, lists a Bachelor of Arts in Music, a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Musical Arts, and at graduate level master's degrees, a Doctor of Musical Arts and a PhD in music education.
- Non-degree study: music schools without official qualifications teach at any age and level. In Spain, the ministry points out that these programmes do not lead to qualifications with academic or professional validity.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists 370 active schools for music. More than half are in the United States (202), followed by the United Kingdom (25), Spain (24), Canada (18) and Australia (9). There are also schools in Brazil (6), Germany, Colombia and Argentina (5 each), and Mexico, France and China (4 each).
The schools differ in emphasis. Stanford University's Department of Music offers undergraduate concentrations such as composition, conducting, music history and ethnomusicology, music theory, and music, science and technology, plus graduate programmes that include an MA in Music, Science, and Technology and a PhD in Musicology. San Diego State University's School of Music and Dance reports 16 graduate and undergraduate degrees and emphases. The University of Southampton degree covers performance, composition and music production, music history and cultural studies, and music education.
When comparing schools, check which instruments and styles are taught (classical, jazz, popular or traditional music), who the instrumental teachers are, how the audition works and what it costs to travel to it, and whether the qualification is a performance degree or an academic one.
Careers
Music graduates work as performers, composers, conductors, teachers in schools and conservatories, music therapists, sound engineers and producers, and in the management of orchestras, festivals and venues.
Official figures show a small and competitive labour market. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, musicians and singers typically do not need formal postsecondary education to enter the occupation, although those in genres such as classical music or opera may choose to earn a bachelor's or higher degree. The occupation had 170,400 jobs in the United States in 2025, employment is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035, and part-time work is common. Music directors and composers, who typically need a bachelor's or higher degree, held 51,100 jobs in 2025, with projected growth of 1 percent from 2025 to 2035. These figures refer to the United States only.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to pass an audition to study music?
For performance-based programmes, usually yes. Spanish conservatories require a specific entrance test, and universities such as Southampton check the applicant's practical level by audition.
How long does a music degree take?
Higher music studies in Spain take four years and 240 credits, as does a university bachelor's degree such as the one in history and sciences of music at the Universidad de Oviedo. In the United Kingdom a BA in music usually takes three years.
What is the difference between a conservatory and a university music degree?
Conservatories centre on practice: performance, composition, conducting or pedagogy. University degrees centre on the academic study of music, such as musicology, although many universities in the United States and the United Kingdom combine both.
Can I study music without aiming for a qualification?
Yes. Music schools offer flexible courses with no age limit. In Spain these programmes do not lead to qualifications with academic or professional validity.