The BA Global Popular Music offers a unique programme that allows students to focus on popular and contemporary music styles and cultures in global perspective.

The degree includes regional modules that build on the expertise of SOAS staff in music in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, world music performance, practical skills modules in multimedia, approaches to the study of popular music, and opportunities for directed independent study projects on topics ranging from K-Pop to hip-hop, Latin to Rai.

The programme leads into careers and vocational pathways including arts management, festival administration and curating, music journalism, teaching, performing and composing, album production, and management and consultancy within the music industry in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Programme Code: W301

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

Programme Structure

Occasionally the availability of optional modules changes as a result of staffing and other circumstances. Students who had signed up for such modules will be notified as soon as possible and given the opportunity to choose from available alternatives.

Students are required to take modules to the total value of 360 credits over the duration of their degree, 120 credits per year.  A 30 credits module will be taught over both terms, while a 15 credits module is taught over one term.  

Up to 90 credits may come from "open option modules" (modules outside of this programme - e.g. language or non-music modules), but only 30 credits of open option modules may be taken in each year.

Year 1

You will take six 15 credits introductory modules and 30 credits of open option modules.

Compulsory Modules

Guided Option Modules

Choose ONE of the following Modules

AND

Open Options

Choose related Language or Non-Language open option modules to the value of 30 credits

• Language Open Option Modules
• Non-Language Open Option Modules

Year 2

Compulsory Module

Students will take the following compulsory module

AND

Guided Options

Choose a module(s) from the List of Skills below to the value of 15 credits

AND

Choose a module(s) from the List of Popular Music below to the value of 30 credits

AND

Choose a module(s) from the List of Other Music below to the value of 30 credits

AND

Open Options

Choose related Language or Non-Language open option modules to the value of 30 credits

• Language Open Option Modules
• Non-Language Open Option Modules

OR

Choose a module(s) from the List of Modules below to the value of 30 credits

Year 3

Compulsory Modules

Students will take the following two compulsory modules

AND

Guided Options

Choose a module(s) from the List of Skills below to the value of 15 credits

AND

Choose a module(s) from the List of Popular Music below to the value of 15 credits

AND

Choose a module(s) from the List of Other Music below to the value of 30 credits

AND

Open Options

Choose related Language or Non-Language open option modules to the value of 30 credits

• Language Open Option Modules
• Non-Language Open Option Modules

OR

Choose a module(s) from the List of Modules below to the value of 30 credits

List of modules (subject to availability)

Year 2 and 3 Area Modules

Other Music (Including generic, regional and performance modules)

Popular Music

Year 2 and 3 General Modules

Other Music (Including generic, regional and performance modules)

Popular Music

Skills

Project Modules

Performance Modules

Programme Specification

• BA Global Popular Music Programme Specification (pdf; 407kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

The Department of Music has been highly rated for teaching and research in all recent assessment exercises, and is regularly ranked amongst the top Music departments in the UK in Good University Guides.

The Department has a unique concentration of expertise in popular music of the major regions of Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and their diasporas. Its staff, research associates and teaching fellows have wide-ranging experience in the music industry, including the production of high profile albums, radio and print journalism, and concert and festival organisation.

Our students have access to the world renowned SOAS Library, which holds numerous books, journals and recordings relevant to the study of ethnomusicology and world music, as well as the nearby British Library Sound Archive and other London libraries and museums. The Department also maintains a large working collection of musical instruments from Asia and Africa.

Contact Hours

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, in modules of 30 or 15 credits. They are taught over 10 or 20 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study (see Approaches to teaching and learning at SOAS). It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. In the School of Arts, most undergraduate modules have a one- or two-hour lecture or seminar every week. Some, but not all, also have a 1-hour seminar or tutorial every week.

More information is on the page for each module.

Tuition Fees

Full details of undergraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Undergraduate Tuition Fees page.

Fees for 2020/21 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. 

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

• How to Apply
• UCAS website
• Request a prospectus
• Got a question - use our enquiry form (opens a new window)
• Funding options
• English language requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Admissions Contacts