Master of Music in Experimental Performance

at Birmingham City University - City Centre Campus United Kingdom

The BA (Hons) English and Drama degree course will support you in developing your critical and analytical abilities, and deepen your appreciation for literature and theatre.

You will develop your writing, close-reading and research skills, and learn to present arguments coherently and creatively. In the School of English, you will be taught by respected academics and practitioners offering a diverse range of modules. You will study literature and drama from various major periods, movements and genres.

You will also have the opportunity to stage a play, and study film, art, and philosophies of relevance to drama and literature. Your degree will allow you to tailor your studies to your individual interests and career aspirations with both a local and global outlook.

What's covered in this course?

English as a discipline continues to be relevant to the lives we lead and is central to a wide range of contemporary and social contexts. It is this fact on which the School has built its philosophy and approach to English and Drama: subjects with interdisciplinary reach beyond their own boundaries.

Understanding how literature can be interpreted, engaging with multiple forms of communication, examining how literature and theatre engage with societies and cultures past and present, and the place of English in a global context, are all vital aspects in understanding how the discipline connects with the wider world, enabling you to focus on the production, interpretation and negotiation of meaning and to understand the world from a variety of perspectives.

You will benefit from student-focused and research-informed teaching in a friendly and supportive learning environment where you will be taught by respected academics and expert practitioners who foster a community of experimentation, innovation and inclusivity.

Our graduates are characterised by their extensive subject knowledge, critical thinking and intellectual curiosity, reflected in the skills and abilities that enables them to adapt to a wide range of career paths and employment opportunities.

The School is committed to contributing to the cultural life of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. We do this through working closely with partner colleges and schools, by maintaining close links with cultural institutions such as the Birmingham and Midland Institute (BMI) and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG), and by working with agencies such as Writing West Midlands. In all of this we seek to widen participation and provide opportunities for the community to engage with the discipline and the University.

Through encouraging and promoting experiential learning, the MA Interior Architecture and Design course embraces the truth that designing is a creative adventure.

This twelve-month program will enable you to form an understanding and appreciation of theoretical, practical and professional issues that are informing the evolution of contemporary interior architecture and design professional practice. 

What's covered in this course?

On the MA Interior Architecture and Design program you will explore the distinctive qualities associated with the interiors of inhabited architecture.

By looking at the cultural, practical and atmospheric aspects of interiors created by architects, artists and designers, as an innovator you will be able to strategically develop creative interfaces and determine how users will perceive and behave in the spaces that your are conceiving.

Making speculative work is an important aspect of the program. As individuals you will establish your professional identity as autonomous creative practitioners by blending philosophy, artistry and practicality in order to compose an interior design scenario that is future-focused and personally and culturally meaningful. By exploring innovative practices embedded within your own design process, this reflective practice will act as a stimuli for you to challenge existing assumptions about interior design and push the international platform for the profession forwards into new and versatile directions.

A key aspect of the course is that it will encourage a spirit of 'internationalisation', which will contribute to the establishment of a culturally rich, vibrant and diverse learning studio environment. Fostering the ambition of ‘lifelong learning’, you will create a dynamic continual development plan. This will allow you to draw on the expertise and global networks associated with the institution, reflecting the full spectrum of opportunities that can help you to enrich and nurture your career. Previous postgraduate students on the program have been employed at leading international architectural practices as architects, interior designers, or as design lecturers in further and higher education institutions, with the pathway to postgraduate Doctoral PhD study also opened up as a result.

Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

Become a competent, innovative practitioner with our MSc Logistics Supply Chain Management (CILT) course. Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, our course addresses the key concerns of the subject, ensuring you graduate with the skills the industry demands.

What's covered in this course?

With companies facing ever-increasing competition, coupled with the need to reduce waste and improve the overall service offered to customers from initial design to final delivery, the need for highly skilled logistics practitioners and managers has never been more pronounced.

This supply chain management course addresses the main operations aspects of both product-based and service industries. It is concerned with the initial design process, sourcing materials for the long-term satisfaction of the customer. Customer satisfaction is achieved by ensuring the supply of the right goods, in the right quantity, of the right quality, at the right price, to the right place, at the right time.

Designed for recent graduates and suitably qualified mature students, our taught Master of Music (MMus) Orchestral Conducting courses provide the technical training, collaborative opportunities and podium time necessary to help you prepare for a career as a professional conductor. Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is currently the most exciting destination for orchestral conductors, with an active concert schedule.

As a Principal Study Orchestral Conductor, you'll be offered individual tuition from our staff conductors, and also from the many distinguished guest conductors who work with our ensembles and orchestras on an occasional basis throughout the year.

You'll work across the whole spectrum of the Conservatoire’s music-making, from core contemporary repertoire and student composition projects, through the central romantic and classic masterpieces back to period performance techniques.

It's normal for conducting students to be proactive in presenting performances of projects that they've generated themselves. You'll receive support and professional advice in pursuing such projects, which should be viewed as an essential element of your studies. Both PgDip and MMus courses provide excellent opportunities to develop other skills relevant to a future career in the music profession.

Our MSc Automotive Engineering course will teach you the skills you need to become a highly-skilled engineer, capable of undertaking related tasks within and across different organisations.

Overall the course aims to produce skilled engineers capable of undertaking automotive engineering tasks within and across organisations utilising the latest tools and technologies. The course will encourage the application and development of modern engineering solutions to the problems of fuel efficiency and emissions abatement, as well as the improvement of vehicle performance and stability.

The course explores the wider context of sustainability and climate change, as well as the specific application of advanced control techniques to solve problems through research led powertrain and vehicle system-specific modules.

Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement option will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.  Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

The applied nature of our BSc (Hons) Economics degree prepares you to work as an economist, or in a related role which is concerned with the study of the economy and its impact on society and the natural environment.

Economics is a major social science which informs major challenges faced by our societies today, including inequality, environmental sustainability and economic policy. Economics draws on and influences other social sciences and humanities and it is also a core business discipline which is integral to understanding organisational behaviour, strategy and corporate performance.

The unique offering of this course lies in its use of a pluralist approach to teaching, which will empower you to understand the relevance of competing economic theories and their application in your daily life and in your future workplace.

The course will provide you with a firm foundation of economics to interpret, analyse and question diverse economic theories and policies in a real-life context. To do so effectively, this course equips you with a vast analytical toolkit, which includes mathematical and statistical analysis, critical thinking, qualitative techniques and proficiency in a range of industry-specific software packages that are relevant to the Economics profession. You will also learn how to communicate results and ideas concisely to a variety of specialist and non-specialist audiences.

Economics is a global subject. You will be encouraged to look at situations from an international perspective. You will apply the knowledge learnt in the course to examine global events and look at how different economic ideas help us understand and address global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change and the impact of new technologies on the economy and society. Moreover, your course will be delivered by a multinational team of experts. Your classmates will also come from a variety of countries and cultural backgrounds. Finally, we offer you a study abroad opportunity: you can study for one term overseas in one of our partner universities.

BEng (Hons)/MEng Mechanical Engineering degree will develop you as a skilled engineer capable of undertaking mechanical engineering tasks within and across organisations. The course focuses on the importance of sustainable futures and the Government's STEM agenda, in order to give you the knowledge and attributes you will need to thrive in this ever-changing industry.

You'll work on industry-standard analytical tools, develop your design skills, as well as exploring a wide range of facilities, such as our test cell and exhaust analysis equipment.

Our engineering courses focus on project-based activities, giving you lots of opportunity to work in teams on projects from design to implementation. This will give you practical experience of applying engineering science to real-world problems, working in multidisciplinary teams to develop your interpersonal skills, and prepare you for a key aspect of modern engineering practice. Problem-solving and project management are key skills for an engineer, and our focus on practical experience will help to improve your skills in these highly sought-after areas.

During your studies, you will use the latest tools and technologies, developing new skills at an advanced level. The course will encourage your creative thinking and develop your engineering leadership skills. Building on a foundation of the generic skills required by tomorrow’s engineers, you will also explore the wider context of engineering, as well as the application of advanced engineering principles to solve problems through research and development. You’ll engage in independent study and systematic enquiry at an advanced level and take responsibility for the conclusions drawn from it.

You will have lots of opportunity to apply industry-standard modelling and simulation techniques to the analysis, specification and design of mechanical engineering systems so that you are able to apply your knowledge and theory to a practical situation. In this way, we make sure you are ready to step straight into employment.

Our Fashion Styling course focuses on your ability to develop a personal creative style, entrepreneurial abilities and a professional approach.

The course is primarily vocational and practical, and caters for those with career interests in contemporary fashion styling, visualisation and communications.

What's covered in this course?

Throughout the course, you’ll explore and use different research methods to investigate how styling is used to promote fashion through marketing, advertising, events management, publicity or public relations. You’ll learn the skills and knowledge needed for a professional career in fashion styling, with opportunities to collaborate with other fashion students and work on live projects with industry.

Based at our city centre Parkside campus, you will have access to relevant software and computer equipment, and have the opportunity to collaborate with a faculty full of creative students.

Your learning environment will encourage you to become an adaptable, flexible and knowledgeable graduate, equipped to pursue a career in the fashion industry.

Professional Placement option

The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.

This will allow you to complete a credit-bearing, 20-week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.

Accredited by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, our BA (Hons) Marketing with Commercial Management degree gives you the practice-based skills needed to succeed in the ever-changing discipline of marketing.

This approach not only gives you the marketing knowledge needed but also the personal skills employers demand, allowing you to make an immediate impact upon graduation. This experience is further enhanced by the opportunity to undertake a yearlong placement.

Businesses value marketing more than ever due to its ability to identify opportunities, shape experiences and drive profits. It is an ever-evolving discipline, constantly responding to changes in technology and consumer behaviour.

To be successful in this exciting area not only requires a depth understanding of the core principles, but also relies on having the acumen and practical abilities to apply and adapt this knowledge in a wide variety of scenarios. This in-demand course has been designed to give you the practical and professional skills that employers seek through our practice-based learning approach

Want to be an established music technician? Study our BSc (Hons) Music Technology degree at Birmingham City University. This course is aimed at the technical music producer, and will train you to use technology to create, record and distribute music. We will provide you with industry connections, live projects and a wide, in-depth knowledge of the field.

You’ll leave with a valuable blend of creative ability and practical skills in music production, alongside solid business awareness and a strong understanding of technology.

What's covered in this course?

Our BSc (Hons) Music Technology course was set up to meet the growing demand for people within the music and audio industries who are able to use technology to assist in the creation, performance and distribution of music.

We will train you to become the next generation of musically informed engineers, with a strong understanding of underlying technical principles in order to make informed decisions about appropriate technologies.

You will analyse and critically evaluate live musical events and sound recordings, as well as music technology products, systems, processes and designs. You’ll also have the opportunity to study in our world-class facilities in our Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Exploring a wealth of creative ideas and techniques, we will encourage you to think innovatively and respond to the needs of industry. Employability is a key factor incorporated within the course, and we are dedicated to providing you with the skills and knowledge to jump right into a creative role.