The course
This course combines Music (75% of your course) and Political Studies (25%), enabling you to study these two subjects together.
Studying Music at Royal Holloway allows you to tailor your studies to your own interests and passions.
We have expertise spanning traditional, modern and world music. Through studying musical texts, practices, cultures and institutions you will explore issues in history, sociology, ethnology, and philosophy covering an exceptional geographical and chronological range. You will also be able to gain practical skills in composition, music technology and performance.
You will join a music department that is among the very best in the country, ranked third in the UK for research quality (REF 2014) and the only music department in the country to hold a prestigious Regius Professorship.
- You will have access to well-equipped studios and recording facilities as well as incredible performance spaces including the Windsor Auditorium, Boilerhouse Theatre, Victorian Picture Gallery and College Chapel.
- Our well connected department means you have the opportunity to make valuable music industry contacts. Our staff are connected with musical networks such Wigmore Hall, the BBC Proms, Royal Opera House.
Political Studies at Royal Holloway invites you to explore the ideas and ideologies, as well as the processes, institutions and issues that are fundamental to understanding the politics of our times. You will gain a solid foundation in politics and political theory and as you progress, the flexible nature of the course allows you to specialise in fields such as European integration, democratic theory, British and American politics and political communication. You will develop your understanding of power relations at all levels of social life and gain insight into the role of identity, ideology, interests and institutions in shaping the modern world.
- Ours is an active and engaged student community, and there are opportunities to take part in debating, Model United Nations and party political societies on campus
- We offer students research placement opportunities with our staff, gaining valuable experience of working at the forefront of political enquiry
- Pursue performance and composition or explore other elements of music.
- Experts with a wide range of political and musical expertise.
- Increasingly flexible syllabus as you progress.
- The opportunity to join our many ensembles.
- Choral, organ, orchestral and music scholarships.
Course structure
Core Modules
Year 1-
Introduction to Politics and Government
This module will introduce you to the academic study of politics and to the ‘real world’ of contemporary politics. As a foundational course, it will give you all the essential tools to understand the nature of politics and analyse the way different political systems work. You will be introduced to key concepts such as politics, power, rights, ideologies, democracy and representation, and will learn about the different actors, institutions and processes that make up politics today.
- All modules are optional
- All modules are optional
Optional Modules
Year 1- Theory and Analysis
- Practical Composition Skills
- Creative Composition Techniques
- A Very Short History of Music
- Introduction to Historical Musicology
- Introduction to World Music
- Contemporary Debates in Music
- Solo Performance
- Creative Ensemble Performance
- Studies in Music Analysis
- Studies in Composition
- Studies in Music History
- Studies in Ethnomusicology
- Studies in Music, Media and Technology
- Practical Performance I
- Ensemble Performance
- Composition Portfolio
- Practical and Creative Orchestration
- Choral Conducting
- Composing with Technology 1
- Introduction to Jazz: Theory, Practice and Contexts
- Popular Music and Musicians in Post-War Britain and North America
- Korean Percussion Performance
- Practical Ethics
- Musical Aesthetics
- Mozart's Operas
- Issues in Sound, Music and the Moving Image
- Intercultural Performance: Theory and Practice
- Music and Society in Purcell's London
- Contemporary Music Performance
- Music, Power and Politics
- Ideas of German Music from Mozart to Henze
- Music and Gender
- Hearing the Orient: Critical and Practical Approaches to the Middle East
-
Understanding the European Union: Politics and Theory
In this module you will analyse the contemporary politics of the European Union and its institutions, amid the challenges of the triple crisis of economics, migration and Brexit. You will learn about the political history of European integration after 1949 and the contemporary theory of European integration. The first term will begin with an introduction to the European Union as a political system followed by an overview of the European Union's historical development. The second term will focus on contestation of the European Union and the theories that underpin this, in order to explain how the EU developed and the challenges that it faces. Topics will include Euroscepticism, party politics, public opinion, Brexit and EU-UK relations, and European Parliament elections. The theory sessions comprise of federalism, neo-functionalism, liberal intergovernmentalism and the new institutionalisms.
-
International Relations Theory
Building on Introduction to International Relations, this module explores the key thinkers and debates in International Relations Theory. You will become familiar with a variety of ways of thinking about International Relations, engaging with questions about the nature of power, identity, and ethics in politics and how these interact in the international realm. The module is divided into two parts. In the first, you will examine the three foundational theoretical paradigms within International Relations – realism, liberalism, and Marxism. The second part explores newer critical approaches to International Relations theory, including constructivism, post-structuralism, feminism, and uneven ecological exchange.
- Democracy in Britain
- Contemporary Political Theory
- International Political Economy
- War and Security in World Politics
- Modern Political Thought
- International Organisations
- Introduction to Political Communication
- Politics Outside the West
- Solo Performance
- Ensemble Performance
- Composition Portfolio
- Practical and Creative Orchestration
- Choral Conducting
- Composing with Technology 1
- Introduction to Jazz: Theory, Practice and Contexts
- Popular Music and Musicians in Post-War Britain and North America
- Korean Percussion Performance
- Practical Ethics
- Musical Aesthetics
- Mozart's Operas
- Issues in Sound, Music and the Moving Image
- Intercultural Performance: Theory and Practice
- Music and Society in Purcell's London
- Contemporary Music Performance
- Music, Power and Politics
- Ideas of German Music from Mozart to Henze
- Music and Gender
- Hearing the Orient: Critical and Practical Approaches to the Middle East
- Practical Performance 2
- Composing with Technology 2
- Special Study: Dissertation
- Special Study: Theory and Analysis
- Special Study: Performance
- Special Study: Composition
- Politics in Action
-
European Union Public Policy
In this module you will develop an understanding of regulation in the European Union, including delivery of policy and administration. You will look at how the world's largest market operates, with a focus on EU public policy, including de-regulation, re-regulation, budgets and spending. You will examine the concept of the single market, the Euro and its crisis, justice, home affairs and counter-terrorism, the EU budget, agriculture, regional development, and social and environmental policies.
- Power and Money in the European Union
- Radical Political Theory
- The British in India: a Social and Political History
- Contemporary Middle East Politics
- US Foreign Policy
- Comparative Foreign Policy
- Young People's Politics
- Leadership, Power and the British Prime Minister
- Visual Politics
- Understanding China's Rise: Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy
- Global Energy Policy
- Refugees and Migration in World Politics
- American Political Development
- The Politics of Russia and Eastern Europe
- The Politics of International Development
- Issues in Democratic Theory
- Political Theories of Freedom
- Defence and Security Governance
- Military Change in the 21st Century
- Leaders and Political Communication
- Global Healthy Policy
- Political Protest
Teaching & assessment
You will take 12 course units at the rate of four per year. Some course units are compulsory while others are elective thereby offering flexibility and choice.
The results of the first year qualify students for entry to the second year but do not contribute to the final degree award. The second and final year results do contribute to the final degree result, with the final year work counting for a larger proportion of the result.
In music, you will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and instrumental/vocal lessons. You will also have the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of musical activities supported by the department, including performances by orchestras, choirs and other ensembles. Private study and preparation are essential parts of every course, and you will have access to many online resources and the University’s comprehensive e-learning facility, Moodle. When you start with us, you are assigned a Personal Advisor to support you academically and personally.
Assessment is carried out by a combination of examinations, which take place in the summer term, along with written papers, extended essays, assessed coursework, and portfolios of compositions and other practical work, and performance recitals.
In your political studies modules, you will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials and seminars. Outside class teaching,you will work both independently and collaboratively with other students, researching topics in the in preparation for class discussion and producing your assessed coursework. Private study and preparation are essential parts of every course, and you will have access to many online resources and the University’s comprehensive e-learning facility, Moodle.
Most modules contain an element of assessed coursework, such as an essay, a report, group work, a research blog, or a presentation, which contributes to the final examination mark awarded.
Entry requirements
Required subjects: Grade A in Music A level or Grade 8 Music Theory at Pass and Grade 7 ABRSM (or similar practical exam) Five GCSEs graded A*- C or 9-4 including English and Maths
A Levels: AAB-ABB
Where an applicant is taking the EPQ alongside A - levels, the EPQ will be taken into consideration and result in lower A-level grades being required. Socio - economic factors which may have impacted an applicant's education will be taken into consideration and alternative offers may be made to these applicants. Read more about what we look for here.
Other UK Qualifications
International & EU requirements
English language requirements
We accept the following internationally-recognised English language qualifications:
- IELTS
- Pearson Test of English
- Cambridge ESOL
Your future career
Choosing to major in Music at Royal Holloway will equip you with specific practical in performance, composition and production and for a wide range of careers including roles as musicians, composers and performing arts teachers, as well as technicians, publishers, managers, lawyers and policy makers. Many graduates also go on to advanced study in a variety of fields. To find out more about what graduates from our department are going now, please visit the department’s website.
Choosing to add a politics based degree into your studies at Royal Holloway provides you with a wide range of important transferable skills, enabling you to approach problems in a rigorous, analytical and critical way and to communicate clearly and concisely in both speech and writing. Our graduates leave us with skills and knowledge that not only makes them attractive to employers in a broad spectrum of careers, but prepares them for further advanced study and research. Many of our graduates also go on to further study, entering postgraduate programmes both at Royal Holloway and at other prestigious institutions around the world.
Fees & funding
Home and EU students tuition fee per year*: £9250
International students tuition fee per year**: £17500
Other essential costs***: £50
How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, scholarships and bursaries.
*The tuition fee for UK and EU undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations, and for students starting a degree in the academic year 2018/19 will be £9,250 for that year, and is shown for reference purposes only. The tuition fee for UK and EU undergraduates has not yet been confirmed for students starting a degree in the academic year 2019/20.
**Fees for international students starting a degree at Royal Holloway in the academic year 2019/20 have not yet been set, and those for 2018/19 are shown for reference purposes only. Fees for international students may increase year-on-year in line with the rate of inflation. The policy at Royal Holloway is that any increases in fees will not exceed 5% for continuing students. For further information see fees and funding and our terms and conditions.
***These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree programme at Royal Holloway. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing etc., have not been included.
