Music

Whether it is a classical symphony from Vienna, a garage band in Dublin, a gamelan ensemble from Indonesia, or a curated playlist to share with friends, making music, listening to music, and thinking about music are fundamental parts of being human. At UCD, we equip students with the multiple tools necessary to understand a wide variety of musical practices as composers, producers, performers, and thinkers. Study music at UCD if you love creating, listening to, understanding, and talking about music.

You will develop your creativity and musicianship through classes in composition, performance, and theory. You will enrich your knowledge of the role that music has played in the past, and continues to play in societies around the world, through classes in history and culture. You will dive deeper into your own musical interests – whether as a composer, performer, or thinker – through research. You will find out and experience why music is so foundational to contemporary life.

Click here to Download Course Pathways document.

BA Joint Honours (DN520)

Students who take Music as a joint-honours, three-year degree will study Music together with one other major subject, selected from the range listed under “How Will I Study?” below. Learn about and engage in the history, culture, and practice of music from Ireland, Europe, and across the world.

BA Humanities (DN530)

In this single-subject, four-year degree, the first two years offer a range of core and option modules that provide a thorough grounding in music, while broadening your horizons. In the third and fourth years, you choose modules that align with your developing interests and specialisms. You can also choose to incorporate an internship or to study abroad. In the final year, you will complete a major dissertation or applied project in creative practice, working one-on-one with an expert in your field.

First Year

Modules include: • Listening to Music • Writing about Music • Music, Culture & Society • Musicianship • Classical Music • Popular Music • A choice of performance ensembles

Second Year

Modules include: • Understanding Music • Music Theory • Music History since 1750 • Irish Music • Global Soundscapes • Music Industries • Film Music • Techniques of Songwriting • Performing Process • A choice of performance ensembles

Third and Fourth Year

Modules include: • Techniques of Composition • Blues & Jazz • Post-Truth, Politics & Music • Music & Philosophy • The Piano Concerto • Music, Sound & the Moving Image • Music & Theatre • Beyoncé and Tay: Race, Gender, and Celebrity • Introduction to Conducting • A choice of performance ensembles.

There are seven professionally-directed ensembles in UCD: Ad Astra Chamber Orchestra, UCD Choral Scholars, UCD Composition Ensemble, UCD Gamelan Orchestra, UCD Philharmonic Choir, UCD Symphony Orchestra, and the Traditional Music Practices group. These ensembles regularly perform in leading venues in Ireland and internationally, and often on radio and TV. Over forty performance scholarships are available each year for students joining the UCD Choral Scholars or the UCD Symphony Orchestra. UCD School of Music also has use of a professionally equipped black box theatre and media lab (the Trapdoor).

We offer Erasmus exchange in Europe and study abroad in the USA, Canada, Japan and other countries.

Music graduates have a range of skills, including research, creative thinking, critical reasoning, and writing, that enable them to pursue careers in education, composition, production, performance, creative practice, the music industry, journalism, media, arts administration, and a diverse range of careers in business and industry.

UCD School of Music offers a taught MMus in Music & Culture, plus research-based MLitt and PhD programmes in Musicology, Ethnomusicology, and Composition. 

• Level 5/6 QQI-FET


• Open Learning Entry Route


• Mature Entry Route


• DARE Entry Route


• HEAR Entry Route


• University Access

By joining the UCD College of Arts and Humanities you will be part of a vibrant community of students and faculty who are committed to creating a more sustainable, just and equitable future. Our courses are designed to equip students with the best education in their chosen arts and humanities subjects. Our research and teaching and learning connect with many of the SDGs, most notably:

• SDG 4: Quality Education -Promotes inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality - Advances gender equality by addressing social norms, histories, and cultural practices that contribute to gender disparities.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities - Encourages understanding and action against social, economic, and political inequalities.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Enhances cultural understanding and heritage preservation, fostering sustainable communities.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions - Promotes peace, justice, and strong institutions through critical inquiry into human rights, ethics, and governance.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals - Encourages global partnerships and collaboration by fostering international understanding and dialogue.

Our programmes equip students with critical thinking, empathy, and cultural awareness, essential for addressing complex global challenges.

Picking Music at UCD was a very easy choice for me. I have always been a very musical person, singing from a young age and teaching myself to play instruments through the years. I chose Music at UCD to further my music theory and culture education, and I have learned so much in my three years here. The broad variety of modules available has truly helped me become the musician I am today. Everyone at the UCD School of Music has been so helpful and supportive, and you really do feel at home here.

Isobel Jennings, Student