2024/25 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BSc Mathematics and Music (For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

Total credits: 360

Entry requirements:

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

School of Music

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups:

Programme specification:

The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme from September 2024. For students who entered the programme before September 2024, you can find the details of your programme:

BSc Mathematics and Music

Links between mathematics and music have been known since the time of Pythagoras. From the vibration of a guitar string and the analysis of a rhythmic pattern to the use of randomness in experimental music, mathematics continues to impact music at every level. The core of the course provides a grounding in pure and applied mathematics, and draws on musics from a range of genres, styles, cultural and social contexts, and geographic locations, to explore key concepts, theories and approaches. You’ll develop your skills as a creative, critical and reflective thinker and problem-solver, and gain the tools and experience you need to be an independent worker, ready for life after University. You can personalise your course by choosing optional modules from mathematics and a broad range of areas of music including aesthetics, analysis, contemporary composition, film music, the music business, musicology, music psychology, music technology, performance (solo and collaborative) and popular music, enabling you to shape your degree to fit your interests and ambitions.

You’ll study with academics who are experts in their fields, receive support from a dedicated technical team, and take lessons with a visiting professional specialist if you study solo performance. Across your course you’ll engage with the latest research, explore a range of theoretical, creative, applied and practical aspects of mathematics and music, and develop a set of valuable subject-specific and transferrable skills. You’ll have opportunities to work independently and collaboratively, and will start to use your skills and knowledge in contexts that extend beyond the University environment. All these elements combine to provide you with an exciting and dynamic educational experience that is unique to Leeds.

Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

At Level 1, students are required to take exactly 120 credits, and pass a minimum of 40 credits in each of Music and Mathematics.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:

Optional modules:

Candidates must study 60 credits of optional modules from the lists below.

Candidates may study a maximum of 40 credits from the following optional modules. Candidates wishing to pursue Pure Mathematics in subsequent years must study MATH1110 Real Analysis.

Candidates are also required to study 20-60 further music credits from the lists below.
Candidates may study a maximum of 40 credits from the following optional modules:

Candidates may study a maximum of 40 credits from the following optional modules:

Candidates may study the following 20-credit optional module:

Year2 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for years 2 and 3 are not yet available. Before you enter years 2 and 3 details of modules for those years will be provided.

You must study exactly 120 credits in total at level 2. To be eligible for a joint honours award, students must pass at least 40 credits at level 2 in each of Music and Mathematics.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory module:
* Researching Music - 20 Credits

Optional modules:

Candidates must study 100 credits of optional modules in total, which may include 20 credits of discovery modules.
Candidates must choose one of the following mathematics pathways:
Pure Mathematics pathway
Candidates selecting this pathway must have passed MATH1110 Real Analysis.
Candidates will normally take ALL modules in this pathway. However, if a candidate wishes to take discovery modules in place of mathematics credits, they may be taken in place of MATH2140 and/or MATH2120.
* Further Linear Algebra and Discrete Mathematics - 20 Credits
* Introduction to Logic - 10 Credits
* Calculus, Curves and Complex Analysis - 20 Credits
* Rings and Polynomials - 10 Credits

Applied Mathematics pathway
Candidates will normally take ALL modules in this pathway. However, if a candidate wishes to take discovery modules in place of mathematics credits, they may be taken in place of MATH2430 and/or MATH2440.
* Vector Calculus and Partial Differential Equations - 20 Credits
* Calculus of Variations -10 Credits
* Mathematical Modelling - 20 Credits
* Optimisation - 10 Credits

Candidates must also choose 20-40 credits of music optional modules in total.
Candidates may study a maximum of 20 credits from the following optional modules:
* Music and Politics - 20 Credits
* Cultures of Performance - 20 Credits
* Marketing for Musicians - 20 Credits
* Psychology of Listening and Performance - 20 Credits
* Creating and Producing Music for Screen Media - 20 Credits
* Notations of Music - 20 Credits

Candidates may study a maximum of 20 credits from the following optional modules:
* Sound and Media - 20 Credits
* Musical Meaning - 20 Credits
* Collaborative Performance - 20 Credits
* Aesthetics and Criticism - 20 Credits
* Leading an Ensemble - 20 Credits
* Applied Music Technology - 20 Credits

Candidates may study a maximum of 40 credits from the following optional modules:
* Creating Music - 20 Credits
* Performance - 20 Credits
* Opera North: Opera in Practice - 20 Credits

Discovery modules:

Candidates may study 20 credits of discovery modules in place of optional modules. If these are taken in place of mathematics credits they replace one or both 10-credit modules in the chosen mathematics pathway.

Year3 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Full module details for year 3 are not yet available. Before you enter year 3 full details of modules for that year will be provided.

You must take exactly 120 credits in level 3. To be eligible for a joint honours award, students must pass at least 40 credits at level 3 in each of Music and Mathematics. The Final Year Project is included in these credits.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory module:
* Music Beyond Graduation - 20 Credits

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 40 credits from the following compulsory optional modules:
* Independent Research Project - 40 Credits
* Project in Mathematics - 40 Credits

Candidate must follow their mathematical pathway from Year Two:
Pure Mathematics
Candidates must select 20-40 credits from the following list if the Pure Mathematics pathway was taken at level 2.

* Groups and Symmetry- 20 credits
* Metric Spaces and Measure Theory- 20 credits
* Numbers and Codes- 20 credits
* Proof and Computation- 20 credits
* Graph Theory and Combinatorics- 20 credits
* Differential Geometry- 20 credits

Applied Mathematics
Candidates must select 20-40 credits from the following list if the Applied Mathematics pathway was taken at level 2.

* Methods of Applied Mathematics- 20 credits
* Entropy and Quantum Mechanics- 20 credits
* Nonlinear Dynamical Systems and Chaos- 20 credits
* Mathematical Biology- 20 credits
* Fluid Dynamics- 20 credits

Candidates must also choose a maximum of 40 credits of further optional modules from the lists below, ensuring overall enrolment includes at least 40 credits in each of Music and Mathematics.
Candidates may study a maximum of 40 credits from the following optional modules. Candidates must take MATH3900 if MUS3001 has been selected as the final year project.
* Opera North: Opera in Practice - 20 Credits
* Mathematics in Social Context A - 20 Credits

Candidates may study a maximum of 40 credits from the following optional Music modules:
* Music and Politics - 20 Credits
* Cultures of Performance - 20 Credits
* The Professional Composer - 20 Credits
* Creative Music Technology - 20 Credits
* Advancing Music Psychology - 20 Credits
* Advanced Performance - 20 Credits

Candidates may study a maximum of 40 credits from the following optional modules:
* Sound and Media - 20 Credits
* Musical Meaning - 20 Credits
* Collaborative Performance - 20 Credits
* Critical Theory for Music - 20 Credits
* Analysing Music - 20 Credits
* Digital Marketing for Musicians -20 Credits

Discovery modules:

Candidates may study 20 credits of discovery modules, in place of 20 credits of optional modules, ensuring overall enrolment includes at least 40 credits in each of Music and Mathematics.

Last updated: 03/05/2024 13:02:41

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD