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Performer operating digital music equipment

Digital Music and Sound Arts BA(Hons)

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Intro

We encourage you to fully explore your creativity on this practice-based course focusing on experimentation and innovation.

It provides an excellent foundation for careers in musical composition and sound design for film, TV and video, the games industry, radio, theatre and performing arts, interactive and new media, and sound arts for galleries and public spaces.

The course places you at the forefront of modern practice in the sound and music world, an environment where technologies are constantly evolving. You will be encouraged to engage creatively and critically with the way sound and music is represented in current media and artwork, in the heart of a city renowned for its arts and cultural scene.

Key facts

Location Brighton: City campus

UCAS code W390

Full-time 3 years

Clearing 2022

Places are available on this course to start in 2022.

If you have your results you can apply online for a place through Clearing.

Apply online now

If you need advice, call us on 01273 644000

Our hotline opens

Art and design courses at Brighton are ranked joint 8th in the UK and in the top 100 globally by the QS World University Rankings® 2022

“My time at the University of Brighton has been an eye-opening and artistically inspiring three years. The tutors have pushed my creativity to the edge and given me brilliant guidance throughout the modules. My work has excelled and innovated past anything I could have imagined”

Joe Gilling, 2021 graduate

Course content

Why study with us?

  • You’ll be exposed to sound across a wide spectrum of aesthetic forms and in diverse technological media, especially the relation of sound to other art forms.
  • Our staff are experts in the field and work as artists, producers, curators, composers and authors as well as in teaching.
  • Students gain a strong foundation in sound practice, including an understanding of acoustics, studio technique, sound design, sound diffusion, audio production, new media applications and interactivity.
  • The course combines practical experimentation in both music and sound art with theoretical reflection and contextual research.
  • The professional practice module in the third year teaches you key employment skills – and by taking a creative and experimental approach, you will acquire an array of transferable skills in preparation for a wide range of careers.
  • You’ll have opportunities to exhibit in on-site studios and gallery spaces.
  • You are encouraged to articulate, explore and develop your ideas within group and independent projects.
  • Your university time consists of lectures, seminars, workshops and technical inductions by staff and visiting lecturers who also work as artists, producers, curators, composers and authors.

Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on Vimeo.

Watch this showreel of work from Digital Music and Sound Arts students from 2003 - 2019 put together by Dr Kersten Glandien who teaches on the course.

Listen to music by students and graduates on Soundcloud.

Course structure 

This course is offered full-time.

Usual contact time through lectures and seminars is nine hours per week. The timetable is designed to give plenty of opportunity for independent study and one-to-one or small group tutorials with tutors.

The course content is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops. All modules are supported by active use of the university’s online learning environment.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Guest lecture

Year 1

In the first year you will study creative studio techniques together with the physical properties of sound which will inform other work on the course. You will be working on creative projects, aimed at opening up new possibilities through an engagement with new audio technologies to develop creative strategies as used in contemporary music and sound art practices. In addition to industry standard production software like Logic Pro, Protools and Ableton Live, we emphasise creative work with musical programming environments such as Pure Data and Max/MSP in order to enable the design of musical interfaces, installations, or systems based on individual creative projects.

The first year covers a wide field: from sound synthesis and acoustics, perception of sound and music analysis, to musical composition and instrument design. Various project assignments will encourage you to reflect upon your own practice and develop creative projects that you will present to your fellow students. You will also write an essay on a topic of your choice related to the course profile areas. Embedded in the course curriculum are tasks and methods that provide you with transferable skills, such as project development, management and presentation skills, and academic writing.

Modules

  • Practice 1: Introduction to Sound

    Through establishing a solid basis in the understanding of sound from a phenomenological and psychoacoustic perspective, this module will encourage you to increase the level of experimentation in your composition exercises. By exploring diverse soundscapes, listening to and analysing important musical works of the past 70 years, you will widen the scope of their own compositional approaches. New technical skills will be contextualised within diverse aesthetic and historic musical approaches. The aim is to conduct an extensive ear training and increase the your compositional portfolio.

  • Practice 2: Sound as Material – Perception and Experimentation

    This module will introduce you to creative applications and techniques relating to work in sound studios, loop based music and sound installations. You will also be introduced to the nature of sound, synthesis, psychoacoustics, audio programming and compositional techniques. You will be encouraged to present work in the context of public performances and collaborations with external music organisations.

  • Practice 3: Sound Organisation

    This module will introduce you to a variety of creative approaches to the concept of sound organisation as it is applied in contemporary sound art practices. You will engage with techniques for gathering of materials, customization of technical skills, conceptualization, listening and composition, and methods for organizing sound in both virtual and physical spaces.

  • Practice 4: Creative Audio Systems

    In this module you will examine music and sound synthesis in the context of contemporary arts and performance by focusing on three key topics: iterative or generative music; new interfaces for musical expression (NIME) and interactive sound installations; and Network Music and Human-Computer Interaction. You will work in groups to research, develop and critique your projects.

  • HCS 1: Programme Profile Introduction

    This module will introduce you to the profile of the Digital Music and Sound Arts programme. Taught as interrelated lectures and seminars, you will develop your knowledge of the wide and complex field of artistic sound practice and gain an understanding of its practical, conceptual, cultural and aesthetic implications. You will explore the experimental music and sound works in the cultural context in which they emerged in the 20th / 21st Century. You will practice presentation skills through presenting you own work.

  • HCS 2: Experimental Sound and Music in Contemporary Culture

    This module will continue exploring the experimental music and sound works of the 20th and the 21st centuries, the aesthetic concepts that underpinned them, and the cultural context in which they emerged. This is introduced through individual key topics. You will also be introduced to research methodologies and academic writing. You will select a topic of your own choice and will be guided through the research methodologies and writing practices required for producing an academic text.

Student in semi-darkness working on a project

Student in headphones using the digital music and sound art facilities

Listen to samples of electronic music by year 1 students on Soundcloud.

Year 2

In the second year you develop skills and knowledge in three key areas:

  • composition and sound design for the moving image
  • sound art
  • new media.

Theoretical modules support practical work where you will do sound design for films or other screen-based forms and sound art in its various manifestations. Students typically work on composition and sound design for the moving image and new media (film, TV, video, internet, games), radio, multi-channel sound, audio programming, digital instrument design, interactive sound installations and other sound arts practices.

You will take an option module, where you choose from subjects such as photography, moving image, creative writing, architecture, design or various others. In the second semester of this year you will start one-to-one tutorials with your dedicated tutor, supporting you in the first stages of your final research essay, which links strongly to the final practice-based project in the third year.

Modules

  • Practice 5 and 6: Sound for Screen (Composition and Sound Design for the Moving Image, and Experimental Sound for Screen)
  • HCS 3: Sound/Music and the Moving Image
  • Practice 7: Sound Arts Practice
  • Practice 8: Final Project and Research Essay Proposals
  • HCS 4: Theory and History of Sound Art
  • Option module* from across arts and humanities topics

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Komedia student night

Students are encouraged to exhibit their work throughout the course.

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Aposynthesis, a student-organised night of electronic music at KOMEDIA

Final year

In your final year, you will work more independently than in previous years. This year consists of the following elements:

  • a research essay written in the first semester
  • a practical project in the second semester
  • the completion of a professional practice in the second semester
  • the development of your final project in the first semester. 

The practical project is an intensive process where all the professional skills (practical, intellectual, organisational and production management) gained during the course of studies are condensed into one well developed, documented and presented final project, that will be publicly exhibited during the degree show in June. Your final year will involve one-to-one tutorials, study groups, seminars, lectures and professional practice sessions. All years attend creative studio techniques and audio seminar sessions and benefit from ongoing technical workshops.

Module

  • Practice 9: Final Project Development
  • Professional Practice
  • HCS 5: Final Research Essay
  • Practice 10: Final Project

Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on YouTube.

Hear from graduate Jordan Edge, who won the Seoul Award of Excellence from the Partner University, South Korea for his final year piece ‘Acclimate’

Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on YouTube.

Degree showreel compilation, 2018 

Facilities 

  • Four modern digital production and post-production studios equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software equipped with sound-sound speaker systems
  • Two sound-isolated recording booths
  • A sound diffusion lab where students can experiment with spatial projection, multichannel sound and unconventional speaker configurations
  • Workstation area for individual student use, teaching presentations and demonstrations that is equipped with all taught software
  • Dedicated tutorial room for individual and small group consultations
  • Separate workshop area where students build customised instruments and devices. 
  • Field-recording equipment, including a digital six-channel recorder and 5.1 field microphone.

Software used in the course: Logic Studio Pro, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Max/MSP, Pure Data, SuperCollider and various open source applications. Students will be able to experiment with software and hardware design, enabling them to build their own acoustic, electric or virtual instruments and installations.

Music and sound arts studios

360 facilities tour
Take a look at our digital music and sound arts facilities.

Meet the team

Johanna Bramli, course leader

Johanna works with textures, noise, sonic spaces, audience interaction and sensory perception. She has lectured in sound art, composition for media, performance-based practice and musicology for the past 15 years. Johanna is also one half of electronic/motorik/pop band Fröst, founder of all-female noise/feedback improv choir The Larsens and co-founder of MAMI – Mamas Across Music Initiative.

Holger Zschenderlein

Holger is course leader for our Digital Music and Sound Arts MA. He is a composer and sound artist whose work encompasses creative practice and research aspects in the field of soundscape composition, composition and narrative structures within the wider context. He has collaborated with Brian Eno on several projects and his work in film and moving image have been screened internationally and won international awards. He has composed music and created sound design for contemporary dance, opera, theatre, for instrumental music and voice, video and interactive audio-visual installations. Holger is trained in classical and jazz piano and his musical experience extends from composing and arranging to performing and sound engineering.

Dr Stephen Mallinder, singer and musician who was a founding member of Cabaret Voltaire.

Dr Kersten Glandien, author, academic and curator specialising in the fields of sound arts, aesthetics and experimental.

Jean Martin, composer and musicologist whose work includes radio broadcasts, performances, curation and commissioned works.

Caleb Madden, sound and installation artist.

Technical Demonstrators: Bob Morton, Joshua Clark-Legallienne and Ben Beasley.

Johanna Bramil

Course leader Johanna Bramli is a musician, sound artist, composer and performer.

How this course is delivered

How will my course be taught?
For the academic year that starts in September 2022 we’re planning for all students to be taught face-to-face on campus, enhanced by some online learning.

Students who started their course with us in 2021 are on campus for some face-to-face learning including tutorials, workshops, laboratory classes and studio sessions. They are also taking part in off-campus learning activities such as placements, field trips and study visits. And all of our campus facilities – libraries, learning spaces, restaurants, gyms and more are open.

Like all universities we are following government guidance and we are monitoring the pandemic very closely. Should Public Health advise it we have robust plans in place for additional safety measures to be introduced to enable everyone to continue learning on campus, and, as a last resort, for students to continue their learning remotely.

We will update you regularly on our teaching plans for the next academic year as you progress your application with us.

When does my course start?
The 2022 academic year begins on Monday 26 September 2022. Teaching for most courses starts the following week.

Many education courses, some health science courses including Medicine, and some postgraduate business courses have an earlier start date. Check your offer letter for the start date of your course.

Our latest news

Graduates 2021: Andrea Hladikova: Digital Music and Sounds Arts MA

Graduates 2021: Andrea Hladikova: Digital Music and Sounds Arts MA

“I love combining different techniques in order to achieve the most accurate expression of my concept.

Graduates 2021: Bob Smith: Digital Music and Sound Arts MA

Graduates 2021: Bob Smith: Digital Music and Sound Arts MA

“Coming from a science and engineering background I wanted a course that would allow me to focus those skills alongside an arts practice, and the new MA at DMSA seemed to fit the bill.

Graduates 2021: Alex Lewis-Whitaker: Digital Music and Sound Arts BA

Graduates 2021: Alex Lewis-Whitaker: Digital Music and Sound Arts BA

“Many courses in this area seemed more focused on the technical considerations within a recording studio whereas Brighton allowed me to interpret the course how I wanted to and take it in my own direction.

Graduates 2021: Joe Gilling: Digital Music and Sound Arts

Graduates 2021: Joe Gilling: Digital Music and Sound Arts

“My time at the University of Brighton has been an eye-opening and artistically inspiring three years.

Read more from our blog

Careers

Prepare for your career

In your career you need a combination of knowledge, skills, personal qualities and relevant experiences – and you’ll get all of this from your degree.

  • The course team invests in creating an engaging learning journey through practicing and experimenting, creating conditions that ensure you make the very most out of your chosen craft and learn through various contexts and activities.
  • A key learning resource is the experience, insights and personal practice of the academic staff. Coming from various backgrounds, the members of the Digital Music and Sound Arts team are able to share transferable skills and mentoring so you can achieve your best in your own professional practice.
  • Staff and student collaboration is pivotal and encouraged, as is personal use of the studios, giving you the freedom to experiment widely.
  • The professional practice module in the third year teaches you key employment skills – and by taking a creative and experimental approach, you will acquire an array of transferable skills in preparation for a wide range of careers.

Showcasing your talent

Throughout the course there are multiple opportunities to exhibit and perform publicly. Some examples of student activities involving contact or work with external organisations and events are:

  • DMSA Night at the Komedia, one of Brighton’s foremost venues.
  • Student and alumni involvement in the student-run ID Spectral label and collective.
  • Ongoing collaboration and student involvement in the Brighton Fab Lab.
  • Radio and Transmission Art work and radio programmes by students presented on Resonance FM and Resonance Extra.
  • Student work has been featured in Festivals including Brighton Festival, Brighton Digital Festival, Fort Process, International Design Research and Society Conference.
  • Collaborations with galleries and initiatives, including ONCA Gallery (Brighton), The Lighthouse, Our Future City, and Spektral-Raumohr in Berlin.
  • Participation in workshops lead by Vulpestruments, STEIM, Bela platform and others.
  • Commissions and collaborations with organisations and companies including projects ran by DMSA Alumni such as Soundcamp, and Ithaca.

Graduate destinations

This course has an excellent track record of producing graduates who go on to successful careers. Many run their own studios or production companies, or become freelancers in music publishing, with record companies or film production. 

Graduates have gone on to work for organisations including: 

  • The BBC 
  • Pinewood Film Studios
  • The Royal Shakespeare Company 
  • Tate Modern 
  • Radio 5 Live 
  • Warp Records 
  • West-German Radio
  • The Olympics.

Notable alumni

Alumni from the course include:

  • Chris Evans-Roberts, Managing Director at Ithaca whose client list includes VW, Saatchi & Saatchi and UEFA.
  • Alan Myson aka Ital Tek, critically acclaimed music producer
  • Joseph Higgins aka Metrist/ L.SAE, critically acclaimed music producer
  • Navid Asghari, critically acclaimed composer and sound artist.
  • Laurence Owen, soundtrack composer and entertainer, sound designer at multi-award winning 1927 productions. He won the Früh Kölsch Award for Best Music in a Short Film in 2013 and was a finalist in the 2014 Musical Comedy Awards
  • Andrew Hair, sound and game designer who currently works for The Creative Assembly, one of the UK’s largest games studios.He has worked on audio implementation and audio testing for the BAFTA-winning audio team behind Alien: Isolation (2014), Total War: Warhammer (2016, 2017) and Halo Wars 2 (2017).
  • Yu Miyashita aka YAPORIGAMI, freelance music composer whose client list includes MTV, Yahoo and Sony.
  • Chiara Fulgoni, freelance music composer and cinematographer.
  • Tom Allen, Creative Director at Buff Motion.
  • Shigeru Ishihara aka DJ Scotch Egg, critically acclaimed music producer.
  • Joseph Mount, lead singer and founder of critically acclaimed band Metronomy.
  • Hannah Kemp-Welch, Digital Producer at Tate and Programme Manager at Raw Material / Raw Sounds.
  • Buster Grey-Jung, freelance filmmaker/sound designer/artist. Grey-Jung has worked with a variety of clients including Red Bull, Boogaloo Productions /Rooted Productions, Channel 4 and artists like Andrew Kotting.
  • Ecka Mordecai, cellist, composer and free improviser, member of the trio Psychic Sister Pseudo Séance Band
  • Jack Ritchie aka Bearcubs: critically acclaimed music producer.
  • Owain Rich, BBC World Service, NBC Left Field
  • Nikita Alvaro, sound designer at Pinewood Studios.
  • Nami Strack, freelance sound designer, composer for film and Senior Lecturer at Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg.
  • Lex Hollingworth, Production Manager at Komedia Brighton.

Further study

This degree opens up postgraduate study options.

You can also choose to apply for a research degree and join our team of researchers.

Supporting your employability

Outside of your course, our Careers Service is here to support you as you discover (and re-discover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Connect with our careers team

  • Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
  • Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
  • Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
  • Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
  • Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
  • Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick, and build your CV.

Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that's not just while you are a student, our support carries on after you've graduated.

Find out more...

Coloured background with the words Be More, Connected, Skilled, Emlployable

Entry criteria

Flexible admissions

When you apply to Brighton we want to hear about who you are. Grades are never the whole picture; we're interested in things like creativity, resourcefulness, persistence and the capacity to think big and find new ways of doing things. And we recognise that not everyone has the same background. That's why we treat everyone who applies as an individual. We recognise many qualifications and we care about all of your achievements and the experiences you've had that set you apart.

Find out more

Students on a field trip

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBB–BCC (120–104 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DDM–DMM. You will be considered if your predicted grades fall within this range, but any offer will be made based on assessment of portfolio and interview.

International Baccalaureate
30 points, with three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at merit or above.

Foundation degree/HND
May enable you to start the course in year 2 or year 3, subject to a review of your experience and portfolio. 

Foundation diploma
A foundation diploma is not a requirement for entry – it is just one of a range of qualifications (for example, A level, BTEC or Access Diploma etc) that is accepted for admission to the course.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Portfolio advice 

We have a history of accepting outstanding students with strong portfolios and consider all applications on an individual basis. We encourage you to apply even if your predicted grades might fall below the entry requirements.

You are expected to provide:

  • an online portfolio consisting of a showreel of your own compositions or sound works. This should have a duration of five minutes maximum and contain a selection of works demonstrating a good knowledge of musicianship, affinity for experimentation, awareness of related art forms, and an experience of working with sound/music-related technologies.
  • one sample of writing relevant to the field. This can include (but not limited to) academic writing, a music review, a short report or example of creative writing.
  • a short statement which should:
    • provide an overview of your musical background including instrumental and compositional tuition (if any), skills/levels and other interests within this context
    • give your professional musical aspirations for the near future and explain reasons why you want to join this course.

Interview
Due to COVID-19, we expect interviews to be online and the processes may change slightly – check back here for updates. If you've already applied, we will tell you about any changes.

Find out more about how to create and submit your portfolio.

Fees

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 14,892 GBP

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Art and Media in the 2022–23 academic year are listed here.

  • Typically, practice-based courses incur more costs than text-based subjects. For many courses you will need to budget for the cost of specialist materials, equipment and printing and are likely to spend between £50–£300 per year.
  • For some courses you may also need to budget up to £100 for specialist personal protective clothing which, with care, will last for the whole of your course and beyond.
  • For most courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits, for example to galleries, exhibitions and studios both in the UK and overseas. These are optional and are not required to pass your course. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken, and typically range between £100 and £700 across the duration of your course.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software at City campus and Moulsecoomb campus and at other locations across the university. Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning. Students may choose to buy their own specialist equipment, these may include cameras, or computers and software, university/student discounts are available for some equipment and software. Budgets can range from £50–£2,000. Buying specialist equipment is best undertaken in consultation with our academic and technical staff. This expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
  • For some courses you will need to budget up to £200 for printing and publishing. Photography courses may incur higher costs (£500–£2,000) when printing and framing images of professional standard for public presentation.
  • Course books, magazines and journals are available in the university libraries. You do not need to have your own copies, but if you wish to, you should budget up to £200 over your course to buy them.
  • For courses in which there is an optional placement year, you will need to budget for living costs (rent, food, travel etc) in that city/country, as if you were on site at the university.
  • For some courses you will need to budget up to £150 for stationery.
  • Final-year graduation shows are opportunities to present your final, independent project work to the public. Practice-based courses will typically incur higher costs. Depending on the specific nature of your final project you will need to budget between £20–£2,500.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2022–23.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

City campus

City campus is located at the heart of central Brighton.

The facilities for making and designing, the theatre, galleries, workshops, studios, archives and the independent arts organisations based on site provide a unique and inspiring environment where creativity thrives.

St Peter’s House library and Phoenix halls of residence are close to the exhibition and learning facilities in the Grand Parade main building where you will also find the student centre with careers, counselling, student advice service and disability and dyslexia support. Edward Street provides extensive teaching and gallery space for media, photography and film.

Also on site are Screen Archive South East and University of Brighton Design Archives.

Brighton Pavilion, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the iconic pier and beach are a very short walk away. The independent shops and businesses of the North Laine and Kemptown, and Brighton main line station, with frequent express services to London, are 10 minutes walk.

Grand Parade exhibition space

Accommodation

Brighton: City campus

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students who apply by 30 June.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer. All rooms are self-catered.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • City campus is linked to Phoenix halls, Mithras halls and Moulsecoomb Place.
    • Phoenix halls are a short walk from City campus in the centre of Brighton.
    • Mithras hall and Moulsecoomb Place are located on the Moulsecoomb campus, around two miles from City campus. Public transport in the city is excellent.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Phoenix Brewery Halls Accommodation

Accommodation for City campus is in the nearby Phoenix Halls

Student kitchen in Phoenix Halls

Student kitchen in Phoenix Halls

Relaxing in nearby Pavilion Gardens

Relaxing in nearby Pavilion Gardens

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city’s reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year. Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements, live briefs and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

We provide support and venues for key events in the city’s arts calendar including the Brighton Festival, the Festival Fringe, the Great Escape, the Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Photo Biennial and the CineCity Brighton Film Festival. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate Show transforms our campus into the largest exhibition space in the South East as we celebrate the outstanding talent and creativity of our students.

As a student you’ll get lots of opportunities to experience these events at first hand and to develop your skills through the volunteering and other opportunities they offer.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

City campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

Students talking in a social area

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Cricket Academy

New for September 2023, our Cricket Academy offers aspiring players the opportunity to continue their cricket development alongside studying for a degree. The programme offers a world-class training environment with the highest quality coaching.

Find out more about the Cricket Academy.

Students playing frisbee

Stay in touch

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.01273 644644

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Follow the MA and BA Digital Music and Sound Arts courses on Twitter.

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Follow the course on Facebook.

Digital Music and Sound Arts blog
Follow the course blog for latest work, events and news.

Art Design Architecture Media blog
Find out about news and events from this course and others on our art design architecture media blog.

Statistics

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni enables you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Discover Uni data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course, and are updated following course changes.

Programme specification

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