Undergraduate & Postgraduate online courses in Music, February 2026!
Applications open for February 2026!
Start your future, today
At AMS Online we have two main intakes each year for our undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
The next intake is February 2026, and applications are open now!
We offer bespoke, tailored to fit, delivery of the Diploma of Higher Education (level 4 & 5), The BA Hons Top Up (Level 6) and The Masters Music & Sound (Level 7) all validated by the University of West London and delivered supported distance learning.
The DipHE Music & Sound is a two year undergraduate music course, delivered 100% online at levels 4 and 5. The course is equivalent to the first two years of an honours degree, and is a fully internationally recognised qualification in its own right. The DipHE is about building the skills you need to succeed in today’s music industry as a creative professional. There are three pathways on the DipHE; Performance, Production, Songwriting. You are asked to choose a pathway to specialise in, and then, on your course you will always be studying one module to support that pathway each semester. To accompany your specialist modules you will also be studying core skills that will equip you with what you need to succeed as a multi-faceted music practitioner, these include, social media & artist branding, video creation, music & sound for video games, podcasting, and creative engineering. Creative engineering is a new module for our DipHE and is all about treating the space you have to best support the work you do. Think of your favourite content creators, they probably have a space they use to bring you the content you enjoy right? It has become familiar to you, and to them, and is part of their branding. All our students study remotely, so their space is important in supporting what they want to do, from recording audio, to creating a podcast, to shooting a video.
This is explored in the creative engineering module with AMS Online.
The DipHE is open to UK and EU/Overseas students to apply now, for a February 2026 start.
The BA Hons Top Up is a flexible online top up year in Music & Sound. It is equivalent to the final year of a UK undergraduate honours degree and is delivered via supported distance learning to UK, and EU / Overseas students. Since validation in 2019 we have welcomed over 350 students onto our BA top up. The course is designed to top up a prior level 4 and 5 qualification like an HND, Foundation Degree or Diploma of Higher Education in music into a full BA Hons Degree, but the beauty of AMS Online is that it is also open for industry professionals to apply as mature students, using their experience to gain credit for the first two years of a degree.
Yes, that’s right, you could study just the BA top up, and gain the full 360 credits needed for an honours degree in just one academic year. If successful, you are credited, on your grade transcript with 240 credits advanced standing for your industry experience. Yes, you will need to prove that experience, and go through our recognition of industry experience process, but if you’ve been working in music for over 5 years, with tangible links and evidence to back that up, you could be eligible for fast track entry directly onto the top up. Find out more here- Fast Track Info
The top up was amended in September 2025, and we believe it is now the most flexible music top up out there. With optional modules in production, songwriting and composition development, music for moving image, podcasting, music management, performance, library music and project funding you are sure to cover the areas you need to succeed in today’s content driven industry. The course is modular, delivered over a single academic year and spanning two semesters.
The top up is open for application from UK and EU / Overseas students now, to start February 2026.
The Masters Music & Sound is a full, 180 credit Masters Degree in Music. We offer this course via distance learning, and have welcomed over 90 students since it was validated in 2022.
The Masters is about the student finding their own path as a creative individual. It has two pathways- production and performance, of which the student selects one at registration.
This is a Masters Degree in music – an MMus, validated by the University of West London, which encompasses the London College of Music.
Students will be supported 1:1 with mentorship and advice on modules specific to their pathway, and specific to postgraduate study disciplines. These modules include music direction and performance for performance pathway students, and music production skills and production portfolio for producers. All Masters students will undertake a Level 7 project at the end of their degree, which is a triple module. The level 7 project represents the culmination of the Master’s programme, allowing students to demonstrate advanced skills in independent research, creative practice, and critical reflection. Students will conceive, plan, and realise a substantial body of work that evidences originality, professional standards, and a deep engagement with contemporary music.
The Masters Music & Sound is open for applications from UK and EU / Overseas students to start in February 2026.
Fees, & Funding
UK Nationals & long term residents may be eligible for student loans to cover the course fees for our programmes. Contact us to find out more.
EU & Overseas students will need to pay our validating institution; University of West London, directly.
The fees for undergraduate and postgraduate courses are the same for UK nationals and EU / Overseas students.
Course fees for undergraduate pathways (DipHE and BA top up) are £8495 per academic year.
The course fee for the Masters Music & Sound is £8995.
Clearing 2025 - Start Your Online Music Degree with AMS Online
It’s not too late to begin your music degree online this September! AMS Online offers flexible, fully online music programmes validated by the University of West London, designed to fit seamlessly around your lifestyle.
Unlike traditional universities, you don’t need to apply through UCAS. Apply directly on our website - it’s quick, simple and straightforward, while still earning a fully recognised, University of West London-validated degree.
Take the next step in your music career today! Call our Clearing hotline before it’s too late: 03301 749696.
Why Choose AMS Online for Your Music Degree?
Flexible Online Learning
Study from anywhere, at any time, without compromising work or personal commitments. Our interactive online portal and weekly mentor support make earning your degree convenient, cost effective and accessible for all students. As BA (Hons) Music & Sound graduate Keira Howatson says:
“It allowed me to create a schedule that worked for me around my job.”
Real World Success
AMS Online graduates have gone on to work with acclaimed artists, contribute to the soundtracks of triple-A video games and compose music for major films and television productions. Many also build successful careers as independent producers, songwriters and session musicians, demonstrating the real world impact and industry relevance of their AMS Online education.
Direct Application Through Clearing
Skip UCAS and apply directly online. Our team will guide you through Clearing 2025 and answer all your questions about online learning, courses and student finance.
Online Music Degrees Available in Clearing 2025
Diploma in Higher Education (Dip HE) Music & Sound
- Duration: 2 years
- Fees: £8,495 per annum (UK/EU/Overseas)
- Student Finance: UK students may be eligible for a loan. EU/Overseas students can arrange a payment plan with the University of West London
- Apply by clicking here or calling 03301 749696
BA (Hons) Music & Sound Top-Up
- Duration: 1 year
- Fees: £8,495 per annum
- Student Finance: UK students may be eligible for a loan. Non-eligible students pay directly to the University (lump sum or installments)
- Apply by clicking here or calling 03301 749696
Study Support Every Step of the Way
At AMS Online, you’re never on your own. From day one, our dedicated staff help you feel confident, supported and ready to succeed.
Graduates also benefit from our Access All Areas programme, offering 1:1 mentoring with industry experts in:
- Music production & mastering
- Music performance
- Legal advice on publishing, recording or management contracts
- Marketing and release planning
- Touring and live performance support
- Bespoke guidance such as orchestration or finding the right live agent
Each graduate meets their mentor four times per year, ensuring personalised advice and ongoing professional growth.
Transform Your Passion Into a Career
AMS Online blends structured coursework, weekly 1:1 mentoring and masterclasses from leading professionals to build the creative and practical skills the music industry demands.
Whether your focus is music production, songwriting, music business or technology, our flexible learning model ensures you can:
- Learn from anywhere
- Access interactive materials and personalised support
- Build industry connections for a sustainable career
Graduates leave not just with a degree, but with the tools, confidence and network to succeed as independent musicians, educators or industry professionals.
Apply Now Through Clearing 2025
Don’t wait! Your music career starts here. Apply directly on our website or call our team on 03301 749696 for guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I start a music degree online through Clearing 2025?
A: Yes! AMS Online allows direct application for Clearing 2025, so you can start your course this September.
Q: How much does an AMS Online music degree cost?
A: Course fees are £8,495 per annum for both UK and international students. UK students may be eligible for a student loan.
Q: Is an online music degree from AMS Online internationally recognised?
A: Yes. All courses are validated by the University of West London, giving you a fully recognised qualification for your music career.
Studying with AMS Online, could you benefit from Access to HE?
Studying Music online with AMS Online- could Access to HE help you?
At AMS Online about 50% of our students are from the UK, and the other 50% are from the EU and overseas. All our overseas students are 'self-funders'.
Whilst it is normal for overseas students to pay tuition fees up front, or via payment plan should they wish to study with a UK provider, the fees are significant and can be daunting to a would be applicant.
That is where Access to HE could help.
Access to HE is our own short mentorship course, that is designed to help applicants that want to get onto a full time course with us (or another provider) but may need to brush up some of their skills, or learn something new before they are ready for the full-time commitment of study.
For example- we have a lot of applicants that are industry experienced, and they rightly use that experience to gain entry direct onto our BA Hons Top Up Music & Sound.
Sometimes those applicants have been out of education for some time, working in music alongside other pursuits, and may not have written an essay, or completed an assignment for years.
Access to HE gives those applicants the opportunity to get a taste of the AMS Online model. They are given an allocation of time with one of our mentors- 6 sessions of 1:1 support via video call, just like the full time courses.
They are able to choose a subject area or skill they wish to develop, or an area that our admissions team have established needs some support and use their 6 sessions to work on that area.
How does that help me? And what does it cost?
Access to HE costs £280, payable in advance after application, and for that fee you will get a 6 week taster of our online delivery model, and develop an area of your choosing with the support of an industry professional who will meet you 1:1.
If you then choose to apply for a full-time course, you will have had some experience of what this is like, and hopefully gained something along the way.
If you don't choose to continue onto a full-time course with us, all you have speculated is £280 and 6 weeks of your time, a fraction of what it costs to study a full degree online.
The Access to HE course is under the short course menu on this site, and is on our application form if you wish to apply.
The link to the course page is below:
Access To HE Course Page
What do the students think?
The Access course was really helpful because AMS tailored it to exactly what I wanted to study and helped fill in the gaps for me with regards to music production. It was absolutely invaluable and I also had the same tutor who I then studied with on the Masters so for me it was a seamless transition.
Donna Bottomley Masters Music & Sound student
My access course with Misha proved invaluable and in retrospect was a perfect vehicle to get me back on track in the world of academia.
My technical abilities and self-confidence in the world of DAWs were greatly enhanced, allowing me to resume the recording of my creative efforts after a hiatus lasting many, many years.I had been away from full-time academic study (apart from the odd LinkedIn Learning course) for decades as I was focussed on my career in IT.
I found the mentoring sessions were invaluable on many levels, in terms of sharpening my academic learning-skills mindset, also facilitating the creativity processes required in order to thrive
specifically within arts based disciplines.
I very much recommend the course wherever suitable.
Danny Edwards BA Hons Top Up Music & Sound student
Introducing the DipHE Music & Sound
Newly Validated 2 Year Undergraduate Diploma of Higher Education
The DipHE Music & Sound has been validated specifically to support students that wish to develop the skills to thrive in the modern music industry, but might not want to commit to a full 3 year programme at an institution.
This online, two year diploma is a fully accredited Level 4 & 5, 240 credit programme.
Your time on the DipHE will be spent developing skills on a pathway specific diploma.
Specialise as one of - performer, producer or songwriter.
Your chosen path will determine your specialism, and will influence your allocation of time with 1:1 mentors. You will also study diverse areas such as podcasting, creative engineering, video production, pop music styles and writing music for video game. These areas are what set AMS Online DipHE students up as multi-faceted music practitioners with more than one string to their bow.
Upon successful completion, you will be made an offer to progress onto the Level 6 BA Hons Top Up Music & Sound, also with AMS Online.
1:1 Mentorship gives you a bespoke edge with AMS Online
We are very proud of the 1:1 model we operate at AMS Online.
Our online degree courses give each student time each week with specific, industry professionals who support their studies.
Here is what one of our former students says about it:
I had a great experience studying the AMS Online BA Hons Music and Sound Top Up course. The course covered a broad range of subjects which enabled me to develop in areas I wasn’t as confident in before and eventually excel in these areas throughout my studies.The highlight of the course was the one to one mentorship meetings with my tutor. I highly recommend anyone looking for a career in music to study with AMS.
Rob Jacques, BA Hons Top Up Student
Find out more about the DipHE below.
Applications being accepted for September 2025.
Studying with AMS Online, from the horses mouth, meet Toby
Studying Music online with AMS Online
We believe that studying music with AMS Online is one of the most streamlined, ergonomically designed and focussed ways to gain the qualifications you need to progress your career in less time, and with less hassle and expense than traditional routes.
That's easy for us to say, but what about those that have studied with us?
Since working with the University of West London in 2019 we have welcomed over 250 online students onto our full-time, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees 'Music & Sound'.
In this post you will hear from one of them - Toby.
Toby is a musician and educator based in England, but originally from Barbados. He is a guitar player by trade, but has developed many strings to his bow over the years including production, and composition, including writing music for moving image.
In the video below you can find out a bit more about Toby's story, and how AMS Online helped him along the way.
Toby's Video:
What\'s it like to study with us? AMS alumni Ben tells all
Studying with AMS Online
In this video one of our graduates; Ben, discusses his decision to study online with AMS Online.
He tells us about how the course works, the support offered to AMS Online students, and what you could potentially expect if you apply to study with us.
Career Development
Since making this video, Ben has landed a full time position with a music education provider.
Part of the reason he was selected for interview is that he had studied music at undergraduate (and now postgraduate level) with AMS Online.
Ben is a specific example of how qualifications can help open doors that might have otherwise stayed closed, and we were delighted to hear from him when he reported back to tell us about his new role.
What Ben Says:
Before finding AMS I was a full time gigging musician, travelling with various groups, taking anything that paid.After doing that for my 20s and having children, I looked to redesign my life and find ways to make an income from music without all the travel.I found AMS and was accepted for the Fast Track for Professionals and so could achieve my Bachelors Degree in one year.I enjoyed the course so much I immediately signed up for the Masters.Over the course of 2 years I went from essentially 0 formal education to a high level qualification and now work as Director of Education at a successful Piano company, completely remote and generously salaried.Elements I enjoyed about the two courses are:the self imposed schedule and flexibility,the module content and how relevant to modern music it is,the faculty who manage to guide and mentor you whilst also feeling like a friend!I can say without a doubt that AMS has changed my life for the better and I had fun during the process.
Check out his video below:
AAA Pass!
Supporting our students is paramount to AMS Online
Whilst you study with us on one of our courses you will be supported with 1:1 mentorship video calls throughout your studies.
Those sessions are crucial to supporting you through your course, and helping you to do the best you can whilst you study with us, they also help you with community to support you whilst you are with us.
But what about after you graduate?
The transition to industry is crucial after you have studied, and we have developed an extension of that 1:1 mentorship for graduates starting courses with us in September 2025.
Introducing AAA for AMS Online students
If you start a full time course with AMS Online in September 2025 you will be entitled to 12 months of follow up support after you graduate.
This support will take the form of video mentor sessions, similar to what you will have experienced on your course, but this time tailored towards your transition from student to industry.
Find out more about AAA - Access All Areas here:
Access All Areas Graduate Support
We are accepting 2025 applications for our undergraduate and postgraduate online music qualifications at the moment.
Get in touch with us through our contact page:
About our students: Nicole Pinnell
The students are our focus at AMS online.
With our 1:1 mentorship model and expert industry professionals working as our mentors and advisors we pride ourselves in the bespoke, enlightening experience our students experience when studying with us.
That's easy for us to say, but don't just take our word for it, here is what Masters in Popular Music Performance graduate Nicole Pinnell has been up to since she graduated in 2022, and some choice words she had to say about AMS online.
Links to all Nicole's work are in the paragraph below.
Well done Nicole!
Nicole Pinnell
"I learned so much on my degree. It hasn't just catapulted my career, it has ignited how I think about work and play. It's been an exciting few years."
Links to Nicole's work since graduating with AMS online in 2022
New YouTube Channel for Creative Projectshttps://youtu.be/-qY2a_KjUxQ?si=FBZinl1c-rCftRn8(fellow AMS Online graduate Nick Petty and I will have two releases on this channel in December)
Record Applications AMS online October 2023
Welcome to the New Semester!
We are delighted to welcome our new students on the Foundation Degree, BA Hons Top Up and the Masters Music & Sound who are starting their courses with us this semester.
We have a mixture of over 40 music students with different passions starting with us this semester on full time courses and we look forward to supporting them to reach their potential over the coming weeks and months.
Our latest group of students are from 13 different countries, across multiple time zones, and will be benefitting from our 1:1 mentorship and direction model for their studies.
Our next intake will be January 2024 and we are accepting applications now!
We have enjoyed record numbers of applications this year, if you are interested in learning more about AMS online our FAQ page is HERE>
and our course pages are HERE>
We look forward to hearing from you!
