Bridging the gap: an assessment of the effectiveness of postgraduate provision in preparing students for careers in the modern music industry

The Complete University Guide lists 40 UK universities offering 74 postgraduate courses related to music technology or production (Complete University Guide, 2024). The relatively high number of these courses suggest that they are both a popular choice for students and a profitable addition to university portfolios. Some universities have closed more traditional music courses, such as musicology, composition and performance, and replaced them with music production and music technology focused alternatives. Many of the newer courses emphasise employability and are named accordingly, incorporating terms such as ‘management’ or ‘production’. Evidently, in the 17 years since Carola Boehm described music technology as “The discipline that never was” (Boehm, 2007), it has developed beyond “The discipline that became” (Boehm, Hepworth-Sawyer, Hughes, & Ziemba, 2018) into a growing number of interrelated disciplines. The implication is clear: these courses equip students with the skillsets necessary to embark on rewarding careers in the music industry. But how realistic are these claims? To what extent is the current provision of postgraduate education in music technology, production, and related disciplines preparing students for careers in the music industry? What skills do employers perceive that graduates need, and do these map to student expectations of skills and knowledge they want to acquire when choosing a degree?