CertHE Music Software Engineering

The CertHE Music Software Engineering course is the equivalent of year 1 of our 3-year degree programme. On successful completion of this course, you can continue studying our 3-year degree programme.

This course has been designed in consultation with Ableton, Focusrite and Roland - three of the top music software and hardware companies in the industry - and is for those with a keen interest in tech and music production. When joining this course you'll be guaranteed a free Music Software Development Kit (MDK) specially designed for the course. This includes a complete development system (quad-core Windows PC) with music and coding software, plus portable audio interface and a programmable input device - yours to keep after completion! Learn the skills to code, design and create your own music software platforms, applications and plugins, including synthesisers and effects from scratch. These are transferable skills which give you access to both technical and artistic careers in a cross-section of industries such as software and hardware development, professional audio, music and media plus any field of coding and computer science.

You will learn: Music Production (Ableton Live or Logic Pro), Computational Thinking, Sound Design, Audio Processing, Sound Engineering, Programming in C++.

Point Blank classes are small to ensure you receive ample 1-2-1 time with your lecturers. Our studios are located in Shoreditch—a global hub of London music venues and bars—and include industry-standard, state-of-the-art technology, including our Pioneer-sponsored DJ studio.

On our higher education programmes, students take part in a variety of intimate lectures (up to 16 students) and workshops. When not attending these sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently. Independent learning is about taking control of your work, finding out what you need to know and deciding how you are going to study.

During this time, you can take advantage of:

• Our award-winning Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with bespoke downloadable resources to support your lectures.
• Our state-of-the-art facilities and private practice spaces across two buildings.
• 1-2-1 Tutorials with lecturers to help you focus on your assignments.
• Studio Lab Time with support staff (up to five per week depending on availability) to help you with your technical set up and assignments.
• Extra workshops with music industry professionals.

A CertHE course consists of academic level 4, which is 120 credits. Each module is worth 20 credits and students are expected to study 10 hours per week per module (4 hours of lectures and 6 hours of independent learning).

Assessment is how we gauge your success on a course. You will be expected to take part in the following types of assessment during this course:

1. Exercises – these are designed to give you feedback on your performance and to help you improve as you study at Point Blank.

2. Assignments - these are designed to measure what you have achieved during a module and therefore the grade you will be awarded.

To make it possible for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to the best of their abilities, students will be asked to produce work in varying formats depending on your course including compositions, creative projects, written work, reports, performances, presentations, 1-2-1 discussions, recordings and timed music industry-based briefs.

It was the opportunities PB gave me to look into different departments within the industry, not only music production, it was actually music business, it was sound design, it was understanding synchronisation with music, film, TV, games, and also building my network and the friends that I have now who are doing incredible things. It’s just an honour to be part of that community. I grew a lot in terms of my mentality and tenacity to want to make things work and happen to me.  - Tendayi Mutongerwa, BA Hons graduate

Being an undergraduate student involves two main expenses: tuition fees and living costs. Students can either choose to pay for their course privately, or alternatively, all of our higher education programmes are eligible for Student Finance loans. Eligible students may be able to apply for a tuition fee loan to cover the full course fees. This will be up to £9,250 per year for courses with standard delivery, or up to £11,100 per year for courses with accelerated delivery. In addition, eligible students may be entitled to a maintenance loan of up to £12,382 per year. The amount of maintenance you can apply for will depend on your circumstances. EU students are not eligible for the maintenance loan. For students wishing to pay privately, we have a number of payment plans available, including annual and termly instalments.  Click here for more information on fees and funding options available. 

Free Music Software Engineering Development Kit (MDK) - includes quad-core Windows PC, music coding software, portable audio interface and programmable input device. Point Blank students also enjoy a range of exclusive discounts including but not limited to:

• 50% off NI Komplete, Ableton Live & Roland Cloud
• 30% off NI Kontrol & Maschine
• 25% off Adam Audio & Focusrite