Foundation Year
The foundation for your music career
The foundation for your music career
Interested in one of our Higher Education programmes but don’t meet the entry requirements? We offer a Foundation Year course that upon successful completion, gives you a pathway into a fully accredited HE programme. Your Foundation Year will give you all the skills and knowledge you need to enter a HE programme.
Apply now to kick-start your career in the music industry. As a consequence of lockdown (and importantly looking beyond the coronavirus pandemic too), Point Blank is proud to be ahead of the curve in delivering a fantastic student experience whether on campus or online and are happy to include all the exclusive features for students listed here.
On completion of the Foundation Year, you will be qualified to progress onto one of our four degree programmes:
| BA (Hons) Music Production & Sound Engineering degree (2 or 3 Yrs) | |||
| FOUNDATION YEAR | BA (Hons) Music Production & DJ Practice degree (2 or 3 Yrs) | ||
| BA (Hons) Music Industry Management degree (2 Yrs) | |||
| BA (Hons) Music Production & Vocal Performance Degree (2 or 3 Yrs) | |||
| Duration | 9 Months | |
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| Available start dates | 2021 | 2022 |
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| Weekly timetable | Two daytime lectures per week. Please contact us for details. | |
| Download Undergraduate Prospectus | ||
| Have questions? Check the FAQ's for quick answers. | ||
On our higher education programmes you will be taught through a variety of small intimate lectures and workshops. When not attending these sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently. Independent learning is about taking control of your work and deciding what you need to know and deciding how you are going to study. During this time you can take advantage of:
Each academic level consists of 120 credits and we expect students to study approximately 10 hours per credit. 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 an integral part of learning and you may hear it referred to as formative or summative:
Most students show themselves to be stronger in some assessment types than others. To make it possible for students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to the best of their abilities, a wide range of assessment types is offered. Students will be asked to produce work in a wide variety of formats including: compositions, creative projects, written work, report, performances, presentations, 1-2-1 discussions, recordings and timed composition briefs. The assessment breakdown for this programme is approximately:
Musician, singer and trained audio engineer, specialising in object-based 3D sound for motion picture and commercial music production. Anna is an Ableton Certified Trainer and NI Product Specialist.
Lead vocalist with Rudimental, played Glastonbury and Jools Holland. Replaced KT Tunstall in Oi Va Voi, also worked with The Nextmen, Basement Jaxx & The Earlies.
Resident DJ for Goldie's Metalheadz label, presenter at 1Xtra, Radio 1 & Ministry of Sound. Recorded/remixed for Goldie, Roni Size, Guy Called Gerald, Trey Songz, Chipmunk, Nas & Damian Marley.
Ricky produces and DJs under the name Tapefeed. Having held a residency at London techno party 'Superstition' since the beginning of 2018, the duo have played at such renowned venues as about:blank, Tresor and Printworks.
Credits: Trevor Horn, Brian Eno, Seal, Nick Cave, Newton Faulkner & The Cure. Integral to Ian Brown's success. Headlined Glastonbury, V Festival. Co-produced Solarized & UK #4 The World Is Yours.
Ableton certified trainer, producer, performer, making music since 2006. As a vocalist and songwriter, she has collaborated with the likes of Rae & Christian and Yesking and produces under the moniker Mjiri.
With a career spanning many different media formats, Daniel's music can be heard in his work for clients such as BBC, ITV, Jason Bruges Studio and Warner Music Group.
Cristiano is an Ableton-certified trainer, producer and sound engineer. Utilising his vast knowledge of music technology, he has helped design studios for clients such as Dubfire, Nicole Moudaber and Kevin Saunderson, to name a few.
Jan has worked on projects with major artists that include Oasis, Paul Weller, The Prodigy and KT Tunstall. He also has a number 1 album, 'Sonik Kicks', and an incredible live tour under his belt.
David Stone is one half of Drum n Bass act Gerra & Stone & his work has received regular plays across BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & Kiss FM. His tracks regularly chart in Beatport top 10 . He's also a successful DJ & PB graduate.
As one half of Phaze Action, Robin has spent a decade defining his sound and delivering tracks with both musical depth and accessibility, releasing on acclaimed labels and remixing artists such as Femi Kuti, Metronomy and Saint Etienne.
Tom Green AKA Rockwell has released on Metalheadz, Ministry Of Sound and Sony Music; toured the world as an international DJ, appearing at events and venues like Fabric, Ultra Europe & Glastonbury.
With a Top 5 UK hit, Top 20 hits in Germany, Holland, France and a No. 1 in Italy, Chris has remixed over 100 songs for global artists and performed at events inc Glastonbury, Coachella, Womad & more.
Robin is a composer for film and TV, having worked for clients such as Channel 4, National Geographic & Panasonic. He won the award for Best Music at the British Independent Film Festival for his original score of the film 'Retreat'.
Active in the music industry since the 80's with extensive A&R, DJ and broadcast experience with Kiss FM and MTV. Self-published novel about the industry and presents a weekly show on mi-soul.com.
Worked as A&R manager at Fierce Panda who discovered Coldplay & Keane. Ellie booked festivals & ran 100s of successful industry events. She runs her own label & live promotion company Cool For Cats.
Frank McWeeny is a studio director and content producer at the BBC. He also presents French Toast Radio which has received praise from Annie Mac, and makes documentaries for Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM.
Mark runs Big Smoke Studios and is a recording engineer, mix engineer, musician, producer and lecturer with over 20 years of professional experience and industry practice.
Signed as 'Legion’ to legendary Ram Records run by Andy C. Has written, recorded, engineered and released countless hits, including credit on multi-platinum US chart smash Future - "F*ck up some Commas".
Beginning his career as a Jazz guitarist, performing alongside artists such as Pierre-Alaina Goualch, Claude has since created soundtracks for games such as 'Penguin Tales' and 'My Time at Portia'.
Heath Holme is an Ibiza-based, electronic music artist and DJ. Renowned for his sophisticated deep techno style as well as his music production.
Venetia is a passionate teacher of English for academia, having a M.Ed. in Teaching English and a B.A. in English Language and Literature. She has taught English to students of various levels in the UK and abroad.
Ben is keyboard player for Pest (Ninja Tune). As a producer he has releases on Bonus Round, Don't Records, Victim Records and more. His live show has been to Berghain, Boomtown, Bloc and Uglyfunk & more.
Noel has had a varied career in the music industry working as a songwriter, producer and engineer, having worked with Sony Music, Universal Music, Universal Films, Polydor Records and Warner / Parlophone.
Top guitarist Dave works live and records with artists such as Craig David, Sugababes, LL Cool J, Redman, Jocelyn Brown, Candi Staton & Bobby Womack. Dave records guitar sessions for students at PB.
James specialises in music for the concert hall and theatre, as well as to accompany films, television and animations. He's collaborated with many major brands, including Sony, 3M and Chevrolet.
An Ibiza-based music producer & DJ, Pierpaolo has been honing his DJ skills in Europe since moving in 2009. He currently DJs across Ibiza with his Planet 7 project and has performed live with his live techno project, Nors.
Electronic engineer, performer, instructor and veteran DJ and producer. Over a decade of experience in the studio and onstage. His body of studio work shows a mastery of music creation techniques.
John has worked as a producer, musical director and bassist for numerous artists, including Freddie Dickson and Riot Jazz, as well as working for brands such as Sony, Warner, Universal and VEVO.
He's the founder of Sound of Everything Records which has amassed a back catalogue of over 200 releases. Yannis is a music professional with a background in Entertainment Law and Digital Marketing.
A Lisbon-born, London-based audio professional with extensive studio and live experience. Credits range from pop to urban and alternative. Has worked with acts signed to Universal, Sony and Warner.
Darren Henry, a.k.a Quest, is a pioneer of the UK Dubstep sound since its inception back in the early 2000s, with releases on top tier labels including Deep Medi Music and Dub Police.
Releases on One Inch Punch, Bad Sekta & Frogs as Ronin. DJs on radio. Tours complex Ableton Live work around world playing with Vex’d, Milanese, Crystal Distortion, Hellfish & Dead Silence Syndicate.
Has worked for leading sound design agencies Replay Heaven and Sample Magic on numerous hit records. Released and produced under various guises and teaches music technology theory across the world.
Aka Mr Dex. DJ'd with Ghostface & Raekwon (Wu-Tang), Omar, Estelle, Sway, Scratch Perverts and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Hosts The DeX Files weekly on itch.fm/live. Member of ‘A Bunch of Deckheads’ DJ agency.
Championed by Ellen Degeneres once she signed to Atlantic Records in the USA, Ellie has had a 5-year sponsorship with Quicksilver, as well as achieving many top-10 Beatport Trance releases.
Recording, mixing and mastering engineer for artists including Tinie Tempah, Katy B, Craig David, Beckie G, Fetty Wap, Kelis, Nadia Rose, Wretch 32, Kideko, Sinead Harnett and many more.
Producer/Engineer/Sound Designer with over 30 years of experience. Worked with Dave Stewart at The Church. Credits include Gary Barlow, Gene, Warm Jets, Placebo, Boy George, D’Influence amongst many others.
A prolific and successful writer, singer and producer with a US Billboard #1 and over 40 releases in over 15 years of adventures in the music industry.
Tom has worked in the music industry for over 15 years. From DJing in top clubs, including Ministry of Sound, Egg and Pacha, working at record labels or writing electronic music, he has always held a passion for music.
Worked with Judge Jules, Sonique, Spiller, Marco V & Sophie Ellis Bextor. Remixed Freddie Mercury, Kylie Minogue & Tom Jones. Makes audio for Dreamworks, Reebok, Sony & Premier League.
Ben mixes sound for artists touring UK, Europe, USA, Japan, Australia & New Zealand. Mixed 30,000 capacity festivals & London venues Brixton Academy, Forum, O2 Academy, Koko, Shepherds Bush Empire.
Known as 'BB', Roberta has trained in singing for more than 15 years. She's a highly regarded vocal coach in both the UK and EU, with her own breakthrough method in developing voices.
Nathaniel Morse was the winner of Redbull's first United States "3style" DJ battle in LA. He was awarded “Best DJ in LA” and then “Best DJ in America” by the Sun Times in 2014 & 2015 respectively.
Aka Hektagon, debut 'London' (Freaks of Nature) was supported by Mary Anne Hobbs in Bass Music scene. Remixes for Baobinga, ID, High Frequency Bandwidth, Piece of Shh...show his eclectic taste.
Dale combines House, Trance, Progressive & Electronica. Releases on Napith, High Contrast, Vandit & Perfecto prefaced his own imprint CDRY. He wrote Kerosene with Dogzilla & indie band Belasco.
Rory spent many years working with music and sound before choosing to specialise in creative sound design for games. He continues to freelance in the games industry while inspiring students to do the same.
Starting out in the 80's, Dave's incredible adventures include Psychic TV, Anne Clark, ONU Sound System, Andy Weatherall, Lee Scratch Perry, Billy Ray Martin, with countless albums and live projects.
An Ableton Live expert, Ben has worked with artists such as Little Boots, Rudimental & Damian Lazarus. His approach to performance is influenced by his extensive use of hardware and effects.
Julian has scored global hit records as one half of Stretch & Vern and Reflekt & has written for Kylie Minogue, Little Boots & Dirty Vegas as a Sony/ATV-signed writer.
DJ KD or Deeptektiff has almost two decades of experience in the Dj industry. He has performed with acts like Yousef, Justin Prime, Prok & Fitch, Sultan & Ned Shepard, Paul Thomas & more.
Mercury Prize nominee Sam Willis has released with R&S, KOMPAKT & Black Acre and remixed for Caribou, Simian Mobile Disco & Panda Bear. Was Head of Press at Rough Trade Records and Head of A&R at R&S.
Adi designed sound for nine major racing titles, engineered for Pulp, developed plugins and has MSc, MA & PGCE qualifications.
Stavros has multiple sample pack number 1s and his music has featured on HBO, BBC & other platforms. Runs Inside Out Records.
Certified Ableton Trainer with releases on Beijing-based label Do Hits. Residency for Bristol’s Noods Radio. Explores experimental and underground from ambient to club music, soundtracks for motion pictures and performance art.
DJ/producer with 10+ years experience, releases on Universal, BMG, Island PMR, played Glastonbury, Movement (Detroit), Concrete (Paris), Output (NYC), etc. Radio host for BBC Radio 1 & Rinse FM.
Lead vocalist with Rudimental, played Glastonbury and Jools Holland. Replaced KT Tunstall in Oi Va Voi, also worked with The Nextmen, Basement Jaxx & The Earlies.
As lead singer of Infadels had #1 hits on UK & EU charts. Played Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds, Coachella, and co-wrote hits for Steve Angello, Charli XCX, Foxes, Armin van Buuren, etc.
Released music as Fracture for two decades on Metalheadz, Hospital & Exit Records. Remixes for Universal & Sony and global DJ tours. Runs the Astrophonica label & composes for BMG, APM & Intervox.
15+ years experience in live events. Co-founder of east London venue Kansas Smitty’s & manages the band of the same name. Proven deal maker, talent developer, brand builder.
DJ/producer/artist/songwriter featured on xlr8r has played London, Paris, Montreal, NYC, LA, SF. Industry work in Canada, US & UK for Warner, Native Instruments, Ivors Academy, Abbey Road Institute, etc.
What I went on to do – you couldn’t understand how beneficial it was for me to come and study with Point Blank and get the technical knowledge I needed first. - Benny Scarrs, Point Blank graduate and artist manager for Dave (Mercury Prize Winner)
What are the entry requirements for the Foundation Year course?
If you are interested in enrolling on one of our degree programmes but do not meet the entry requirements, the Foundation Year course could be for you. This course aims to build your confidence and provide you with the necessary transferable skills you need to progress onto one of our undergraduate degrees.
Entry requirements for the Foundation Year are:
Please note: This is not an exhaustive list of accepted qualifications. Other qualifications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
All material received by applicants as part of an application (portfolio, admissions tests etc.) will be used solely for admissions purposes. Applicants will retain all intellectual property rights on their own work and work will not be distributed outside of those Point Blank team members assessing applications.
Please note: Applicants who meet the grade requirements for our degree courses but do not have the relevant music experience may also be considered for the Foundation Year if this is a more suitable route.
Aluna Francis is half of AlunaGeorge. She studied production at PB before taking off to chart success with 'You Know You Like It' & No.1 hit 'White Noise' with Disclosure. Check out her awesome video.
Everyone knows Leona from X Factor. Before she won it, Leona wowed her fellow students on our Singing Course. "Her talent was obvious" said her instructor, "and her success thoroughly deserved."
After graduating, Felix went to #1 in 11 countries with 'Cheerleader'. He says: "PB enabled me to network with other young artists & learn from each other. I’m still working with some of them!"
Luiz Guilherme Cardoso, one half of the Brazilian duo Cat Dealers, took our DJ Certificate and Complete Mixing and Mastering online course and has since gone on to rank at #74 in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs in 2017.
Internationally renowned hip-hop DJ and producer. Worked with Wu-Tang members RZA, Raekwon and Ghostface, and DJ'ed for the likes of 50 Cent, Alesso and Travis Scott.
With 1,500,000 Facebook followers, Sri-Lankan born Arjun is a South Asian pop superstar. His single ‘I’ll Be Waiting” charted at #1 on iTunes India and spent 30 weeks on the BBC Asian Download Chart.
Izzy cites Amy, Adele & Ella as heroines and has a freshness to her sound (reverby guitars, handclaps, gospel piano) which you’ll love. We’re so proud we helped hone her craft at PB!
After studying our Music Production and Sound Engineering Diploma, Sanchit Balhara went on to compose for some of Bollywood's biggest films including the smash hits Ram-Leela & Bajirao Mastani.
Imogen has gone on to play at Berghain and support the likes of Ben UFO and Nina Kraviz at Printworks, London. She's released music on techno institution Earwiggle on Sunil Sharpe's compilation EP.
Will has released chart topping records on Dirtybird & Defected, has remixed for Riva Starr, Hot Natured, Jamie Jones & Azari & III and his radio show has over half a million monthly listeners.
Plastician started Terrorhythm Recordings & established his name as key grime producer Toured USA with Aphex Twin's Rephlex label & featured on the Grime album. Remixed M.I.A.'s URAQT track for XL.
Award winning Sound Designer for Game of Thrones, Lost & Tropic Thunder. Took multiple online courses at PB and says: "The courses put me way outside my comfort zone - and that’s a good thing!"
BBC Presenter. Made his name on 1Xtra, now presenting early breakfast on Radio 1. A DJ since age 14, when Dev decided to get serious about making his own beats, he swiftly enrolled at Point Blank.
US based Juan released three disco-influenced albums in ten years on DFA. Studied Deep & Minimal House to expand his production style & toured extensively with DJ sets & live performances since then.
Internationally-renowned DJ and producer, recently hitting #1 on Beatport alongside fellow PB alumni Patrick Topping with their 'Paradise on Earth' mix series. Nathan has taken a number of our online courses.
PB Certificate student Travis is a KCRW DJ spinning lost un-classics, playful electronics, spine-snapping breaks and a quirky selection of mind-melting grooves by the pound. Served fresh weekly.
Kamel aka Dead-Tones is Guy Gerber’s protege, personal assistant and tour manager. Over Summer he is based in Ibiza as Rumours' main resident, and has releases on labels including Kindisch, Motek, Dialtones Records.
Andre, head honcho of OFF Recordings, has had a slew of successful releases on the likes of Ovum, 100% Pure and Sleaze. He has toured and performed with huge success in all corners of the globe.
Alysha Wood joins Gemma Cairney, Monki & Mistajam as Point Blank graduates who enjoy successful radio careers. Alysha has worked on the new Chris Moyles Radio X launch among other achievements.
"I was introduced to Fierce Panda & Ho Hum Records by my PB music business tutor. It was a great opportunity for me and led to where I’m working now as International Manager in music promotions".
Since studying at Point Blank, Halina has become an established and distinctive voice within electronic music with several releases, including her album 'REDUX', under her belt.
Varun Murali is an integral member of hugely popular Swarathma, one of India's leading folk-rock bands. With several international tours & TV appearances, they are India's most sought after indie act.
Spoony is a legend in UK dance music having brought garage to the masses in 2000 as part of the Dreem Team. He's since gone on to become a staple on Five Live but proved he's always learning by enrolling at PB!
Paradoks began his studies with us on our degree program in 2017. Since then, his release, 'Eternal', on Timeless Moment, reached #1 on Beatport.
DJ/Producer Reiki (Tay Jean) DJ’s at SBTRK, Dubfx & Kalbata & in Jamaica. Influences: hybrid music genres fused with both Eastern & Western elements, Reiki's MINDPORT EP was a killer!
”PB was one of the best things I did. My tutors still keep in touch & give me advice. I met amazing people." Rachel is now Resident DJ at Hed Kandi, and A&R at Island Records.
After studying Sound Engineering, Composing Film & TV, Ableton & Advanced Composition with us in 2017, Weibird has gone from strength to strength, amassing a huge following and millions of views on YouTube.
Cathleen has been dancing all her life & already accomplished a bunch of amazing things while studying at PB. She toured with Kanye West as part of his creative team and is a DJ and classically trained pianist.
After taking a variety of online courses, DJ/Producer Detboi saw his crazy brand of tropical flavoured, bass-heavy rave skyrocket. Releases on Skint, Surface Noise & Herve's Cheap Thrills.
Co-founder of 'A Club Called Rhonda', has organized parties in LA & beyond for the past 8 years. Known for its stylish crowd and underground vibe, Rhonda hosts up-and-coming DJs and artists alike.
The Canadian-Lebanese artist has stacked up releases on Paul van Dyk’s VANDIT label, played The Gallery at Ministry of Sound as well as Tranceport tours in Argentina and had a residency for London’s The Energy Box during his time at PB.
PB graduate Gina holds residencies in top California night clubs, tours internationally & plays festivals around the world from Rhythm & Vines in New Zealand, to Soundwave Canada & Burning Man.
Remixed Beyonce, Rihanna & Leona Lewis, BT’s ‘Flaming June’, The Gossip, Junkie XL & Duffy. Says G: "The Sound Design course brought everything together for me and gave me the kick start I needed."
After a string of headline shows at top international festivals & singing to Ministry of Sounds 'Unitrash', R3WIRE landed a role as music curator, host and ambassador to MTV UK's 'Club MTV'.
Basheba has received backing from SBTV, Afro Punk, Mobo & Vevo and radio support from BBC London, Radio 1, Radio 1 Xtra, Kiss FM & Capital Xtra. She has also been featured on MTV UK & US.
International Music Production & Sound Engineering Diploma graduate Nikhil Mehta released on Starter Records, Cr2 & Armada Trice as well as garnering support from the likes of Nicky Romero & Tiesto.
After studying on our Radio Course, Anna went on to work on radio shows including BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra, Ministry of Sound Radio, Rinse FM & Kiss FM. She currently works for Beats 1 & Apple Music.
Composes music for One Direction, Versace, Chevrolet, Lexus, SBTV and many more. Originally, Jake won a pitch for a global Swatch advert campaign, an opportunity that was presented to him right here at Point Blank.
Lebanese-French singer-songwriter Anthony Touma attended our Singing Course in 2016. Since graduating, Anthony has gone on to sign with Universal Music and release his international debut single, ‘Walk Away’.
| Fees (UK) | Fees (non-UK) |
|---|---|
| £25 reg fee + balance of £6,000 | £25 reg fee + balance of £9,000 |
| £25 reg fee + £2,000 per term | |
| See details during the enrolment process. | |
Please note, the fees for the Foundation year will be increasing to £9,250 for home students and £12,250 for international students for the September 2022 intake onwards.
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.
Point Blank is committed to making music education accessible to people of all backgrounds. We are delighted to offer our scholarships, bursaries and funds to support this commitment. These include a range of awards that aim to nurture talent as well as provide access to higher education for specific under-represented groups in higher education.
You can find a range of scholarships, bursaries and funds on offer by accessing our dedicated scholarships page.
