Popular Music Studies minor
Whether it be record labels, concert promoters, radio and media agencies or music publishers – the creative economy offers many employment opportunities and is one of Europe’s largest employers. The English Minor in Popular Music Studies will enhance your Major in the field of economics or humanities by bringing in the perspective of international pop music research. Furthermore, the Minor offers the opportunity to carry out your own projects in collaboration with stakeholders of the music and media industries.
Studying Popular Music Studies minor
The Popular Music Studies’ Programme, the first Germany-wide to be conducted exclusively in the English language, operates in international networks and discourses. This enables you to rub shoulders with players from the fields of research and practice.
At the same time, the project modules offer the opportunity to implement your own projects. This enables you to build early connections with potential employers in the music and media industry.
Course content
In the English Minor, you first acquire a basic overview of the research field of Popular Music Studies. The interdisciplinary team of lecturers takes anthropological, sociological, musicological, historical, and economic perspectives of pop music into account.
Thus, you will focus on the sociology of music, as well as music history and current issues of international pop music research.
You will also develop, design and evaluate your own ideas and plans, closely working with stakeholders in the creative industries. You will receive academic support in the planning, implementation and evaluation of your practical projects.
Exp(ear)ience Festival
Students organised the Exp(ear)ience Festival.
Course Structure
The Popular Music Studies minor is embedded in the interdisciplinary College study model with Leuphana Semester, Major and Complementary Studies. You start your Bachelor studies with the Leuphana semester. The first semester at Leuphana College gives you the opportunity to deal fundamentally with science. The Minor deepens or supplements your Major with another subject area. In Complementary Studies you have the freedom to pursue your thirst for knowledge individually by immersing yourself in a different field of knowledge each semester.
Compulsory modules
Leuphana Semester
- Responsibility and Sustainability
- Humanities
- Methods I
- Methods II: Disciplinary Methods
- Introduction to the discipline
Second semester
- Popular Music Studies
- 4 major modules
- 1 Complementary Studies modules
Third semester
- Popular Music Histories
- 1 Complementary Studies modules
Forth semester
- Sociology of Popular Music
- Research on Popular Music
- 3 major modules
- 1 Complementary Studies module
Fifth semester
- Popular Music Projects
- 3 major modules
- 1 Complementary Studies module
Sixth semester
- Bachelor dissertation
- 1 major module
- 2 Complementary Studies modules
Study regulations / Subject-Specific Schedule
- You will find detailed information on the study contents of the minor modules in the Subject-Specific Schedule to Popular Music Studies minor.
Possible combinations of majors (main subjects)
The Popular Music Studies minor can be studied in combination with one of the following Major:
- Cultural Studies (GER)
- Digital Media (ENG)
- Economics (GER)
- International Business Administration and Entrepreneurship (ENG)
- Law (Corporate and Business Law) (GER)
- Studium Individuale (ENG)
Language of instruction
ENG English-language major: no German required
GER German-language major: German required
Profession and Career
The Minor in Popular Music Studies will provide you with the qualification, depending on your Major’s focus, for various activities in the field of music and creative industries:
- Media Management
- Cultural Management
- Concert agencies
- Activities working for content aggregators
- Press and public relation work
- Journalism & editing
At a glance
- final degree: Popular Music Studies minor can only be studied in combination with a major
- admission restrictions: yes
- number of student places: 35
- teaching and examination language: English
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Events for prospective students
College Open Day
Dates to be announced
Contact persons
Initial Information
Information Office (Infoportal)
Building 8, ground floor
Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg
Phone +49.4131.677-2277
Fax +49.4131.677-1430
infoportal@leuphana.de
Opening hours
Term time & term break:
Mon - Thu 9 - 16 h
Fr 9 - 12 h
Arrange an appointment
College's Student Counselling Service
Building 8, ground floor
Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg
Open Consultation Hours
Wed 11 – 13 h (on campus)
Thu 16 – 18 h (via Zoom)
Programme Director
- Prof. Dr. Monika Schoop