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.

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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

Possible combinations of majors (main subjects)

The Popular Music Studies minor can be studied in combination with one of the following Major:

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

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