University of Nottingham announce closure of music and languages departments

The University of Nottingham’s council have approved the ‘Future Nottingham’ restructuring programme, a business plan that includes the permanent closure of their music department in “one of the biggest changes this university has seen in its 145-year history”.

The University of Nottingham has been providing music courses for over a century and while current students are permitted to complete their degrees, the courses provided by their music department will be terminated for new students. 

Head of Music Dr Hannah Robbins confirmed the closures in a LinkedIn post: “I am sorry to confirm that the University of Nottingham has chosen to close the Department of Music. This includes the termination of three undergraduate Music programmes”. 

Music will instead continue to be supported at the university through extracurricular activities, namely their Lakeside Arts programme which includes choirs, orchestras, performances and other creative opportunities. 

Similarly, the University of Nottingham has said that music-related research will be continued and encouraged through their School of Computer Science. 

In a statement about the Future Nottingham programme, the University of Nottingham said: “We are still not generating enough from our day-to-day activities to invest in our future, nor have the wider pressures facing higher education abated. Student recruitment remains highly competitive, and future financial pressures such as inflation and rising costs continue to rise”. 

Modern foreign languages and American and Canadian Studies programmes have also received similar news with both departments also facing closures. Students will instead be able to take modern language modules.