Masters degree in Music
Our Masters course, which can be taken full-time over one year or part-time over two years, starting in September, has recently been enhanced to create one of the most flexible, contemporary and distinctive courses in the UK. It is possible to build a bespoke course – around your specific interests, or conversely to profit from the variety of topics on offer – and to include a module from a different department.
MA in Music
The MA provides a solid foundation for those intending to proceed to doctoral research. It also offers a stimulating and exciting experience for those still wondering whether or not to embark on a PhD, and for those wishing to further their skills and to enhance their career opportunities by taking a prestigious higher degree.
Formal tuition is supplemented by a range of other provision offered by the Department and the University. Fortnightly music colloquia form the cornerstone of the Department’s research culture, involving internationally renowned guest speakers. The Department hosts an annual Postgraduate Day, giving students an opportunity to deliver papers on their research, and there is a schedule of more informal events organised by students (including a reading group and a forum, one-off study days and conferences, and a lively schedule of performance and composition activities). Students enjoy the facilities provided in a dedicated postgraduate room.
Course structure
The formal programme of study (180 credits in total) comprises four 30-credit modules plus a final 60-credit project, which offers a choice of dissertation, composition portfolio, recital, or recital and project. All students take modules on essential research techniques and approaches to musicology, which provide training in an array of generic and subject-specific skills and include a trip to the music collections at the British Library in London.
Among the optional modules, there is a wide variety of research seminars on specialist topics such as film music, opera, philosophical approaches, early music, and contemporary issues. In addition, modules on historical and cultural studies and critical and analytical studies examine key developments in recent musicological thought.
Download 2011/12 MA curriculum
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