MA in Music

Study modules

Compulsory modules

• Research Skills and Applied Research (30 credits)
  This module provides a grounding in the skills and methodologies required for studying music at the postgraduate level and in the practical application of research skills in the workplace. The seminars fall into three categories. Some develop generic and subject-specific masters-level research skills. Other sessions develop your awareness of recent critical debates within musical scholarship. Finally, further sessions provide training in the practical application of research skills and the promotion of your research to a range of audiences via broadcasting, journalism, programme notes, websites and social media.
  While the module develops skills and knowledge applicable to entry into any professional work environment associated with music, the module also provides the requisite training to continue to a PhD in music and a vocational session is provided on entering the academic profession.

Optional modules

• Composition Pathway
  Approaches to Experimental Composition and Sound Arts:
  This module provides you with an opportunity to enhance your understanding of contemporary practices in experimental composition and sound arts whilst introducing you to listening strategies that will enable you to engage critically with the sounding world.
  Electroacoustic and Live Electronic Composition:
  This module gives you the opportunity to focus on electroacoustic composition and live electronic composition, including interactive computer music. You will enhance your technical and analytical skills, building upon previous experience in composition. You will develop a body of research that might include recordings, software patches and installations - and reflect upon this through seminar feedback sessions.
• Musicology pathway
  Students taking the Musicology pathway take Advanced Musicology 1 in Semester 1, which aims to enable you to develop an in-depth understanding of current developments in musicology, either in the field of nineteenth-century music studies or film music studies. You would then take Musicology 2 in Semester 2, which focuses on either the field of popular music studies or opera studies. In this module, you will review a performance: either a gig or an opera. Students taking Musicology 1 and 2 need to decide from the start which fields they would like to include. For example, possible combinations are nineteenth-century music and opera, film music and opera, nineteenth-century music and popular music or film music and popular music.

Independent study or work experience

• Professional Experience (30 credits)
  The Professional Experience module prepares you for a future career in one of three ways: through work experience in a sector of the music industry relevant to your academic and career interests, through a placement with one of our research units, or through focused independent research relevant to further study at the doctoral level.
  Typical work experience might consist of undertaking a placement with a broadcasting company, an arts-related museum, a concert organisation or opera house, or teaching in a school. Students undertaking an independent research project might choose to develop and practice new research skills (e.g. editing, archival work, language skills, digital humanities) or explore new research or composition interest separate from their dissertation.
  Students undertake an associated work-based project, with outcomes agreed beforehand between student, module leader and a partner institution if applicable.

Final project

• Dissertation / Major Project (60 credits)
  This module offers you the opportunity to develop an extended independent research project at the end of the course. This enables you to deploy skills, knowledge and understanding gained during the course in producing a substantial piece of written work or practice-based outputs.
  This can be a critical examination, through independent study and extended written work of an appropriate musicological topic, theme or issue. Recent topics have been as varied as music and gender in Disney films, the institutional failure of nineteenth-century English opera, and Japanese musical responses to the Tohoku earthquake. Alternatively, a portfolio of practice-based work is also acceptable, presented and documented as appropriate to feature an agreed combination of compositions, installations, site-based work, live electronic applications.

Having an MA will make you stand out from the crowd, whether you are joining the course straight after graduating from undergraduate study or returning to study after a break of several years.

Our MA will provide you with the skills and knowledge to embark upon a career in music or to improve your current position. The transferable skills you acquire through studying for an MA in Music can also lead to careers in many other sectors, including management, law, journalism, media and the heritage industry.

Career destinations of our recent graduates include:

• professional composition
• performance
• sound engineering
• arts administration
• HE administration
• teaching (secondary and FE)
• retail management
• youth work.

Our programme provides the necessary research training for doctoral work and many MA students continue on into further research and pursue careers in academia. Our students have an excellent success rate in securing funded PhD places.