2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Programme Catalogue

MA Musicology

Total credits: 180

Entry requirements:

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

Music

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

Programme specification:

This course offers a foundation in musicological thought and practice, opportunities to develop specialised applied, editorial, archival, critical and theoretical skills, and the chance to produce a significant piece of work in a musicological area of your choice, regardless of your musical tastes and preferences. 

Through core modules you’ll explore a broad range of theoretical and methodological approaches to musicology, applied research methods, and issues that affect our understanding, reception and interpretation of music. You may also choose an optional module that will enable you to focus on a specific area of music in depth, such as performance, electronic music, or music psychology. Together, the core and optional modules will provide you with the knowledge and skills to develop musicological projects according to your own interests. 

Your major project will take the form of a dissertation with a specific musicological focus, or a piece of applied or practice-led work such as an editing or transcription project, or an archival or fieldwork study, defining your topic in consultation with one of our expert staff. In addition to this, you may optionally choose to undertake a second, smaller musicological project on a topic of your own choice (a Short Dissertation, an Individual Project or, subject to approval, an International Research Project). 

The course provides a logical progression from undergraduate music courses and will equip you with a range of skills desired by employers and of value in further research at MPhil/PhD level. 

We have a variety of excellent facilities to support your learning, including rehearsal, performance and practice spaces, recording and electronic music studios, a music psychology lab, and five libraries that provide access to a wide range of books, periodicals, and online resources. The Special Collections housed in our beautiful Brotherton Library contain significant collections of music manuscripts, rare printed music and letters from composers and critics to help inform your work. 

We have close working relationships with prestigious arts organisations: we host BBC Radio 3 concerts, Leeds Lieder and the Leeds International Piano Competition, and we engage with the flagship DARE partnership between the University and Opera North. We are also closely associated with Leeds Baroque and we engage with many other performing arts organisations in Leeds, which enjoys a thriving music and cultural scene. 

Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 60 credits from the following optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 30 credits from the following optional modules:

Last updated: 16/05/2024 15:46:11

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