Masters Degrees (Ethnomusicology)

Join one of the UK’s leading learning environments for the study of music, combining world-leading research, exceptional teaching and a vibrant musical community in the heart of global London.

Who is it for?

Students interested in extending their knowledge and developing critical and research skills in ethnomusicology.

The course provides a rigorous training relevant to a range of professional careers, including further study at doctoral level.

We welcome students from all over the world and from a range of backgrounds.

Objectives

Combining academic rigour with a flexible course structure, the MA Ethnomusicology introduces students to new ways of thinking about music in its cultural contexts, with a particular focus on ethnographic work in urban settings.

Students consider current issues and debates in ethnomusicology and explore the complex interrelationships between music and other subjects, and between theory and creative practice. The course provides a rich creative environment in which to develop critical approaches to musical practices. The MA offers a range of options, with students able to focus project work on areas of individual interest. The course also provides training in fundamental research skills.

We have an outstanding reputation for dynamic, inspring and rigorous postgraduate eduation and offer exceptional support to our students.

Our students come from all over the world and benefit from our location in the heart of London, one of the world’s greatest cultural hubs.

Placements

The professional work placement is an elective module giving you the opportunity to work in the cultural sector to apply the skills you have gained from the programme so far.

When it comes to the organisation, it is totally up to you. Previous students have gained experience with the Southbank Centre, The British Library, IMG Artists, LIFT, Arts Council England and the British Film Institute.

Academic facilities

Music students can take advantage of our advanced recording and composition studios, a professional performance space, computer laboratories, rehearsal rooms, practice rooms and world music instruments.

Our composition studios include three surround (8.1/ 5.1) studios, one of which is dedicated to film and live electronics work, and three stereo composition studios. All of the studios are equipped for sound editing, processing and mixing. As well as general software such as Logic, Sibelius and Pro Tools, these studios are equipped with Native Instruments Komplete.

The recording studio is equipped to deliver multitrack recording and mixing to a professional standard.

Scholarships

We are offering one full fee-waiver scholarship for entry to any of our MA pathways in September 2017.

The Robert Anderson Scholarship provides a full-fee waiver at UK/EU rates. International students are also eligible to apply and if successful will have the equivalent UK/EU fee amount deducted from the international fee. The deadline for applications is Friday 5th May 2017.

In addition to your main application, scholarship applications should include:
-A CV indicating your studies and achievements to date.
-A statement indicating why you feel you are particularly deserving of such an award and outlining the contribution you will make to the Music Department.

Teaching and learning

Teaching is through lectures, small group seminars and one-to-one tutorials in which students receive supervision from world-leading researchers.

In addition, we arrange off-site visits, such as to the British Library or to relevant conferences. Project work also involves engaging with external organisations, including local communities.

We use a range of assessment types, including extended projects, portfolio submissions and written examinations. Assessment will depend on the particular modules chosen by students.

We have a vibrant postgraduate community and there are plenty of opportunities for involvement in our many ensembles, including Javanese and Balinese gamelans, Middle Eastern ensemble and Latin ensemble.

We host a regular concert series and an annual summer music festival. In addition, there are regular workshops, visiting speakers and research seminars, and we also host occasional conferences.

Modules

MA Ethnomusicology students take two core modules (total 60 credits), two or three elective modules (total 30 or 60 credits), and also produce a final Ethnomusicology Major Project (60 or 90 credits).

A typical 30 credit taught module involves two hours of lectures/seminars per week over a ten-week teaching term, plus a total of one-hour tutorial supervision over the course of the module (usually two thirty minute meetings). In addition, the MA involves a significant amount of self-directed study, including preparation between classes, and researching and writing projects, equivalent to about 18 hours per week over a fifteen-week period (from the start of teaching to the final assessment).

Students take two core modules in the first term, followed by elective modules in the second term (for part-time students the modules are spread over two years).

Core modules
-Critical Readings in Musicology (30 credits)
-Researching Music in Contemporary Culture (30 credits)

Elective modules
-Music Special Project (30 credits)
-Interdisciplinarity and Collaborative Process (30 credits)
-Urban Ethnomusicology (30 credits)
-Historical Musicology (30 credits)

Plus a range of elective modules in the Departments of Sociology and International Politics:
-Professional Placement (15 credits)
-Audiences and Marketing (15 credits)
-Digital cultures (15 credits)
-Culture (15 credits)
-Cultural Policy (15 credits)
-Public Culture: The Politics of Participation (15 credits)
-Global Cultural Industries, Ethics and Social Responsibility (15 credits)
-Celebrity (15 credits)
-Global Ethics: Principles, Power and Politics (30 credits)
-Development in Communications Policy (30 credits)
-Political Communication (30 credits)
-Human Rights and the Transformation of World Politics (30 credits)
-International Organisations in Global Politics (15 credits)
-Theories of International Politics (30 credits)
-Political Islam in Global Politics (15 credits)
-The Politics of Forced Migration (15 credits)
-Global Governance (15 credits)
-International Politics of the Middle East (15 credits)
-Development and World Politics (15 credits)

(NB: Elective module choices are subject to availability and timetabling constraints).

Dissertation
The MA culminates in a 60 or 90 credit Ethnomusicology Major Project, an extended independent project on an ethnomusicological topic running through the spring and summer terms, which students complete by the end of August. All projects will include an ethnographic component and can take the form of a 12-15,000 (60 credit) or 15-20,000 (90 credit) word dissertation, an ethnographic film and accompanying written commentary, or a lecture-recital and accompanying written commentary.

Career prospects

Our MA programmes have excellent employment statistics. Students have gone on to teach, compose and perform in a wide variety of settings and are also employed in areas such as music publishing, broadcasting, music management, arts administration and further musical study at MPhil or PhD level. Alumni are currently working in high-profile roles, including in organisations such as the Southbank Centre and the Halle Orchestra.

Examples include:
-Justine Fancy, PR Manager at MAMA & Company, live music company.
-Rachel Swindells, Gamelan & Community Projects Officer, Halle Orchestra.
-Meliz Serman, Head of Music, Davenport Foundation School.
-Javier Alvarez, International Award-Winning Composer.

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Theoretical and practical grounding in the discipline of ethnomusicology, as well as the opportunity to develop performance and ethnographic skills, regional expertise, and a deeper understanding of global music – just some of what you can expect to develop on the MMus Ethnomusicology. This programme is tailored for musicians and musicologists, anthropologists, teachers and composers, as well as those dedicated to developing an in-depth knowledge of a specific music tradition.

You will study with the largest and most influential team of ethnomusicologists in the UK, who are experts in the musical traditions of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Jewish world. You will be part of a thriving culture of performance, research and active engagement with music around the globe.

The programme will suit those looking for a springboard into further research or employment in a range of music-related fields including journalism, industry, NGOs and education, and often serves as a conversion route for those trained predominantly in western music traditions.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/music/programmes/mmusethnomus/

Structure

The MMus programme involves taking three courses and writing a 11,000-word dissertation. In addition to these formal elements, students are expected to attend regular postgraduate and public seminars and may also participate in performance ensemble classes and other activities.

Course Detail

The four formal elements of the MMus Ethnomusicology programme are:

1. The full unit core course Ethnomusicology in Practice.
A broad introduction to the major themes of ethnomusicological study. Taught as a weekly two-hour lecture/seminar with additional tutorials. Part-time students must take this in their first year.

2. The Dissertation in Music.
A special study 11,000 words in length on a topic agreed with the candidate's supervisor. This will normally relate to the "major region" chosen below, but may instead deal with a theoretical or comparative topic. Part-time students normally take this in their final year.

Teaching & Learning

The Department of Music has been highly rated for teaching and research in all recent assessment exercises, and is regularly ranked amongst the top Music departments in the UK in Good University Guides.

Music students have access to the large Main Library of the School which holds numerous books, journals and recordings relevant to the study of ethnomusicology and world music, as well as the nearby British Library Sound Archive and other London libraries and museums.

The SOAS Library holds copies of standard reference works on music, such as the current edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. The Grove dictionary and the RILM database can also be accessed on line from computer terminals in the Library or elsewhere on the SOAS network. Listening facilities are provided in the Library, and most CDs are available on short loan. Among special items in the Department’s collections are:

- field recordings, films and slides
- a large working collection of musical instruments from Asia and Africa
- extensive staff collections relating to specific research interests

Employment

A postgraduate degree in Ethnomusicology from SOAS gives students greater intercultural awareness, improved competency in performance and a better understanding of global music which will enable them to continue in the field of research or engage in related work. Equally, they develop a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and creative capacities including interpersonal skills, communication skills, focus, team work, passion and dedication. A postgraduate degree is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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About the course

Ethnomusicology is the study of music’s relationships to the social and cultural contexts in which it occurs, seeking to understand what music is, and the role it plays in human interactions and experiences. We boast one of the UK’s largest ethnomusicology sections, and our staff’s specialisms are unusually diverse, including: the music of Korea; folk music, dance and song of England, and of the British Isles, and North Indian classical music.

About us

Music at Sheffield attracts world-leading academics and musicians working in a wide range of specialist fields. This is reflected in the diversity of the MA programmes we offer, both on campus and by distance learning. Our courses are taught by experts and backed by world-class research. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) 84 per cent of our work was rated internationally excellent or world-leading.

We are influential in composition, ethnomusicology, musicology, performance, music technology, music management and psychology of music. Our MA programmes allow students to take advantage of the department’s distinctive interdisciplinary research environment and to be part of a strong postgraduate community by taking modules from other specialist areas. Our three research centres, Music, Mind, Machine; Sheffield Performer and Audience Research Centre, and Music and Wellbeing provide a hub for research collaborations in music psychology and audience research.

Performance is an important part of our work. You will have the chance to participate in orchestras, music theatre, contemporary music, folk and world traditions. We have strong links with the community, giving you the chance to volunteer with local arts organisations.

Your career

Our graduates are employed by universities, colleges, concert agencies and music promoters. Many work in education; others are performers in various genres, in the UK and abroad. Some work in recording studios.

Studios and equipment

We have a postgraduate research suite and several studios for advanced compositional work, software development, sound recording, laboratory and field experimentation, transcription, music notation and other research applications. You will have access to scores, books, periodicals, recordings and online resources.

Through a series of graduate study days you will be able to use the tools for digital recording, video and film. We also have excellent practice facilities and collections of historical and world music instruments.

Our team of professional musicians bring performance expertise to the department – including clarinettist Sarah Watts, pianist Inja Davidovic, jazz guitarist Ronan McCullagh and North Indian tabla and santoor performer John Ball.

Funding

University and faculty funding is available each year. The closing date for applications is mid-January. The department has a number of studentships available for our strongest candidates. The closing date for these is the end of April. You can also apply for a small grant to support your postgraduate research project.

Course tutors

Fay Hield, Simon Keegan-Phipps and Andrew Killick are at the forefront of their specialist fields.

Course content

See http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/music/prospective-pg/taught

Teaching and assessment

Seminars, individual tutorials and fieldwork. Assessment takes a variety of forms such as reports and essays. They are usually individual assessments, even if they concern the processes and outcomes of group work.

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This flexible pathway provides a solid masters-level foundation in ethnomusicology. With a strong focus on theory, methodology and current debates in the discipline, together with appropriate research techniques and presentational styles, it offers excellent preparation for doctoral study and also for applied work. The programme of study consists of four taught course units (each 30 credits) plus a dissertation (60 credits). The combination of core and optional course units allows each student to plot a path that best matches his or her special interests and aspirations. Together, the taught units encompass a wide range of topics and approaches - from gender and ethnicity, music and conflict, music revivals and performance culture, to postcolonial theory and the politics of ethnography. Seminars allow for close collaboration between lecturers and students, with ample opportunity for students to present their own work and receive individual feedback. Discussion and debate forms an important part of most course units.

All students on the MusM Music programme take Advanced Music Studies: Skills and Methodologies as their core unit. Students on the Ethnomusicology pathway also take Studying World Music Cultures: Themes and Debates and, usually, Ethno/Musicology in Action: Fieldwork and Ethnography . Other optional course units normally include Case Studies in Musicology: Texts and Histories ; and Historical or Contemporary Performance (subject to audition). A maximum of 30 credits may be chosen from another MA programme in the arts or social sciences (subject to availability and approval by the course tutor): possible options include Gender, Sexuality and the Body ; Filming History: Making Documentary Films for Research; and Documentary and Sensory Media . Students may also undertake a Work Placement with a local arts organisation or institution (by prior arrangement and subject to availability).

Aims

This programme aims to:
-Build on undergraduate studies of music and society and the cultural study of music, introducing students to a wide range of advanced methodologies, theories, discourses and practices.
-Enable students to refine and develop their individual skills, talents and interests.
-Prepare students for a career, either inside or outside music, where critical judgement and developed powers of communication are needed.
-Foster the skills in critical thinking, argumentation, and effective written and oral communication necessary for further postgraduate study.
-Enable students to gain an expert and detailed knowledge of a specialist topic, and to formulate ideas that can later be pursued within further research programmes.

Teaching and learning

Most taught course units are delivered via weekly seminars and/or tutorials. Full-time students take two 30-credit course units per semester; part-time students take one. The dissertation is supported by one-to-one supervision and is submitted at the beginning of September. (Part-time students may submit in either September or December following their second year of study.)

Seminars feature a range of presentation formats and activities, including presentations by course tutors, student presentations, discussion and debate based on prepared reading or coursework tasks, and workshop-style activities. Members of the academic staff are also available for individual consultations during designated office hours.

Alongside their taught units, students have access to a range of non-assessed seminars, workshops and training sessions offered by the Graduate School of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. All postgraduate students are expected to undertake their own programme of self-directed learning and skills acquisition. This may also involve wider reading, language work, computer training and attendance at research seminars in other parts of the university.

Coursework and assessment

There are no formal examinations. Taught course units are assessed by coursework essays or other tasks, normally submitted at the end of each semester (January and May). The precise nature of the assessment varies according to what is appropriate to the course unit in question. In most cases, a choice of questions or topics is offered. All taught units must be satisfactorily completed. The dissertation (12,000-15,000 words) is based on independent research into a topic agreed in consultation with the supervisor. A Research Outline needs to be presented and approved (usually in February) before students proceed with their dissertation. All coursework is double-marked internally and moderated by the External Examiner. Recitals are heard by at least two internal examiners.

Career opportunities

Graduates of this programme have pursued successful careers in musical and non-musical fields. Some continue to further study via a PhD before securing an academic position. Some go on to teach in schools or further education, both in the UK and overseas. Other areas of work for which advanced musical training has been directly relevant include arts management and the culture industries, music publishing, music journalism, librarianship, music therapy and performance. Careers outside of music have included accountancy, law, social work and human resources.

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The core of the programme comprises a research methods course designed to prepare students fully for academic research in musicology; a seminar course introducing students to a broad range of themes in contemporary musicology (including ethnomusicology); and a triple-weighted dissertation. The final 30 points can be taken from another Master’s module or two undergraduate modules offered by Music or another department.

Core Modules:

•Research Methods and Resources
•New Orientations in Theory and Musicology
•Dissertation

Optional Modules:

Either:
•Compositional Techniques

OR:
•Two 20 credit modules from the Undergraduate curriculum

OR:
•A 30 credit postgraduate module from another Department with approval from the Director of Postgraduate Studies.

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This course offers you the opportunity to specialise in either Composition or Musicology & Ethnomusicology and is taught in the heart of London with access to major arts centres. It covers a wide range of subjects: the Composition pathway enables you to work closely with your lecturers to study a variety of musical genres and styles and if you choose Musicology, you will benefit from seminars with leaders in the field covering the evolution of different musical forms and their role in and expression of the cultures in which they developed.

Key benefits

- Intensively taught programme covering a wide range of specialised topics.

- Provides a foundation for further research focusing on current approaches and advanced techniques.

- Musicology and Ethnomusicology students choose from historical, sociocultural and theoretical modules taught by distinguished staff (including two fellows of the British Academy).

- Composition students benefit from one-to-one lessons and participation in composition seminars and have the opportunity to hear their works performed by resident ensemble Lontano.

- Option to take modules in other Arts and Humanities departments at King's, or at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

- Located in the heart of London's music scene, with two major opera companies (Royal Opera Covent Garden and English National Opera) and two major arts centres (South Bank Centre—location of the Royal Festival Hall—and Barbican) within short walking distance.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/music-mmus.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

You may specialise in Composition or Musicology and Ethnomusicology (please note, we do not offer Performance). Composers work closely with their teachers throughout, while musicologists benefit from seminars with leaders in the field. We encourage you to choose modules that reflect your particular interests, and up to a third of your choices may be from other Arts & Humanities departments, meaning you can build a broad and truly individual stay pathway.

Our specialist modules will teach you current approaches to academic writing on music as well as advanced techniques for research and composition. At the end of your programme, you will submit a piece of special study – either a dissertation or a substantial work of 8-15 minutes in duration (the composition must be notated in a conventional manner) – for which we will give you one-to-one supervision.

- Course purpose -

Our aim is to nurture leaders in musicology, ethnomusicology and composition. If you intend go on to research or composition at doctoral level, or if you want to build on your existing skills, this programme will be ideal for you.

- Course format and assessment -

Modules worth 120 credits, plus a special study (dissertation or portfolio) worth 60 credits.

Career Prospects:

Further research in the department; further research (at doctoral level) in UK or overseas (particularly USA); teaching; media, arts, other related bodies.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 21 universities worldwide (2016/17 QS World University Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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The course is available in Standard Track and in Special Track

Course Structure
Part 1 (Diploma):

In addition to the Principal Subject, in which the student specialises; up to three additional subjects can be studied. Total of 120 credits.

Part 2 (MA):

Normally consists of a dissertation, composition portfolio, or critical edition (in the area of the Principal Subject). Total of 60 credits.

Course description
Standard Track:

The course combines specialisation in one area (including Historical Musicology, Editorial Musicology, Composition, Solo Performance) with further training in up to three complimentary areas.

The range of choice on this course makes it one of the most flexible MA programmes in the UK. Students can make their education as broad or narrow as they wish. For those with a single-minded interest in one area specialised degrees are available.

The programme is divided into two parts: two semesters of taught study (Part I, 120 credits) and a substantial independent piece of work in the main area, produced over the summer (Part II, 60 credits).

Part 1 is centred on the Principal Subject module (WMM4044, 40 credits) in the student’s main area of interest. It lays the foundations of a Part 2 project in the same area. The following subjects are available:

Historical Musicology
Editorial Musicology
Ethnomusicology
Celtic Traditional Music
Music in Wales
Music and the Christian Church
Composition
Electroacoustic Composition
Composing Film Music
Studying Film Music
Solo Performance
Sacred Music Studies
Early Music
20th-/21st-century Music
WMP4052 Preparing for the Part 2 project (10 credits) acts as a bridge between Parts 1 and 2.

An additional 40 credits will be gained through submissions in other fields through either one Major Open Submission (WXM4046, 40 credits) or two Minor Open Submissions (WMP4047 and WMP4048, 20 credits each). Students can select from a number of subject areas, including, but not restricted to, those listed above. Additional offerings include modules in Arts Administration, Music in the Community, Ethnomusicology and Analysis.

Depending on the main area of specialism, students will attend a core module in musicology (WMP4041 Current Musicology, 30 credits) or composition (WMP4042 Contexts and Concepts in Composition, 30 credits). During these modules students will became familiar with up-to-date research and creative techniques and methodologies in the selected disciplines.

Subject-specific teaching is provided through a combination of individual tuition and seminar session in small groups. Within each of the chosen subject areas, students can identify their own projects, for which they will receive expert supervision.

Special Track:

The MA in Music (Special Track) allows students to specialise in any one of the following areas: Historical Musicology, Editorial Musicology, Celtic Traditional Music, Music in Wales, Studying Film Music.

All the training will be centred on the student’s main area, aided by a broader look at the methodological foundation of the discipline as a whole (through the core module in musicology).

The programme is divided into two parts: two semesters of taught study (Part 1, 120 credits) and a substantial independent piece of work in the main area, produced over the summer (Part 2, 60 credits).

Part 1 is centred on the Principal Subject module (WMM4045, 60 credits) in the student’s area of specialism. Another aspect of the same area will be explored in the Independent Special Study (WMP4049, 20 credits).

WMP4052 Preparing for the Part 2 project (10 credits) acts as a bridge between Parts 1 and 2.

Depending on the main area of specialism, students will attend a core module in musicology (WMP4041 Current Musicology, 30 credits) or composition (WMP4042 Contexts and Concepts in Composition, 30 credits). During these modules students will became familiar with up-to-date research and creative techniques and methodologies in the selected disciplines.

Subject-specific teaching is provided through a combination of individual tuition and seminar session in small groups. Within each of the chosen subject areas, students can identify their own projects, for which they will receive expert supervision.

Compulsory modules:

Standard Track

Principal Subject, to be chosen from the published list for that Academic Year (40 Credits). Study areas currently offered are: Historical Musicology, Editorial Musicology, Ethnomusicology, Celtic Traditional Music, Music in Wales, Music and the Christian Church, Composition, Electroacoustic composition / Sonic arts, Composing Film Music, Studying Film Music, Solo Performance, Music in the Community, Sacred Music Studies, Early Music, 20th-/21st-century Music.
Compulsory Core Module: either Current Musicology (for musicologists) or Concepts of Composition (for composers) (depending on the Principal Subject) (30 Credits).
Open submissions: to be chosen from the optional modules (40 credits).
Preparing for the Part Two Project (10 credits).
(Total of 120 credits)

Special Track

Principal Subject, to be chosen from the published list for that Academic Year (60 Credits). Study areas currently offered: Historical Musicology; Editorial Musicology; Music in the Christian Church; Celtic Traditional Music; Music in Wales; Studying Film Music).
Compulsory Core Module: either Current Musicology (for musicologists) or Concepts of Composition (for composers) (depending on the Principal Subject) (30 Credits).
Independent Special Study (must be in the same area as the Principal Subject) (20 credits)
Preparing for the Part Two Project (10 credits)
(Total of 120 credits)

Optional modules:

Standard Track

Open Submissions (40 or 20 credits) may be chosen in any of the following study areas (but have to be different from the Principal Subject): Historical Musicology; Editorial Musicology; Ethnomusicology; Celtic Traditional Music; Music in Wales; Music and the Christian Church; Composition; Electroacoustic Composition / Sonic Arts; Composing Film Music; Studying Film Music; Solo Performance; Sacred Music Studies; Early Music; 20th-/21st-century Music; Analysis, Arts Administration, Music Studio Techniques, Popular Music Studies, Techniques and Practice of Instrumental or Vocal Teaching (20 credits only), Performance Practice (20 credits only), Music for Instruments and Electronics (20 credits only), Supporting Studies (20 credits only), ELCOS Language Skills (20 credits, international students only.ded study (e.g. portfolio of compositions, performance recital).

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Advanced Musical Studies allows students to meet individual goals to pursue a particular interest in musicology, ethnomusicology or composition. Ideal as a step into further research or to develop skills in the media, arts and other related bodies.

Key benefits

- King's graduates enjoy one of the best employment rates and starting salaries in the UK. Ranked 6th in the UK for graduate employment (Times and Sunday Times Good Universities Guide 2016)
- Individual supervision
- Tailor-made topic of study
- Located in the heart of London

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/advanced-musical-studies-pg-cert.aspx

Course detail

- Description

Your programme will be formulated to cater for your specific needs on an individual basis. It may comprise either a written project of between 10,000 and 20,000 words on a topic approved by your supervisor, or a substantial composition or group of compositions. This will depend on whether you are following the musicology, ethnomusicology or composition pathways.

- Course purpose

For graduate students who wish to pursue a particular interest in the fields of musicology, ethnomusicology or composition.

- Course format and assessment

Your completed project (written work or composition) will be read by at least two examiners and the result approved by an external examiner.

Career prospects

Our students may develop their skills in careers in the media, arts and work in other related bodies. Others go on to further research, while some return to their successful music careers.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 21 universities worldwide (2016 QS World Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/index.aspx

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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This unique programme has been designed for students wishing to combine an interest in music and related cultural performance with advocacy and social development practice. Students will build critical understanding of how music’s agentive and imaginative capacities act in different contexts - e.g. human rights, forced migration, health, and environmental justice - to communicate needs and interests, and to mobilize action.

Students will have the opportunity to build the programme around their specific interests by drawing on optional courses from a range of disciplines, while also developing an understanding of the musical practices of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The programme is particularly suitable for students wishing to deepen their understanding of social and cultural theory and to develop applied research skills. It appeals to those wishing to develop a career in the international NGO sector, in arts-based public sector programmes (e.g. UNESCO) and in arts policy. Students interested in research may proceed to MPhil/PhD in ethnomusicology or allied disciplines.

Visit the website http://www.soas.ac.uk/music/programmes/ma-music-in-development/

Structure

Programme Specification -

The MA Music in Development programme involves taking three courses and writing a 11,000-word dissertation. In addition to these formal elements, students are expected to attend regular postgraduate and public seminars and may also participate in performance ensemble classes and other activities.

Course Detail:
The four formal elements of the MA Music in Development programme are:

- The full unit core course Music in Development: Taught as a weekly two-hour lecture with additional tutorials. Part-time students must take this in their first year.

- The Dissertation in Music: A special study 11,000 words in length on a topic agreed with the candidate's supervisor. Part-time students normally take this in their final year.

Teaching & Learning

The aim of the programme is to develop:

1. critical understanding of music as a culturally embedded system that has wide-ranging application as a communication tool and process in a variety of development contexts;

2. a critical understanding of relevant theories in Ethnomusicology and allied disciplines, such as Development Studies and Anthropology;

3. a critical understanding of participatory research methodologies and applications;

4. the development of workshop modelling and management skills aimed at linking musical performances and meanings to social action and advocacy work; and

5. a critical knowledge of the musical practices, meanings and performance contexts from select regions of the world.

The programme is designed to prepare students for entry into a range of professional sectors, namely International Development, Social Music Therapies, Cultural Research and Policy, Sound and Audio-Visual Archiving, Media for Development, and documentation and research for the UNESCO Intangible Heritage Programme.

Employment

An MA in Music in Development from SOAS gives students greater intercultural awareness and a better understanding of global music which will enable them to continue in the field of research or engage in related work. Equally, they develop a portfolio of widely transferable skills which employers seek in many professional and creative capacities including interpersonal skills, communication skills, focus, team work, passion and dedication. A postgraduate degree is a valuable experience that provides students with a body of work and a diverse range of skills that they can use to market themselves with when they graduate.

For more information about Graduate Destinations from this department, please visit the Careers Service website (http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/graduate-destinations/).

Find out how to apply here - http://www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/pg/howtoapply/

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About the course

This unique course combines traditional areas of study, such as history and theory, with newer disciplines including music psychology and ethnomusicology. We have a reputation for research of international quality and play an important role in Sheffield’s thriving cultural life, promoting over 60 concerts a year as well as productions of opera in the University’s theatre. We also have close links with Music in the Round, which brings some of the world’s finest musicians to Sheffield.

About us

Music at Sheffield attracts world-leading academics and musicians working in a wide range of specialist fields. This is reflected in the diversity of the MA programmes we offer, both on campus and by distance learning. Our courses are taught by experts and backed by world-class research. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) 84 per cent of our work was rated internationally excellent or world-leading.

We are influential in composition, ethnomusicology, musicology, performance, music technology, music management and psychology of music. Our MA programmes allow students to take advantage of the department’s distinctive interdisciplinary research environment and to be part of a strong postgraduate community by taking modules from other specialist areas. Our three research centres, Music, Mind, Machine; Sheffield Performer and Audience Research Centre, and Music and Wellbeing provide a hub for research collaborations in music psychology and audience research.

Performance is an important part of our work. You will have the chance to participate in orchestras, music theatre, contemporary music, folk and world traditions. We have strong links with the community, giving you the chance to volunteer with local arts organisations.

Your career

Our graduates are employed by universities, colleges, concert agencies and music promoters. Many work in education; others are performers in various genres, in the UK and abroad. Some work in recording studios.

Studios and equipment

We have a postgraduate research suite and several studios for advanced compositional work, software development, sound recording, laboratory and field experimentation, transcription, music notation and other research applications. You will have access to scores, books, periodicals, recordings and online resources.

Through a series of graduate study days you will be able to use the tools for digital recording, video and film. We also have excellent practice facilities and collections of historical and world music instruments.

Our team of professional musicians bring performance expertise to the department – including clarinettist Sarah Watts, pianist Inja Davidovic, jazz guitarist Ronan McCullagh and North Indian tabla and santoor performer John Ball.

Funding

University and faculty funding is available each year. The closing date for applications is mid-January. The department has a number of studentships available for our strongest candidates. The closing date for these is the end of April. You can also apply for a small grant to support your postgraduate research project.

Course content

See http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/music/prospective-pg/taught

Teaching and assessment

Individual instrumental or vocal tuition, seminars and individual tutorials. You will be assessed by a recital at the end of the course, presentations and coursework.

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The course (Standard Track) allows students to specialise in music after 1900. Typically students this area will be approached through a combination of different angles, such as historical musicology, analysis, performance and composition.

This will be aided by a broader look at techniques, methodologies and approaches (through the core module in either Composition or Musicology).

The programme is divided into two parts: two semesters of taught study (Part 1, 120 credits) and a substantial independent piece of work in the main area, produced over the summer (Part 2, 60 credits).

Part 1 is centred on the Principal Subject module (WMM4044, 40 credits) in 20th-/21st-Century Music. It lays the foundations of a Part 2 project in the same area.

WMP4052: Preparing for the Part 2 project (10 credits) acts as a bridge between Parts 1 and 2.

An additional 40 credits will be gained through submissions in other fields through either one Major Open Submission (WXM4046, 40 credits) or two Minor Open Submissions (WMP4047 and WMP4048, 20 credits each). Students can select from a number of subject areas related to music after 1900, including:

Historical Musicology
Editorial Musicology
Ethnomusicology
Music in Wales
Music and the Christian Church
Composition
Electroacoustic Composition / Sonic Arts
Composing Film Music
Studying Film Music
Solo Performance
Performance / Composition with Live Electronics
Sacred Music Studies
Analysis
Arts Administration
Music Studio Techniques
Popular Music Studies
Course Structure
Part 1 (Diploma):

In addition to the Principal Subject, in which the student specialises; up to three additional subjects (with a focus on music after 1900) can be studied.

(Total of 120 credits)

Part 2 (MA):

Normally consists of a dissertation or critical edition.

(60 credits)

Compulsory modules:

Standard Track

Principal Subject: 20th-/21st-Century Music (40 Credits).
Compulsory Core Module: Current Musicology (30 credits)
Open submission: to be chosen from the optional modules (40 credits)
Preparing for the Part Two Project (10 credits)
(Total of 120 credits)

Special Track

Principal Subject: 20th-/21st-Century Music (60 Credits)
Compulsory Core Module: either Current Musicology (for musicologists) or Concepts of Composition (for composers) (30 credits)
Independent Special Study (must be in the same area as the Principal Subject) (20 credits)
Preparing for the Part Two Project (10 credits)
(Total of 120 credits)

Optional modules:

Standard Track

Open Submissions (40 or 20 credits) are chosen from the following areas (with emphasis on music after 1900):

Historical Musicology, Editorial Musicology, Ethnomusicology, Music in Wales, Music and the Christian Church, Composition, Electroacoustic Composition / Sonic Arts, Composing Film Music, Studying Film Music, Solo Performance, Sacred Music Studies, Analysis, Arts Administration, Music Studio Techniques, Popular Music Studies, ELCOS Language Skills (20 credits, international students only)

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The Music Department offers promising candidates the opportunity to carry out research in one of the most dynamic institutions in Britain, with access to outstanding facilities.

Our staff include composers, performers and writers on music. Our wide research expertise covers the Medieval, Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, 19th and 20th century British music, music analysis, critical theory, ethnomusicology and sound studies.

Our research expertise covers:

Western music history
British music since 1850
Italian opera and vocal music
Music analysis
Critical theory
Music and nationalism
Ethnomusicology
Popular music

The MA by Research programme leads to the submission of a thesis of not more than 40,000 words, whilst the PhD requires an 80,000 word thesis to be submitted. Both routes may require you to undertake training from courses in the Department’s taught MA programme.

For those following the MA by Research programme, it is possible to upgrade to a PhD.

Distance learning

You can study an MA by Research or PhD programme on campus or by distance learning. Please note that if you are studying with us by distance learning, the programme includes a fully-funded annual visit to campus for each full year of your programme (every two years for part-time students).

Funding and Scholarships

There are many ways to finance your postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. To see what funding and scholarships are available, please visit: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding

Open Days

Explore postgraduate study at Birmingham at our on-campus open days.
Register to attend at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Virtual Open Days

If you can’t make it to one of our on-campus open days, our virtual open days run regularly throughout the year. For more information, please visit: http://www.pg.bham.ac.uk

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The flexible modular structure of our taught MA programme allows students to focus on a chosen area of specialism but simultaneously facilitates exploration of a wide range of research areas relating to music. It will provide an excellent foundation for undertaking postgraduate research at doctoral level, but will also benefit the professional development of musicians intending to pursue careers in teaching, arts administration, broadcasting, and other domains.

Students on the Taught MA programme join a vibrant international postgraduate community and study with scholars, composers, and performers who have achieved international recognition in their fields. The Music Department has been ranked in the top three music departments nationally in the Research Excellence Framework 2014 and the Complete University Guide 2016.

The MA Music programme will normally facilitate study of the following areas of specialism:
-Musicology
-Ethnomusicology
-Composition (acoustic and electro-acoustic)
-Performance

In addition, other options typically available have included:
-British Music
-Indian Music
-Music, Mind, and Culture
-World Music Analysis
-Audiovisual Documentation and Analysis
-Choral conducting (with special focus on Anglican church music)

Programme structure

Students will choose modules from sections A, B, C, and D below:

A. Major project, weighted at 60 credits (a dissertation, a public recital, or a portfolio of compositions/orchestrations and arrangements – depending on your chosen area of specialism)

B. A 30-credit module linked to your chosen area of specialism

C. Two compulsory core 30-credit modules embedding research training and engaging with major intellectual issues attendant on all subject areas

D. An additional 30 credits of Music undergraduate modules/selected undergraduate OR postgraduate modules offered by another department OR another related specialism-specific module from list B, subject to approval of the Board of Studies in Music.

Example: MA with specialism in Musicology

A. A 12,000-word dissertation on a musicological topic weighted at 60 credits

B. 30-credit module ‘Contemporary Musicology’

C. Compulsory core 30-credit modules, ‘Core Research Seminars’ and ‘Research Methods and Resources’

D. 30 credits of Music undergraduate modules/selected undergraduate OR postgraduate modules offered by another department OR another related specialism-specific module from list B

Core Modules

-Research Methods and Resources
-Core Research Seminars

And The following specialism-specific modules will be offered every year:
-Contemporary Musicology
-Ethnomusicology in Practice and Theory
-Compositional Techniques
-Music Performance

Optional Modules

Optional modules in previous years have included:
-British Music
-Music Analysis
-Practice and Theory of Choral Conducting
-Advanced Organ Studies
-Electronic Music
-Orchestration and Arranging
-Indian Music
-World Music Analysis
-Music, Mind, and Culture
-Audiovisual Documentation and Analysis

Learning and Teaching

The programme is delivered through a mixture of seminars, practical sessions and one to one supervision. Seminars provide opportunities for students to discuss and debate particular issues, and to present their own original work, informed by the knowledge that they have gained through independent study outside the programme’s formal contact hours. Practical sessions in areas such as studio or field recording techniques help to prepare students for their own independent work.

All students must undertake an independent project (dissertation,composition portfolio, or performance), which is developed with the help of one-to-one expert supervision. Finally, optional modules can be drawn from the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes of Music or of other departments –these free-choice modules may involve other forms of staff-student contact, depending on the subject area. The Department actively promotes interdisciplinary approaches to the study of music and students are encouraged to engage with other disciplines in the humanities and sciences.

The contact hours experienced by each individual student will vary considerably, given a high degree of flexibility in the programme. Students will typically attend between 2 and 4 hours of seminars per week in term time, as well as additional practical sessions as appropriate. Individual supervision of dissertations, performance projects and composition portfolios amounts to an average of 6 hours spread over over the second and third terms.

Outside timetabled contact hours, students are also expected to attend research seminars, both student-led and those involving staff or guest academic speakers (typically 1-2 hrs each week). They must also undertake their own independent study to prepare for their classes and assessments, to broaden their subject knowledge and to prepare their dissertations or portfolios. Students are encouraged, as an integral part of their studies, to take advantage of other opportunities including participating in performance opportunities (including staff-led ensembles) and attending research and composition seminars, some of which are organised in conjunction with university research institutes.

There is a busy programme of musical performance, both within and outside the music department, which complements students’ academic programme by providing opportunities both to listen to and to perform a wide variety of music. The many musical ensembles to which students can contribute includes both independent societies (including orchestras, choirs, opera and musical theatre as well as a Javanese gamelan) and department-run ensembles such as the New Music Ensemble and Korean percussion group.

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The programme explores the role of music within the broad framework of Culture for Development, building on the premise that music and associated performance activities represent rich discursive sites where local knowledge, social structures and cultural meanings are negotiated, challenged and affirmed. Drawing on the intersections between Ethnomusicology and a range of allied disciplines, the programme encourages critical examination of how knowledge is acquired and communicated through music, how music is used to promote, reflect or resist development, and how music’s agentive and imaginative capacities act in different cultural and political contexts to advance individual and collective interests and identities.

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A taught graduate degree program at the Faculty of Music was inaugurated in 1954. The Faculty of Music currently offers graduate degrees in 17 areas of concentration and fosters the institutional alliance of all areas of advanced music study. Graduate degrees are offered at both master's and doctoral levels in areas such as composition, ethnomusicology, music education, musicology, and performance. Graduates from all areas of the program occupy leading positions in music departments across Canada and around the world.

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