Course summary

This course offers opportunities to study existing research and theories in the applied psychology of music, develop a range of relevant research methods and techniques, and produce a significant piece of empirical work in an area of music psychology of your choosing. You’ll explore topics on the social, developmental and cognitive psychology of music, considering what research from these traditions reveals about a range of musical behaviours, including performance and listening. Multidisciplinary in nature, this course draws influences from psychology, musicology, sociology and cultural studies, combining both theoretical and empirical approaches. The course enables you to develop your knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods. You’ll also build your research skills while learning to critically evaluate studies in the applied psychology of music in areas such as music education, therapy, science and technology. You’ll complete a Dissertation as your major project and have the opportunity to select optional modules in other areas of music, such as musicology, music and wellbeing, or performance (depending on your prior experience), undertake an international research project, or explore audience engagement and impact. You’ll gain an insight into the importance and role of research in music psychology to prepare you for a wide range of careers or further research.