21Oct
PostgraduateCourse summary
The MA in Music embraces your passion for music, providing the guidance, opportunities, and tools you’ll need to flourish in your chosen field. Our course encourages you to draw critically from others’ work and develop your own specialisms, be they in performance, composition, musicology, or a combination of these. As a Masters student, you’ll enjoy studying within a close-knit community, encountering a wide range of interests relating to diverse musical forms from across the globe. Every Masters student takes a specialist core module, selected from a list of five options: musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, performance, and music psychology. This core module explores the various issues currently at the heart of the discipline while providing the skills and knowledge needed to carry out independent research at Masters level. Relating to your chosen specialism, you’ll also work closely with one of the Department’s experts to produce a major project in the form of a dissertation, portfolio of compositions, or performance. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to delve deeply into specific musical practices that you find particularly fascinating. Additionally, our Masters programme includes a Research Methods and Resources module (compulsory for all but the Performance specialists) while offering a wide range of elective modules to choose from. We pride ourselves on being one of the leading music departments in the UK, offering innovative courses and producing cutting-edge music research. As a postgraduate, you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, including recording studios, practice and rehearsal rooms, our concert room, and an instrument collection. In addition, the University library contains a wide collection of books, scores, and CDs, and offers a rich range of online resources. Course structure All the MA programmes offered by the Faculty of Arts & Humanities consist of three components:
- a Major Research Project to the value of at least 60 credits
- Core Modules to the value of 0-90 credits, depending on the programme
- Elective Modules, making up the total number of credits to 180; some of these modules will be defined as Recommended Electives for particular programmes.
- Performance
- Musicology
- Ethnomusicology
- Composition
- Music Psychology
- Dissertation in Music. To be taken if you are specialising in musicology, ethnomusicology or music psychology.
- Portfolio of Compositions. To be produced if you are specialising in composition.
- Performance Project. To be selected if you are specialising in music performance.
Modules
Remaining credits for all MA Music students will be taken from the following 30-credit modules: Recorded Performance Project (only available to Performance specialism students); Audiovisual Media Creation for Research; Special Topic in Music (not available to Performance specialism students); Contemporary Musicology (not available to Performance specialism students); Special Topic in Performance (only available to Performance specialism students); Advanced Projects in Stylistic Composition and Arranging; Ethnomusicology in Practice and Theory (not available to Performance specialism students); Research Experience in Music (not available to Performance specialism students).
Assessment method
Assessment is thorough and is designed to demonstrate your progress through, and understanding of, the course material. Assessment methods, which vary depending on the pathway chosen, include essays, presentations, composition exercises, transcriptions, audiovisual productions, and performance recitals. You will also be assessed on your final independent project, which may be a dissertation, a composition portfolio or a performance, developed with the help of one-to-one expert supervision.
How to apply
International applicants
If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.
Entry requirements
Our standard admissions requirements are a 2:1 or higher (or equivalent) in an undergraduate Music degree. We are open to considering candidates from other backgrounds, however, and would encourage you to get in touch with us to discuss how you can provide evidence of your suitability for this course in your application. For applications to all pathways, you will need to submit: A personal statement explaining your interest in the MA programme, your choice of pathway, what skills, knowledge and experience you can bring to the programme, what skills, knowledge and experience you hope to acquire, and an indication of your planned area of research (no more than 500 words). Applicants wishing to take the composition pathway with the modules Compositional Techniques (MUSI40430) and Composition Portfolio (MUSI42560) should be aware of the requirement to satisfy the following prerequisite: We require evidence of standard at least equivalent to a strong 2:1 degree final-year composition portfolio. A portfolio of two or three contrasting works of ten to 15 minutes total duration must be submitted to demonstrate that the applicant is of the required level. Applicants wishing to take the performance pathway, with the module Performance Project (MUSI42660) should be aware of the requirement to satisfy the following prerequisite: We require evidence of standard at least equivalent to a strong 2:1 degree final-year performance recital. A video recording of between 10 and 12 minutes must be submitted to demonstrate that the applicant is of the required level.
English language requirements
Durham University welcomes applications from all students irrespective of background. We encourage the recruitment of academically well-qualified and highly motivated students, who are non-native speakers of English, whose full potential can be realised with a limited amount of English Language training either prior to entry or through pre-sessional and/or in-sessional courses. It is the normal expectation that candidates for admission should be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of a programme of study, whether via the submission of an appropriate English language qualification or by attendance on an appropriate pre-sessional course. Acceptable evidence and levels required can be viewed by following the link provided.
English language requirements
https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
The tuition fees for 2025/26 academic year have not yet been finalised, they will be displayed on the www.durham.ac.uk/study website once approved.
Sponsorship information
For further information see the course listing on the Durham University website.
Provider information
Durham University
The Palatine Centre
Stockton Road
Durham
DH1 3LE