Music by Research MA

Key information

Engage in a unique course that covers the diverse fields of music and sound. Within a vibrant musical community located in the heart of global London, you will develop skills in a topic of your choice including music performance and scholarship, contemporary composition and sound practices.

Benefits of this course

You will learn directly from world-leading artists and scholars who are active creators and researchers. You will collaborate with international visitors in workshops and masterclasses.

You will receive training in fundamental research skills, culminating in a major project in creative practice or scholarly research.

You will refine and develop a topic of your choice in close consultation with an individual supervisor.

Topics include notated and digital music, sound arts, interdisciplinary practices; classical, jazz, and popular performance and improvisation; historical musicology, ethnomusicology, music analysis, and sound studies.

You may get involved in our research centre SPARC and our ground-breaking record label multi.modal distributed by NMC Recordings.

Award

You can select to apply for one of the available exit points for this course.

Master of Arts (MA)

Who is this course for?

If you aim to work professionally in music or advance to a research degree, our programme gives you ideal preparation.

You may have already studied music or a related subject anywhere in the world or be at any stage of your career.

Career

Our music graduates have progressed to teach, compose and perform in various professional and academic settings.

Many have found employment in areas such as music publishing, broadcasting, music management and arts administration.

Others have gone on to pursue further musical study at MPhil or PhD level.

We count award-winning composers among our alumni. They include film sound designer Chris Reading and Nicol Casal, composer for the winning Best Short Film at the 2016 Oscars.