Music - Taught Programme

Programme Details

PROGRAMME LENGTH
MMus 180 credits, 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time 
PgDip 120 credits, 9 months full-time
PgCert 60 credits, 4 months full-time

Aims

The aim of the Programme is threefold: 

• to provide a natural development from undergraduate programmes, both within and outwith the University of Aberdeen, to postgraduate study in the university in the areas of composition, musicology and performance allowing students to specialise further in these areas and in combinations of them where appropriate;
• to provide a bridge between UG study and Postgraduate Research programmes in Music;
• to continue to develop the research environment in the Department of Music.

The MMus will serve the needs of graduates who may want to continue their studies at postgraduate level, either prior to employment or as a bridge to higher postgraduate qualifications.

The MMus will also offer an opportunity for a postgraduate qualification to graduates who have already worked for a number of years and would like to return to hone their musical skills at university as part of their continuing professional development (either on a full- or part-time basis).

Contact Information

Music Department
School of Education

Syllabus

Candidates must undertake the following curriculum:

First Half-Session – exit with PG Certificate
 
Music Research Skills (30 credit points)
Music Research Seminar Series – Module A (30 credit points) (not PG Certificate) Extended Project – Module A (30 credit points)

Second Half-Session – exit with PG Diploma

Music Research Seminar Series – Module B (30 credit points)
Extended Project – Module B (30 credit points)

Master’s Stage – exit with MMus

Extended Project – Module C (60 credit points)

Assessment

Assessment is by research proposal (Music Research Skills), oral presentation and supporting documentation (Music Research Seminar Series) and project portfolio (negotiated) with accompanying commentary (Extended Project).

The requirements for accompanying commentary for the Extended Project for students who are working in the areas of Performance and/or Composition are as follows:

Extended Project – Module A (30 credit points)

• Short statement of compositional intent and/or performance practice (1000 words) accompanied by programme notes for compositions and any further appropriate materials for performance. (500 words).

Extended Project – Module B (30 credit points)

• Extended statement of compositional intent and/or performance practice (1000 words) accompanied by programme notes for compositions and any further appropriate materials for performance. (1000 words).

Extended Project – Module C (60 credit points)

• Commentary (minimum 3000 words) including extended programme notes, compositional aesthetic and/or performance practice and further appropriate materials for performance.

The degree of MMus shall not be awarded to a candidate who fails to complete the Extended Project at CAS 9 or above, irrespective of their performance in other courses.

Requirements

Candidates must normally possess a degree at 2(ii) or above, or an equivalent qualification or proven experience in Music.

References are not required in order for applicants to submit an application. They are not usually required in order for a decision to be made but in certain cases applicants may be asked to provide a single academic reference at the request of the academic selector. 

The English Language Requirement for all College of Arts and Social Sciences Masters programmes is an IELTS of 6.5 with 6.0 in the writing and reading (or equivalent TOEFL iBT or PTE).  For more information see www.abdn.ac.uk/international/english-requirements 

Fees

Full details of tuition fees is available here

Funding

Prospective students should visit the University's Postgraduate Funding Database.

No Boundaries. Just Possibilities.

Thanks to additional funding from the Scottish government this programme has funded places for Scottish and EU Students. More Information.  

University of Aberdeen Alumni Discount Scheme

The University of Aberdeen is very pleased to offer a 20% discount on postgraduate tuition fees for all alumni who have graduated with a degree from the University of Aberdeen.  More Information can be found here.