Musicology - MA
- Level: Postgraduate Taught
- Starting: September 2021
- Study mode: Full Time, Part Time
- Location: Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any arrangements put in place by the University for the 2021/22 academic year will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
Whatever your interests, our Musicology course gives you the unique opportunity to pursue your own research project within a lively and exciting Conservatoire environment.
Our flexible course enables you to mould a programme of study to your own needs and aspirations, and may be approached as preparation for a research degree in music.
It is important that a musicologist also develops complementary skills and/or knowledge outside their specialism which will help equip them for a future career: professional musicologists typically find themselves, amongst other things, teaching, managing and administering; some even maintain parallel careers as professional performers or composers.
Therefore, we provide you with a choice of Professional Development Options (shared across our postgraduate programmes) alongside your musicological work to give you the opportunity to develop and/or expand your interests across a range of complementary areas.
The Conservatoire team—which comprises a large number of research-active staff—has a vast array of expertise, allowing us to supervise a wide range of projects, and we are particularly keen to attract those interested in pursuing Masters-level research in our specialist areas.
These include: Late Medieval Music; French Music of the 17th, 18th and 20th centuries; Italian Baroque Music; 18th and 19th Century British, Russian or Austro-Germanic Music; Contemporary Film and Television Music; Theory and Analysis; 20th-Century Music Theory and Analysis; and Music Critics and Criticism.
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire also hosts a significant collection of historical instruments and we welcome studies with a focus on performance practice and/or critical editing.
Recent research projects include:
- An exploration of Music Performance Anxiety in a Conservatoire Woodwind Department.
- The Music of Hans Zimmer, US Military Intervention and "The Other" in Film; the Sound of the Ungrievable.
- Easy Listening: Jerry Lanning and the BBC Radio Orchestra 1979-81.
- The Emergence and Evolution of the Piano Study in the Years 1797-1837.
- Voices from a Non-Place: An Investigation into Language, Space and the Sung Voice.
- The Lute and Non-Nobility in Elizabethan England.
- Alexei Stanchinsky (1888-1914): Context and Influences.
- Clara Schumann as Pedagogue.
- Italian Film Music During the 1930s: Political Appropriation and Socioeconomic Agendas.
- Constructive or Destructive? Assessing the Impact of Feedback in Instrumental Piano Lessons.
-
Irish Rebel Music 1969-1995: Appropriation and Hidden(?) Agendas.
Our MA Musicology course can be studied as a standalone course, but it is also intended to help prepare you for a research degree.
Please note we consider applications throughout the year for this course, it does not close for applications in October.
What's covered in the course?
Most postgraduate conservatoire degrees are focused on performance or composition, and don’t cater for musicologists. This is not the case at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where this course provides you with the opportunity not only to develop your skills as a musicologist, but to supplement them with complementary studies unique to a Conservatoire environment.
Your own research project will be at the heart of your course, and alongside this you will choose from the Conservatoire’s menu of postgraduate Professional Development options, which will allow you either to hone your skills in complementary areas, or to develop and expand your interests, providing the opportunity to interact and network with fellow musicians and a range of staff, as well as enjoying the excellent facilities the Conservatoire boasts.
You will benefit from the Conservatoire’s excellent library resources, as well as the opportunity to get involved with our performance departments, and our wider research community of students and staff through seminars, study days, social activities and other events.
Why Choose Us?
- The course is structured around your own research interests, and ensures you have the skills and knowledge needed to successfully negotiate and complete your research project (as well as preparing you for PhD study, should you decide to progress).
- You’ll be taught by a team of distinguished musicologists, many of whom are also experienced performers.
- You’ll have the flexibility to choose from a broad menu of Professional Development options, designed to help you work towards achieving your personal career aspirations.
- Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has some of the best music technology facilities in the country, and a brand new building.
- We are within easy travelling distance to the UK’s major research libraries and instrument collections.
This course is open to International students
Discover Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Visit our School site for more student work and extra information.
New £11,222 postgraduate loans
You may be able to take advantage of the government’s plans to make loans of up to £11,222 available for postgraduate study.
Entry Requirements
MA
| Essential |
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UK students should normally hold a 2:1 honours degree, ideally but not necessarily in Music. |
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Non-UK students should hold a Bachelor's degree or a similar degree-equivalent diploma, ideally but not necessarily in Music. |
Interview requirements
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All applicants will submit a proposal detailing ideas for their Dissertation project and this will be followed by an interview. |
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Home student auditions will be scheduled live in Birmingham. |
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EU/international students outside the UK at the time of application may participate in a Skype interview. |
English language requirements
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You must have a minimum of IELTS 6.5 or equivalent in all four skills areas to secure a visa |
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You must have IELTS 7 overall; or alternatively must have studied and completed a Bachelor’s degree in the UK;*. |
English language requirements
- IELTS overall score 7.0 (with no lower than 6.5 in all components) or equivalent is required.
International Students
Don't meet our entry requirements? You could apply for courses at our International College.
- UK students
- International students
Award: MA
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £7,700 per year
- Apply via UCAS
- Full Time
- 18 months (including Professional Placement - see below*)
-
TBC
- Apply via UCAS
- Part Time
- 2 years
- £3,900 per year
- Apply via UCAS
Award: MA
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £13,200 per year
- Apply via UCAS
- Full Time
- 18 months (including Professional Placement - see below*)
-
TBC
- Apply via UCAS
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
*Professional Placement option
The Professional Placement version of the course is optional and is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.
This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability skills which will, through the placement experience, allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market. Furthermore, by completing the Professional Placement, you will be able to develop and enhance your understanding of the professional work environment, relevant to your chosen field of study, and reflect critically on your own professional skills development within the workplace.
You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. You will also benefit from support sessions delivered by Careers+ as well as advice and guidance from your School.
Placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course. All students who do not find a suitable placement or do not pass the competitive selection process will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.
Applying via UCAS Conservatoires
Follow the link 'apply via UCAS' above, proceed to your application and select Musicology from the drop down menu available.
If you experience any problems, please contact either:
- Postgraduate Director, Shirley Thompson: +44 (0)121 331 7214
or - Programme Administrator, Angela McCabe: +44 (0)121 331 6900.
Please note we consider applications throughout the year for this course, it does not close for applications in October.
Your proposal
At the time you submit your application, you should send direct to conservatoire.admissions@bcu.ac.uk a proposal containing the following:
- A rationale for your proposed dissertation project
- A discussion of the context in which your proposed project sits, with references: i.e. you need to show an awareness of existing research on the topic (about 250 words)
- The aims of your project
- An outline description of what will be covered in your project (about 300 words)
- An indicative bibliography
Download our template to help you write your dissertation project proposal to support your application.
Interviews
Once we have received your application and proposal we will invite you to an interview. For home students this will be scheduled live in Birmingham, while EU/international students outside the UK at the time of application may participate in a Skype interview.
Completing your application
Further information on writing your personal statement can be found on the UCAS Conservatoires website.
Additional costs
Our courses include activities such as performance, exhibitions, field trips and production of works or artefacts which may require you to purchase specific equipment, instruments, books, materials, hire of venues and accommodation, or other items.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Accommodation and living costs
The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.
Financial Support
We offer further information on possible postgraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
Did you know that you can apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £11,222 for some courses and options?
MA
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 140 credits):
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.
OR two of the following Professional Development Modules:
Course structure
You will learn through a variety of methods, ranging from one-to-one and small-group tutorials to workshops, seminars, lectures and independent study. Support for your research project will be provided by a supervisor/s who will help guide you as you develop your skills as an independent researcher.
As you would expect of a Musicology programme, it culminates in the submission of a dissertation or musicological equivalent, where you present your research project. Preparation for this includes the earlier submission of a proposal and literature review, and presentation of an aspect of your research in the form of a conference paper given at the Conservatoire’s biannual Postgraduate Research Study Day. Alongside this, you will develop your understanding of the world of musicology, exploring key concepts and theoretical foundations. The Career Development module requires you near the beginning of your course, to reflect ambitiously yet realistically on your professional aspirations, and to formulate a plan that helps you stand the best chance of achieving your goals. You will also choose, in addition, some from a varied list. The Professional Development options are assessed by a variety of mechanisms appropriate to the nature of the individual modules, including essays, presentations, portfolios, live performance and sound recording.
The following gives an indication of the kind of optional modules which may be offered in a given year, including some offered by Birmingham City University’s Schools of Art and Media (note, not all will run every year).
Conservatoire based
- Contemporary Music Concepts and Practice
- Creative Interactive Music Technology Performance
- Critical Editing Techniques
- Documentation
- Experimental Performance in Context(s)
- Historical Instrument Performance
- Historical Performance Practice
- Independent Scholarship in Music
- Music, Community and Wellbeing
- Music and Ideas
- Music Technology Contexts
- Orchestration
- Performing and Producing in the Studio
- Professional Music Criticism
- Self-Promotion Project
- Teaching Matters: Principles and Practice
- Work Experience Project
- Writing Music for Media
School of Art based
- Art and Ecologies
- Contemporary Philosophy and Aesthetics
- Discourses in Art and Design
- Models and Methods of Curatorial Practice
- Queer Strategies in Practice
- Small Arts Business Set Up
- Social Practice in the Visual Arts
School of Media based
- Live Events and Festival Management
- Social Media as Culture and Practice
You'll be supported in making your module choices: starting in Welcome Week and continuing for one week beyond that will be an extended period of induction and counselling for all new postgraduate students, at which point you will be assigned a Personal Tutor from within the postgraduate course team.
During this period, you'll be encouraged to discuss your career aspirations, and to reflect on what choices you can make within your course to equip you with skills/knowledge relevant to those aspirations.
This process will take place through course meetings and information sessions, as well as small group and individual tutorials, and will be aimed at ensuring that you can make informed decisions in relation to your course choices.
Part-time options
There is some room for negotiation in how the course unfolds for a part-time MMus student over three years, or in the case of part-time PgDip students, over two years.
Further study
One potential progression route for high achievers on this course is PhD study. Indeed, this course provides an opportunity for students with this ambition to undertake some preliminary research, and to develop a working relationship with a potential doctoral supervisor. However, this course also provides skills relevant to a range of careers both within and beyond music.
The Conservatoire has a range of other taught postgraduate programmes (PgCert, PgDip and MMus) for performers, composers and music technologists.
Student stories
Akvile Smotaviciute is a postgraduate student at Birmingham Conservatoire studying for a Master’s degree in Musicology. She also studied her undergraduate degree at Birmingham Conservatoire, and enjoyed it so much she decided to stay.
I love the flexibility that this course offers. There are only a couple of compulsory modules that everyone on the Musicology course has to take, but after that you can choose from an extensive list of optional modules and really tailor your course to your own interests and needs. Postgraduate research can sometimes be quite lonely, but the Conservatoire are putting a real effort into bringing all the research students together to share ideas and talk about our work. It’s fascinating – there are so many different people working on completely different fields – and it’s always exciting to learn something new from them! It’s also a very supportive environment, the staff at the Conservatoire are incredibly helpful and kind.
Enhancing employability prospects
Our aim is to prepare you for employment, giving you the knowledge, skills and confidence to succeed in your chosen branch of the music profession. This will give you a head-start in meeting the challenges involved in becoming a professional musician in the 21st century.
We also offer you guidance in making choices on your programme by encouraging you to consider your future plans, as well as your priorities. This will ensure that your decisions are strategic in relation to your professional development and future employability.
OpportUNIty
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
Graduate jobs
Musicologists progress into a multitude of roles, and you could find yourself teaching, managing and/or administering, as well as maintaining career as a performer or composer. Our graduates have progressed into PhD study and University careers beyond that.
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire has a growing community of international students from across the world.
We appreciate the challenges of moving to a new country to live and study and aim to be as supportive as possible.
Aside from being friendly and welcoming, we have various support mechanisms in place to help you settle in as an international student, including:
- An international students' 'orientation week', including a special Conservatoire welcome event
- A dedicated international student admissions administrator
- A full-time staff member employed as International Student Support Programme Director (who speaks Mandarin)
- A mentoring system in which you, as a new postgraduate international student, are mentored by continuing postgraduate international students who will be supporting you both pastorally and academically though weekly workshops
- Additional supporting classes for international students that are particularly designed to help you further develop your English reading, speaking and comprehension skills
- Additional academic skills support provided by expert tutors from the BCU's Centre for Academic Success
Further information for prospective international students is available on the University's international pages.
Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC)
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s £57 million music building opened in September 2017, and is located on Birmingham City University’s City Centre Campus in the Eastside ‘learning quarter’ of the city.
This brand new music facility include five public performance venues – a 500 seat Concert Hall, 150 seat Recital Hall, Organ Studio, Eastside Jazz Club and the experimental black box performance venue known as The Lab. As well as these stunning performance venues, we have nearly 100 practice spaces; including 70 small practice rooms and larger ensemble rooms and workshops.
Our new home is the first conservatoire built in the digital age, and as such it has been vital to ensure that the technical infrastructure installed is on par with any advanced commercial facility. We have seven recording studios, a mastering suite, a distance learning hub, and all of our performance venues feature high specification audio-visual equipment that enables interconnectivity and advanced functionality throughout the building.
These impressive modern facilities guarantee that we are excel in our unique dual purpose of providing the highest standard of music education deserved by our students, as well as meeting our role as a concert and performance venue for the people of Birmingham; taking our place in the vibrant cultural landscape of the UK’s second city.
Our staff
Around 50 full-time members of staff (including support staff) and nearly 200 visiting specialist tutors work at the Conservatoire. This means that for roughly every two students there is one member of staff.
The vast majority of our tutors are active professional musicians, dividing their time between performing or composing and teaching. All are dedicated and experienced musicians with a passion for inspiring and training the next generation of professionals.
For a full list of staff in each department or area, as well as selected biographies, please go to Departments and Tutors.
To find more details about our Research-active staff and research activities within the Conservatoire, please go to Research.
Siân Derry
MA Musicology Programme Director, Assistant Postgraduate Course Director, International Students’ Tutor
Siân Derry is MA Musicology Programme Director and Assistant Postgraduate Course Director at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She joined the Conservatoire in 2015, having previously taught at the University of Manchester.
Siân completed her BMus Hons degree as a pianist and MMus in Musicology at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and was subsequently awarded a Wingate Scholarship to undertake doctoral studies at the University of Manchester with Professor Barry Cooper. Her thesis is entitled ‘Beethoven’s Experimental Figurations and Exercises for Piano’. She became a postdoctoral research associate for an AHRC-funded cultural engagement project in 2013, examining the history of music and music education in Manchester.
Siân has a broad range of research interests, including Beethoven, piano pedagogy and organology, critical editing and performance practices of the 18th and 19th Centuries.
She is a member of the Conservatoire’s Forum for Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Music.
Luan Shaw
Interim Vice Principal, Music (Learning and Teaching) and Director of Postgraduate Studies
Luan is Director of Postgraduate Studies at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire where she has taught since 2011. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and was made an Honorary Member of RBC in 2001. In her former role as RBC’s first Head of Pedagogy (2011-2018), she significantly expanded provision for instrumental teacher education across the RBC curriculum. Luan is passionate about helping students to build their portfolio careers and her doctoral research focuses on facilitating the transition from student to professional through instrumental teacher education in conservatoires.