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Mmus/MusM - Master of Music
Old Aberdeen Campus
Full Time
Sep 2027
1 Year
The MMus in Music capitalises on research strength within the department of music and is intended for composers (vocal, instrumental, or electronic), performers, sonic artists, musicologists (of all kinds studying any genre) with a specific interest in an area of musical study. Our MMus students can design their study by selecting one or two study concentrations from four paths: Composition, Musicology, Performance, and Sonic Arts. Applicants must confirm in their application which area(s) they wish to specialise in. At the centre of the MMus in Music is an extended project where the student can realise a large-scale project with support and supervision from specialist staff. The medium of the project will be determined by the student’s interests and research and our programme offers considerable flexibility in approach. This allows our students to build a significant portfolio of work that will work as a springboard toward their future careers whether it is in their chosen industry or in academia. In addition to the extended project, our students take a mix of compulsory and optional courses. The MMus Programme Coordinator discusses options with individual students to ensure the best fit between available courses and student interests. 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, performance or sonic arts or any combination of these paths; To help the students develop and explore options in their future careers in academia or in industry; To continue to develop the research environment in the Department of Music. The MMus in Music will also offer an opportunity for those who have already worked for a number of years after their undergraduate or postgraduate study and would like to return to hone their chosen skills at university as part of their continuing professional development (either on a full-time or part-time basis).
This course enables students to be creative in developing their own independent and individual ideas through an extended research project in musicology and/or composition and/or performance resulting in a substantial piece of original work. They will acquire a range of skills, techniques and understanding enabling them to become effective researchers. The project outcome will be a dissertation and/or portfolio of compositions and/or a performance recital demonstrating original research. The exact nature of the project is the result of negotiation between supervisor (or supervisory team) and student, subject to the approval of the programme coordinator.
This course enables students to be creative in developing their own independent and individual ideas through an extended research project in musicology and/or composition and/or performance resulting in a substantial piece of original work. They will acquire a range of skills, techniques and understanding enabling them to become effective researchers. The project outcome will be a dissertation and/or portfolio of compositions and/or a performance recital demonstrating original research. The exact nature of the project is the result of negotiation between supervisor (or supervisory team) and student, subject to the approval of the programme coordinator.
This course provides students with an applied understanding of advanced research skills relevant to all three sub-disciplines (i.e., composition, performance and musicology) and highlights the interrelationships between them. Students will engage directly with current issues in music research, experiencing different methods of dissemination of research through attendance at Research Seminars. These seminars are a forum for both external and internal speakers to present aspects of recent research undertaken. Students will carry out research for their own seminar (with accompanying written paper), based on a topic of interest to them.
This course provides students with a thorough grounding in advanced research skills relevant to all three sub-disciplines (i.e., composition, performance and musicology) and highlights the interrelationships between them. Students will acquire the skills which will underpin work done for the Extended Project and which will also relate to the Music Research Seminar course.
