Music & Cultural History

Course Outline

The one-year MA in Music and Cultural History is a progressive alternative to conventional postgraduate courses in musicology, and it draws on the diverse expertise of internationally renowned scholars to combine the very best of traditional and contemporary scholarly practice.



During the course you will be presented with the opportunity to acquire and develop core musicological skills, including research techniques, the critical editing of music, and the close reading and analysis of musical texts. You will also engage with some of the most exciting developments in recent music scholarship, including:

explorations of politics,

gender and sexuality in music

race and ethnicity in music

(dis)ability in music

the interaction of music with other media

musical globalisation

the manifold issues in today's popular music and culture, and

the new links being formed between musicology and other disciplines such as film studies, cultural studies, postcolonial theory, and philosophy.



The MA in Music and Cultural History offers a well-rounded but focused introduction to methodologies and issues in contemporary musicology. It presents you with an opportunity to expand your familiarity with musical repertoire, deepen your engagement with key critical concepts and acquire valuable research skills.

Students take 90 credits as follows:

Part I

MU6030 Research Skills (5 credits)

MU6050 Performance Studies (10 credits)

MU6031 Sound Studies & Musicology (5 credits)

MU6034 Multidisciplinary Debates in Musicology and Ethnomusicology (5 credits)

MU6036 Music and Popular Culture (10 credits)

MU6037 Music and Cinema (10 credits)

MU6046 Musicology: History and Trends (10 credits)



One further module in Music or a related area as appropriate to the student's research specialization (5 credits)



Part II

MU6012 Research Project in Music and Cultural History (30 credits)



Postgraduate Diploma in Music and Cultural History

Candidates who pass at least 60 credits of taught modules may elect to exit the programme and be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Music and Cultural History.

In order to be permitted to proceed to the MA Degree in Music and Cultural History, a candidate must hold a minimum of Second Class Honours, Grader II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) in Music (or one in which Music is a major subject).



Applicants with an appropriate professional equivalent will also be considered under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Final acceptance is subject to approval by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, UCC.



For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.



International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.

• In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

• Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements.

Closing Date

Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.



Non-EU Closing Date

Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

You will be assessed through a combination of coursework (essays, portfolios of short assignments, learning journals), in-class presentations and viva voce examinations. There are no written examinations.

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

Start Date: 8 September 2025

Skills and Careers Information

What can I do after I graduate with an MA in Music and Cultural History?



UCC Musicology graduates develop a wide range of skills that are invaluable to our cultural industries and information economy, including critical, historical, and global thinking, advanced media literacy and media savvy, cultural analysis, and professional writing. By participating in MCH Seminars and events such as the FUAIM Music Research Seminar Series, graduates will gain experience in formal presentation and broaden their professional network before leaving UCC. Graduates leave with transferable skills that are extremely important in our global cultural economy and its proliferation of cultural and information-based career fields.



Occupations associated with Music and Cultural History degrees:

-Tourism and Cultural Industries: Tourism, Arts Venues

-Media: Radio, TV, and Online Platforms, Cultural Journalism

-Information Technology: Online Music Platforms (Google, YouTube, Spotify, WhoSampled.com), Librarian, Archives, Information Officer

-Teaching: Universities, EU Cultural Commission, NGO Research Consortia, Secondary Schools

-Performance: Music Performance and Production, Historically Informed Performance, Singer-Songwriter

-Public Sector: Arts Administrator, Outreach Officer, Communications Officer, Media Officer

-Advertising: Advertising Copywriter, Demographic Analysis, Account Executive

-Public Relations & Communications: Music Management and PR

-Writer: Freelance, Culture and Style Columnist, Blogger, Magazine Editor, Music Editor

-Marketing: Music Marketing Executive, Marketing Analysis.

-Or further your skill set with Advanced PhD Research.



Remember, in many advertised job vacancies a postgraduate degree is required. A Master’s Degree in Music and Cultural History is an excellent qualification to prepare you for a diverse range of professional fields. The degree exhibits your dedication to history and an informed view of the past, but with an eye to the future information economy and its multi-media cultural industries.