Music & Culture

Cutting-edge research with an Irish grounding and a world-wide reach lies at the heart of our taught Master's programme, which gives students the opportunity to work with scholars of international standing in the School's core disciplines of ethnomusicology, historical musicology and cultural history. Foundation modules in these areas as well as research methods are followed by case studies based on the research interests of our staff. The programme furnishes students with the core intellectual tools for pursuing musicological research, while also facilitating specialisation. Irish musical culture features prominently in the programme (including case study modules entitled "Sounding Ireland Onscreen" and "Popular Music in Ireland"), yet the profile of the degree is by no means restricted to Irish topics, given that our research interests embrace music from many different regions. Guest seminars by international scholars also form an important part of the syllabus.

The UCD School of Music is one of the leading centres for graduate musical study in Ireland. Our graduate programme gives students the opportunity to work with scholars of international standing in the School's core disciplines of historical musicology and ethnomusicology. The programme encourages interdisciplinary study by enabling students to take modules in both these areas, while also facilitating specialisation. The MMus degree furnishes students with the core intellectual tools for pursuing musical research, whilst also encouraging independent scholarship.

- Students will develop a comprehensive grounding in the core disciplinary strengths of historical musicology and ethnomusicology.

- Encourage inter-disciplinary study, by enabling students to take modules in all of these areas, whilst also facilitating specialisation.

Vision and Values Statement
The MMus "Music and Culture" degree will appeal to students who wish to prepare for further research in Music and to those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of historical musicology and ethnomusicology. The programme aims to develop students' analytical research skills and independent critical and reflective thinking and writing, within a supportive research-oriented environment.

We value ambition, dedication, and passion for music in all its forms: critical reflection on music, performance to the highest professional standards, and engagement with composition through analysis, reflection and the creative process.

The programme gives students an opportunity to work with scholars of international standing in the School's core disciplines of historical musicology and ethnomusicology. The MMus degree furnishes students with the core intellectual tools for pursuing musical research, whilst also encouraging independent scholarship. In keeping with UCD's motto of bringing the best of Ireland to the world and the best of the world to Ireland, a special focus lies on how the history and the present state of music and musicological discourses in Ireland relate to their international counterparts.

The degree emphasises progression from taught foundational modules, through focused case studies reflecting the School's major research strengths, to opportunities for independent research. Teaching is in small seminars and requires intensive student preparation. The Graduate Colloquium enables students to present autonomous research (a twenty-minute paper) in a supportive peer environment. The programme culminates in the writing of a research dissertation on a topic of the student's choosing.

Related Programmes
MLitt Music FT
PhD Music FT
PhD Music PT

Core Modules
Trimester 1 (30 credits)
Foundations in Historical Musicology, 10 credits
Foundations in Ethnomusicology, 10 credits
Doing Research, 5 credits
Ethno/Musicology in Ireland Seminar 1, 5 credits

Core and Option Modules
Trimester 2 (30 credits)
Popular Music Ethnography, 10 credits (option)
Post-Truth, Politics & Music, 5 credits (option)
Death in Music, 5 credits (option)
Sounding Ireland Onscreen, 5 credits (option)
Advanced Music Theory, 5 credits (option)
Graduate Colloquium, 5 credits (core)
Ethno/Musicology in Ireland Seminar 2, 5 credits (core)

Trimester 3 (30 credits)
Dissertation, 30 credits (Core)

A Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor in a cognate area with a minimum 2.1 or an equivalent of a UCD GPA of 3.08 (NFQ Level 8) or equivalent. Cognate areas include Music, Musicology, Ethnomusicology, Music Education and Performance Studies. In some cases the School of Music will accept applicants from English, History, Sociology and Anthropology. However, the School will first assess the applicant's ability to read musical notation and engage with Music Theory. Written sample work (1000-4000 words) and two positive academic references will be required. Applicants whose first language is not English are also required to submit evidence of their English language proficiency. It is expected that applicants will normally have reached an overall 7.0 in IELTS, with no individual band lower than 6.5, or equivalent.

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes.

How to apply?
The following entry routes are available:
MMus Music & Culture FT (Z357)
Duration
1 Years
Attend
Full Time
Deadline
Rolling*

MMus Music & Culture PT (Z358)
Duration
2 Years
Attend
Part Time
Deadline
Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised.

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

MMus Musicology Music and Culture (Z357) Full Time
EU fee per year - € 7315
nonEU fee per year - € 19900

MMus Musicology Music and Culture (Z358) Part Time
EU fee per year - € 4390
nonEU fee per year - € 9950

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

Career & Graduate Study Opportunity
Many alumni of the MMus Degree have gone on to successful careers in arts administration, journalism, and teaching. Recent graduates have also gone on to pursue doctoral work in musicology and ethnomusicology at internationally-renowned institutions such as Cambridge University, King's College London, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Our graduates occupy academic posts throughout Ireland and the UK (including Royal Holloway, Goldsmiths, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester) and further afield (including Queensland and Sydney); they also hold positions with the BBC and RTÉ (radio and television) and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.