Critical and Applied Musicology

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in music. IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in all components. We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications. Please contact us for more information.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This course offers a foundation in musicological thought and practice, opportunities to develop specialised applied, editorial, archival, critical and theoretical skills, and the chance to produce a significant piece of work in a musicological area of your choice, regardless of your musical tastes and preferences.

Through core modules you’ll explore issues in musicology that affect our understanding, reception and interpretation of music in critical and applied contexts. You’ll also have the chance to gain knowledge and skills through the study of aesthetic theory or applied research methods in musicology, enabling you to balance critical and applied forms of musicology to suit your interests.

Your major project will take the form of a dissertation with a specific musicological focus, or a piece of applied or practice-led work such as an editing or transcription project, or an archival or fieldwork study, defining your topic in consultation with one of our expert staff.

You’ll also have the opportunity to study optional modules in other areas of music such as performance, composition, electronic and computer music or music psychology.

The course provides a logical progression from undergraduate music courses and will equip you with a range of skills desired by employers and of value in further research at MPhil/PhD level.

We have a variety of excellent facilities to support your learning, including rehearsal, performance and practice spaces, a lab for studying the psychology of music and studios for sound recording, software development and computer music composition.

The Special Collections housed in our beautiful Brotherton Library contain significant collections of music manuscripts, rare printed music and letters from composers and critics to help inform your work.

We also have good working relationships with a range of prestigious arts organisations: we host BBC Radio 3 concerts, Leeds Lieder and the Leeds International Piano Competition, as well as enjoying a close partnership with Opera North and many others in a city with a thriving music and cultural scene.

Fees and funding

We have a generous range of funding available for postgraduate study. Find out more on the University of Leeds Postgraduate Scholarships database here.