Entry requirements

2:1 undergraduate degree. If your undergraduate degree is not in music, you’ll need to provide evidence of substantial engagement with music.

We also recognise the value of experience, and may accept applications from people who have not been awarded a 2:1 and have been in professional practice, or who bring other qualifications or relevant academic experience to their studies.

Months of entry

August

Course content

Learn about psychological research on musical experiences on this distance-learning course, including learning, teaching, practicing, performing, listening and using music to enhance well-being.

Course description

Drawing students from all over the world, this course focuses on the application of psychological research to musical experiences and professional work. The distance learning programme attracts graduate musicians who work in music education, performance or that use music in therapeutic ways.

You'll receive training in evaluating and using the qualitative and quantitative research methods used by psychologists, together with their associated conceptual frameworks. You'll gain a theoretical understanding of some of the major psychological models and their practical applications, which you could then use in educational, performance or therapeutic settings.

The first year is dedicated to three broad areas of research: Musical Development, Psychology of Performance and Researching Music in Everyday Life and Wellbeing. The second year offers training in Psychological Research Methods. You'll also complete a dissertation in which you'll use what you've learnt to investigate your chosen research question.

During the course, you'll also benefit from research informed online materials and from the University’s extensive collection of electronic books and journals in music psychology and education. You'll also have access to online resources that will help you to improve your academic skills, such as carrying out literature searches and reviews or how to develop your academic writing and critical thinking.

In the first year, you'll be assigned a personal tutor to support your modular learning. In the second year, you'll have a dissertation supervisor to guide you through your research project and dissertation writing.

Please see our University website for the most up-to-date course information: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses