Edinburgh is an extraordinary place to study musicology. You will join a large postgraduate community and benefit from a vibrant research culture at an institution which has been a world leader in research into music since 1838. The University as a whole has been ranked 9th in the world for Arts and Humanities. 
Our Musicology programme is truly interdisciplinary in nature, and takes a broad definition of music and music studies as its starting point. Within the programme, students have many opportunities to tailor their learning to their own research interests. 
Students have access to a number of important research collections, including the University's Music Instrument Collection, which has over 6,000 objects, and the School of Scottish Studies Archives. 
Our regular Music Research Seminar Series, one of a number of research seminars and study groups which we organise, gives you the opportunity to learn about and discuss the work of local, national and international researchers.  Students can also contribute to MUSIC.OLOGY.ECA, an online, student-led journal of music research set up by graduates of the programme.
In addition to the extensive collections held by Edinburgh University Library, our location in central Edinburgh is also ideal for access to the National Library of Scotland, one of Britain's legal deposit libraries and one of Europe's major research libraries. 

Outline

The MMus in Musicology offers graduate students a broad and intensive introduction to academic research into music and the ability to pursue, in greater depth, an area of special research interestTeaching staff on the programme include world-leading experts in a number of areas of music research, including:

  • the cultural, material and political history of music 
  • music instrument research 
  • music sociology 
  • jazz studies 
  • philosophy of music
  • music and audio-visual media
  • music psychology and cognition.

 

This programme is designed for students who want to understand more about what music is, how it works, and why it is such a fundamental and significant part of human culture. It offers an ideal foundation for those interested in pursue a higher research degree in musicology, as it equips students with the context, skills and critical understanding to undertake original research in this increasingly interdisciplinary field.  

While this is not a degree in music performance, pedagogy or management, those with an interest in critical research on these topics are very welcome to apply. 

Careers

The MMus in Musicology provides an excellent foundation for further postgraduate work, and many of our students have gone on to work in academia.   

Recent graduates have also established successful careers in performance, journalism, arts administration, music education, and librarianship.  

You will gain a wide variety of transferable skills, such as the ability to research & analyse music, structure and manage your time, work and communicate effectively as part of an arts production team. These skills will increase your employability across the arts and further afield. 


How to apply and entrance requirements

If you'd like to study on a postgraduate programme at Edinburgh College of Art, you must apply through EUCLID, our online application system. You can find out how to do this on the University of Edinburgh website, where you'll also be able to:

  • see detailed entrance requirements for each programme on the Degree Finder
  • get information on what to expect after you apply
  • find out about study modes, start dates and fees
  • find out if, and how, you need to submit a portfolio, showreel or research proposal
  • find out where to go for further advice and guidance

Take me to the University of Edinburgh website on how to apply for postgraduate study


Alumni profiles


Staff

Dr Morag Grant

Chancellor’s Fellow in Music

Programme Director, MMus Musicology

Email: mj.grant@ed.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 131 650 8031


Facilities and resources

Our extensive range of music studio spaces, equipment, and software will allow you to see your audio projects all the way through from composition and recording, to mixing, mastering, and post-production.

A 218-seat Victorian venue built in 1859. Used for regular orchestral and choral rehearsals and performances.

Seventeen practice rooms equipped with pianos, ideal for students requiring a private place for music practice.

The oldest purpose-built concert hall in Scotland, home to one of the most important historic musical instrument collections in the world.


Scholarships and bursaries

Andrew Grant Postgraduate Scholarships

  • Deadline: 1 March 2023
  • Value: £10,500
  • Eligibility: Scholarships available for one academic year of postgraduate Masters study at Edinburgh College of Art.

Jean Kennoway Howells Scholarship

  • Deadline: 13 March 2023
  • Value: £15,000
  • Eligibility: For applicants to full-time postgraduate taught Masters programmes in the Reid School of Music.


Contact

Edinburgh College of Art Postgraduate Admissions

Email: cahss.pgadmissions@ed.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)131 650 4086