The MMus in Musicology takes a very broad approach to musical scholarship, including cultural musicology, popular music, the sociology of music, music in film, and music analysis.
Edinburgh is an extraordinary place to study music. You will join a large postgraduate community and vibrant research culture within the Reid School of Music, home to a range of student orchestras and choirs and located in a capital city with a dynamic cultural scene.
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.
Programme format
You will be introduced to a wide range of methodologies in musicology and will develop the critical skills needed to pursue your own research.
You will take four compulsory courses...
- Introduction to Musicology
- Research Methods
- Making Sense of Popular Music
- Music, Philosophy and Politics
... and will choose a further course from a selection of options across the University.
You will also develop your independent research skills: working under the supervision of a member of staff on an individual research project over the first two semesters; and writing a dissertation on a second topic of your choosing at the end of the programme.
Our teaching combines small-group seminars and individual supervision.
The weekly Research Seminar Series, at which international academics discuss their work, is an integral part of the programme, and students are also encouraged to participate in our regular popular music seminar.
You will be taught by leading academics with diverse research interests, including musical patronage in fifteenth and sixteenth century Rome, nineteenth century music theory, music and politics in the Cold War, opera, music and film, and popular music.
Potential new programme survey
We would like to hear your views on a potential new Masters in Music and Music Pedagogy. Our survey will only take about 5 minutes to complete, and your answers will help inform the development of this exciting new programme.
