MA Psychology of Music

About the course

1 year full-time/2 years part-time

You'll explore the published literature and research methods in the psychology of music, building up experience in carrying out empirical research. This comprehensive course is the longest-established masters programme in music psychology in the UK.

Entry requirements

For this course you'll need at least a 2:1 in music, or a combined degree with a substantial music component.

Other qualifications may be acceptable depending on your background, for instance a degree in anthropology, drama, education, psychology or another subject, equivalent life experience, or a performance diploma from a conservatoire or academy.

English language requirements for overseas students

Overall IELTS grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

Entry requirements for international students

Course content

• Developmental, social, educational, applied and cognitive psychological approaches
• Options from the Department of Psychology on relevant topics in general psychology
• Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
• Presentation Skills

Teaching

• Seminars
• Laboratory-based demonstrations
• Individual tutorials

Assessment

• Coursework (including two empirical projects)
• 14,000-word dissertation

Fees and funding

University and faculty funding is available each year. The closing date for applications is mid-January. The department has a small number of tuition studentships available. The closing date for these is the end of April.

Financial information for postgraduate taught courses

Any questions?

If you'd like to know more about any aspect of our courses, contact us:

E: j.m.burrows@sheffield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)114 222 0470

Why your masters matters

We offer a variety of specialist courses, taught by expert staff. We're among the UK's top five music departments, and our teaching and research have both been rated as excellent.

We're influential in music psychology and education, acoustic and electronic composition, performance studies and the ethnomusicology of East Asia. Our Centre for Applied and Interdisciplinary Research in Music (CAIRM) supports research collaborations.

Performance is an important part of our work and you'll have the chance to participate in orchestras, music theatre, contemporary music, folk and world traditions. We have strong links with our community, giving you the chance to make music outside the University.

Many of our students go on to lead careers in the education sector, whilst others enjoy careers as performers in various popular genres, both here in the UK and abroad, or work in sound recording studios. Recent graduates have gone on to work for employers such as universities, colleges, concert agencies, sound recording studios and music promoters.

Work alongside professional musicians and researchers to develop your skills and knowledge.

Study materials, studios and equipment

You can access scores, books, periodicals and recordings, plus online resources. We also have a postgraduate research suite and several studios for advanced compositional work, software development, sound recording, experimentation, transcription, music notation and other research applications.

Our experienced studio manager will help you use the tools for digital recording, video and film. We also have practice facilities and collections of historical and world music instruments.

Resident professional musicians bring performance expertise to the department, most recently Ensemble 360 and tabla performer John Ball. For extra support, you can apply for a small grant to support your postgraduate research project.

Apply now

You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It is a quick and easy process.

Postgraduate Online Application Form