MA Music

Program Overview

The MA Music program at Edinburgh Napier University is a student-centered, innovative program that allows individuals to pursue their interests and develop their musical practice with a focus on exploration, experimentation, criticality, and reflection. The program structure includes lectures, seminars, workshops, and supervised independent study, culminating in a large-scale project in the student's chosen area of study. The program prepares graduates for a wide range of career opportunities in music and beyond.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This innovative MA in Music program is designed to be student-centered, allowing individuals to pursue their interests and develop their practice. It breaks from the traditional Masters structure by enabling students to work on their major project from the outset.

Objectives:

The program aims to foster:

• Exploration and experimentation: Encouraging students to push boundaries and explore new creative avenues.
• Criticality and reflection: Developing students' ability to analyze and evaluate their work and the work of others.
• Engagement with knowledge and practice: Connecting theoretical understanding with practical application.

Target Audience:

The program welcomes musicians, composers, producers, artists, and scholars from all disciplines who wish to:

• Develop their practice.
• Take an academic approach to their study.

Program Structure:

The program is delivered over three trimesters (September to August) and includes:

• Trimesters 1 and 2: Fortnightly lectures, seminars, and workshops.
• Trimester 3: Primarily supervised independent study, with two intensive weeks of contact with staff and peers, including an MA conference day for sharing and showcasing work.

Outline:

Compulsory Modules:

• Doing (MUS11114): This module focuses on a large-scale project in the student's chosen area of study.
It spans all three trimesters and includes workshops, seminars, individual tutorials, and a viva voce exam.
• Exploring (MUS11115): This module encourages students to engage in experimental and exploratory methods, challenging their current practices.
It is primarily student-led, with seminars and individual tutorials.
• Methodologies (MUS11118): This module explores, critiques, and applies a range of methodologies relevant to the student cohort's chosen areas of investigation/practice.
It covers research ethics, epistemology, and ontological issues.
• Thinking About (MUS11116): This module helps students develop ways to contextualize and critique their own work within their chosen practice field.
It involves discussions and critiques of various ways of thinking about music.
• Transmitting (MUS11117): This module explores various types of scholarly/artistic transmission associated with the student's chosen field.
It develops skills and knowledge for making decisions about appropriate transmission strategies.

Assessment:

• Formative Activities: These are designed to help students develop their work throughout the program.
• Summative Assessments: These include a range of approaches such as essays, interactive poster/multimedia presentations, oral presentations, and a PhD-style viva voce exam for the main project.

Teaching:

• Teaching Methods: The program utilizes interactive lectures, workshops, tutorials, seminars, and independent study.
• Faculty: The teaching staff has a wide range of scholarly and professional experience, providing diverse options for project supervision.
• Unique Approaches: The program emphasizes exploration, experimentation, criticality, and reflection, encouraging students to develop their own unique approaches to their chosen field.

Careers:

The program prepares students for a wide range of career opportunities, including:

• Doctoral study (research or practice-based)
• Performance
• Composition/Songwriting
• Production
• Audio Engineering
• Musicology
• Music Education
• Arts Administration
• Sound Design
• Music Management or Promotion

Other:

• Facilities: The program is supported by state-of-the-art facilities, including three high-quality recording studios, a fully networked lab, and well-equipped practice rooms.
• Avid Certified Instructors: The staff includes two Avid Certified Instructors and ProTools experts.
• 24/7 Access: Students have 24/7 access to practice rooms, teaching rooms, the library, and recital areas.

Students From 2024/25 2025/26 Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland £7,280 £tba Overseas and EU £18,800 £tba The University offers a 20% discount on Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online programmes. The discount can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount. For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount. Please note that the tuition fees liable to be paid by EU nationals commencing their studies from 1 August 2021 will be the Overseas fee rate. The University offers a range of attractive Tuition Fee bursaries to students resident in specific countries. More information on these can be found here. View Tuition Fees for 2025/26 Please note: The discount for Edinburgh Napier alumni can only be applied to year one of a full-time Postgraduate degree, any additional years are exempt from the discount. For part time Postgraduate degrees the discount will apply to years one, two and three only and any additional years will be exempt from the discount.