Program Overview
This postgraduate program delves into the relationship between musical engagement and wellbeing, equipping students with research and evaluation techniques. Through modules in music, applied practice, and empirical methodologies, students develop skills for conducting independent investigations and examining the benefits and challenges associated with participating in music. This degree prepares individuals for careers in fields such as music therapy or research, where a deep understanding of the impact music has on well-being is essential
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
This distinctive course offers you the chance to develop a range of research and analytical techniques needed to evaluate and evidence the relationship between musical engagement and wellbeing. Your contextual understanding of the topic will be expanded through the core Music, Wellbeing and its Evaluation module, and you’ll develop the skills needed to conduct independent research. You’ll examine the physical and mental benefits and problems associated with musical participation, exploring current research in the field, and the innovative Applied Professional Practice module will provide you with opportunities to take a proactive and self-reflective role in your work, developing professional relationships with our partner organisations. The course is ideal for existing practitioners wishing to enhance their skills or undertake continuous professional development, or students wishing to develop their interests by taking a smaller selection of modules than the 180-credit MA Music and Wellbeing course.
Outline:
Your course is built around three core subject-area modules exploring Music, Wellbeing and its Evaluation, Applied Professional Practice, and Empirical Research Techniques. Through these modules you’ll expand your understanding of the relationship between musical engagement and wellbeing, learn to identify the methodological and ethical challenges of researching in real-world settings, and develop the empirical skills you need to conduct independent research. The Applied Professional Practice module will provide you with opportunities to take a proactive and self-reflective role in your work, developing professional relationships with our partner organisations e.g. North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre. You’ll complete the course by researching and writing a Short Dissertation on an aspect of music and wellbeing of your own choosing, undertaking the project between October and June, or January and September to fit with your other commitments. If you choose to study part-time, you’ll study over a longer period and take fewer modules in each year.
Course Structure:
- Music, Wellbeing and its Evaluation (30 credits) - This module provides you with a contextual understanding of associations between music and wellbeing, with a particular focus on the evaluation of wellbeing in practice. It adopts a case study approach, examining key concepts and texts thematically, considering areas such as therapy, health promotion, education, subjective wellbeing, and society. Staff-led seminars will feature case studies from the research literature, and visiting practitioners will share case studies of their work to facilitate discussion. You will be required to prepare key texts in advance of each seminar and expected to contribute to class discussions in order to consolidate your own reading and engagement with the course materials, while critically reflecting on your experiences of associating musical engagement with wellbeing.
- Empirical Research Techniques (30 credits) - This module allows you to develop your understanding and application of quantitative and qualitative research techniques in the field of music and wellbeing. The module emphasises practical work and provides you with the opportunity to design, conduct, analyse and write-up two empirical projects which form your assessment. Whilst some prior experience of research methods and the data analysis software SPSS is an advantage, the course does not assume prior learning in these areas. Your supervisor will help you to define the scope and topic of your Short Dissertation, but it should be one which enables you to demonstrate focused criticality, the assimilation and synthesis of scholarly literature, and the confidence to work independently. Please note that although you must take Short Dissertation to complete your course, your project can be completed between October and June, or January and September.
Assessment:
We use a variety of assessment methods, each of which is chosen to best measure your achievement of a module’s learning outcomes and associated skills, so you and we can understand and support your progress and development. Across your course you are likely to encounter a mix of written assignments (e.g. essays, reports, reviews, reflective logs), presentations, and online assessments. Some assignments will be completed individually, some collaboratively, and some may require elements of group working leading to individual submissions. You might be given a brief, question or problem to be addressed, or you may have scope to determine your own question or approach under the guidance of a member of staff. Assessments will usually require you to synthesise and evaluate learning from multiple taught sessions and learning resources (e.g.
Teaching:
Academics in the School of Music are experts in their fields, and their activities inform their teaching directly. Your learning and teaching methods may include workshops and practice-based sessions, as well as lectures, seminars, tutorials and other small-group learning classes. Taught sessions are only a part of University learning, and on many of our modules you’ll be supplied with online learning resources designed to work in tandem with classroom sessions. Some modules may require you to engage with videos, podcasts, readings or other activities before class sessions, with some of the classroom time devoted to debate, discussion and deeper learning based on how students have interpreted the online materials. Your learning experience will offer opportunities for collaboration, a key aspect of music and the arts, and peer learning, as well as fostering a culture of reflection and self-awareness. Independent study is also an important part of your course, and you’ll develop your critical, creative and research skills through time spent in the University Library and Special Collections, practice rooms and studios. We support your learning in several ways. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Careers:
A postgraduate degree in Music from the University of Leeds equips you with valuable subject knowledge, cultural and social awareness, and a strong balance of musical and transferrable skills. Skills such as communication, leadership, time and resource management, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively are particularly attractive to employers, and you’ll also be able to demonstrate the flexibility, resilience and confidence needed to adapt to new situations and environments. Your subject-specific knowledge will bring your critical, creative, research and problem-solving abilities to the fore, and you’ll be able to articulate how the experience gained through your postgraduate study has prepared you for whatever comes next, be that work or doctoral research.
- Music therapy
- Arts research
- Teaching, lecturing and coaching
- Performing
- Composing
- Arts, artist, project and event management
- PR
- Music publishing and copyright
- Marketing and digital marketing
- Creative production
- Theatrical stage direction and musical direction
- Music supervision
Other:
We have a variety of excellent facilities to support your learning, including a music psychology lab, rehearsal, performance and practice spaces, recording and electronic music studios, and five libraries that provide access to a wide range of books, periodicals, and online resources. We have close working relationships with prestigious arts organisations: we host BBC Radio 3 concerts, Leeds Lieder and the Leeds International Piano Competition, and we engage with the flagship DARE partnership between the University and Opera North. We are also closely associated with Leeds Baroque and we engage with many other performing arts organisations in Leeds, which enjoys a thriving music and cultural scene. Elements of local fieldwork may be embedded in modules that take you outside teaching spaces as part of the learning experience. You might undertake fieldwork as part your 30-credit Short Dissertation.
UK fees:
£7,667 (Total)
International fees:
£17,667 (Total)
