MA Music: Musicology and Sound Studies pathway

University of Birmingham

Deepen your understanding of how music has developed across time and different cultures by exploring musicology and sound studies. Explore the history of music across the globe and gain valuable analytical skills. Course highlights Combine teaching with opportunities to be inspired by live music on campus and in the city. Whichever music period you're fascinated by, discover weekly free lunchtime concerts at our Elgar Concert Hall and a variety of musical performances in the city and beyond. Our diverse study options include modules such as ‘Historically Informed Performance’, ‘Introduction to Global Popular Musics’ and ‘Postsocialist Music and Ethnography’. Get ready to turn your passion for music into your career. Gain the tools you need to be a successful music professional on our practical employability module. Top 10 for Music in the UK (Complete University Guide 2026). At Birmingham, research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Lecturers and professors continue to research in their field, offering valuable expertise in Music history, theory and performance. Taught modules - each module represents a total of 200 hours of study time, including preparatory reading, homework and assignment preparation. Seminars – modules are mainly taught by small group teaching. Dissertation – you'll undertake a 15,000-word dissertation in an area that interests you. You’ll also produce short summaries of research seminars presented during the academic year.

Department of Music