Music and Music Psychology - MA (Hons)

University of Leeds

Our unique Music and Music Psychology degrees are the only courses of their type in the country. You can choose between two options for studying music and music psychology with us:If you choose to take the MArtsBA in Music and Music Psychology you’ll study for four years and graduate with both a masters (MArts) and bachelors (BA) qualification in music and music psychology.Alternatively, if you choose to take the BA in Music and Music Psychology you’ll study for three years and receive a Bachelor of Arts qualification on graduation.The core of the course balances modules focused on music psychology with those drawing on musics from a range of genres, styles, cultural and social contexts, and geographic locations to explore key concepts, theories and approaches. You’ll develop your skills as a creative, critical and reflective thinker, gaining the tools and experience needed to be an independent worker, musician and music psychologist, ready for life after university. The first two years maintain a dual core of music and music psychology, with the proportion of credits taken in music psychology increasing in the final two years. You can personalise your course in all years by choosing optional modules from a broad range of areas – including aesthetics, analysis, contemporary composition, film music, the music business, musicology, music technology, performance (solo and collaborative) and popular music – enabling you to shape your degree to fit your interests and ambitions.You’ll study with academics who are experts in their fields, receive support from a dedicated technical team, and take lessons with a visiting professional specialist if you study solo performance. Across your course you’ll engage with the latest research, explore a range of theoretical, creative and applied aspects of music and music psychology, and develop a set of valuable subject-specific and transferrable skills. You’ll have opportunities to work independently and collaboratively, developing your skills and knowledge in contexts that extend beyond the University environment. All these elements combine to provide you with an exciting and dynamic educational experience that is unique to Leeds.We are one of the largest schools of music in the country, which means you’ll benefit from the impressive range of specialisms within our curriculum, reflecting our ethos that music is music, regardless of genre or style. We attract a diverse body of students from across the UK and internationally, which gives the School a vibrant community and culture. Decolonisation, equality and inclusivity are embedded within our curriculum, so all our students can feel a sense of belonging in the School and can thrive on their course, no matter what their background and musical experience.In the recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) exercise, 93% of our research was considered to be ‘internationally excellent’ or better in terms of its originality, significance and rigour, with 56% rated as ‘world leading’, the highest classification. Each of these measures places us within the top 10 Schools of Music in the country based on the REF 2021 results for the subject area. Our staff expertise feeds directly into our curriculum, with specialisms including:Applied music psychologyBlack, popular, independent and global musical culturesContemporary and experimental compositionElectronic and computer musicFilm musicHistorical musicologyMusic analysisMusic and wellbeingMusic industry and managementMusic technology in theory and practiceMusical aesthetics and postcolonialismOperaPerformance and performance practicePractice research in music and the artsScience and technology studiesWe work closely with our students, particularly through our active Student Staff Partnership Forum, to ensure that we offer the best possible experience to everyone studying in the School of Music.

School of Music