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Critical and Experimental Composition MMus

UK

16

1

What will I learn?

Course overview

This course gives you opportunities to develop your compositional creativity and technical fluency to an advanced level under the guidance of our expert staff. Our diverse composition staff are all experienced and active composers, enabling us to support a broad range of critical and experimental approaches to acoustic and electroacoustic composition, and to the intersections of these aesthetics.

Throughout the year you’ll take a combination of core modules helping you to develop your skills as a composer and musician. You’ll grow your academic skills, including research and presentation skills, as well as studying the principles of composition and different professional contexts. You’ll also develop an awareness of broader topics in the study of music through exploration of aesthetic theory to help you understand and develop your compositional voice. Your major project will be a portfolio of original compositions. Provided you have the necessary prior knowledge and experience, you can pursue optional modules in other areas of music such as musicology, electronic music, performance, and music psychology.

There are opportunities to try out new work, both formally and informally, and the School of Music’s contemporary music ensemble, LSTwo, often includes student compositions in its repertoire. The School enjoys a significant reputation for performance studies and a lively and full concert diary – much of which will provide useful material for study by students on this course. The course is ideal if you wish to pursue advanced compositional studies, and can also be used as preparation for undertaking a composition-based practice-led PhD.

Career opportunities

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.

Which department am I in?

School of Music

Study options

Full Time (12 months)

Tuition fees
£26,500.00 (US$ 34,223) per year
This is a fixed fee

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution

Start date

September 2025

Venue

University of Leeds

Woodhouse Lane,

Leeds,

LS2 9JT, England

Entry requirements

For international students

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) in music, or equivalent qualification. IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test) or TOEFL iBT Home Edition at 88 overall with no less than 19 in listening, 20 in reading, 22 in speaking and 21 in writing.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.

ADD TO MY FAVOURITES

About University of Leeds

The university has a high student satisfaction rate - the third-best in the UK (Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2018).

  • In the top 100 in the (QS World University Rankings 2025)
  • Top 25 Universities in the UK (Complete University Guide 2025)
  • One of the largest single-site campuses in the UK
  • Diverse campus with over 13,800 international students

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