Faculty of Arts, Cultures and Education

MMus in Music (Musicology, Composition, Performance, Technology)

Postgraduate - Taught MMus

Open for admission in 2023/24

Start in September

Qualification	Full time	Part time
MMus	1 year	2 years

About the course

Become the musician you want to be with a flexible taught-Masters degree at Hull.

The MMus programme is sector-leading, allowing unequalled specialisation and mixing of interests in a wide variety of areas including performance, composition (acoustic, electroacoustic, sonic arts), conducting, music technology, recording, production, pedagogy, film music, aesthetics, philosophy, semiotics, historical and critical musicology, jazz studies, popular music studies, music psychology, theory and analysis.

This course is aimed at those who have a particular interest in pursuing their study of music to a higher level and equips students with a wide range of transferable skills. Obtaining the MMus opens up career possibilities in music and in many other fields where skills in critical enquiry and a demonstration of advanced aptitude are essential.

This programme provides you with a host of opportunities, such as internships, through our professional partnerships and a range of international visiting speakers including composers, performers, and academics to expose you to key individuals in the field.

What you'll study

You’ll develop skills in your chosen specialism within one or more of the four broad areas of study - musicology, composition, performance and music technology - as well as acquiring a wide range of other transferable skills in critical reasoning and intellectual enquiry.

Modules include

All modules are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.

Music Studies 1 and 2

The central aim of these modules is to explore options within a range of musical manifestations and to demonstrate an understanding through reflective and critically engaged work.
Technical Skills

This module covers technical approaches to music in your chosen specialist area and provides you with the skills to complement it. The focus is on methodological, technical and critical components. Where appropriate, it incorporates industry-specific aspects.
Contexts of Music

This module introduces a range of critical and theoretical approaches to music and explains how these approaches are framed in academic terms. It's accompanied by a string of distinguished visiting speakers in the Newland Lecture Series.
Special Study

This module allows you to embark on a large project of your own choice, under supervision. It could follow on from work you did in the Music Studies and Technical Skills modules. Or it could be a large and distinct piece of work, separate from earlier projects.

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Postgraduate events

Where you'll study

The location below may not be the exact location of all modules on your timetable. The buildings you'll be taught in can vary each year and depend on the modules you study.

Hull Campus

Click to view directions on Google Maps

Our teaching staff

Dr Alexander Binns

Professor Andrew King

Dr Elaine King

Dr Helen Prior

Dr Mark Slater

Dr Matthew Barnard

Dr Peter Elsdon

Dr Rowan Oliver

Wai Wan

Fees and funding

Home £9,400

Home (part-time)£520 (10 credits), £1,045 (20 credits), 3,135 (60 credits), £4,700 (90 credits)

UK students can take out a Masters Loan to help with tuition fees and living costs. For 2023 entry, they provide up to £12,167 for full-time and part-time taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas. Find out more about Postgraduate Loans.

International £10,000

Please see the terms and conditions for International fees 2022/23.

Graduate PGT Scholarship

The University of Hull is pleased to offer graduates progressing from undergraduate to postgraduate taught study a £1,000 scholarship towards the cost of their tuition fees.

Find out if you’re eligible by visiting the University of Hull Graduate PGT Scholarship page.

International Scholarships and Bursaries

For a list of all scholarships and bursaries for international students, please visit the International Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Scholarships and Bursaries

The University offers a range of scholarships to help you with your studies.

For more information, please visit the Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Our music studios and recording equipment rival the best in the industry, including one of the finest ambisonic studios in the UK.

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Become the musician you want to be, whether it's pop, jazz, classical, musical theatre or film music, by tailoring your course to match your interests.

Thanks to a £9.5 million investment, our Middleton Hall is now a world-class cultural venue boasting a superb 400-seater concert hall.

Find out more

Strong links with professional organisations enable our students to engage with the likes of the BBC, Hull Truck and Opera North.

Entry requirements

You should normally hold an Honours degree in Music (2.1 or above) or international equivalent. In some instances, we may require you to attend an interview.

With your application, please submit a relevant sample of work as per below depending on the area(s) of study you are interested in:

Performance: a video recording of a recent performance containing two contrasting pieces up to 10 minutes duration in total.
Composition: a sample of two recent pieces of composition work in either score and/or recorded format up to 10 minutes duration in total.
Technology: two pieces of recent work (this could include studio production, sound design, programming, etc.) in an appropriate format totalling 10 minutes duration (or equivalent)
Musicology: a sample of written work, including one or two essays totalling approximately 5,000 words.

In your application, you can provide a link to your work hosted externally.

In order to ensure our students have a rich learning and student experience, most of our programmes have a mix of domestic and international students. We reserve the right to close applications early to either group, if application volumes suggest that this blend cannot be achieved. In addition, existing undergraduate students at the University of Hull have a guaranteed ‘Fast Track’ route to any postgraduate programme, subject to meeting the entry criteria (excluding Social Work).

International students

Language requirements

If you require a student visa to study or if your first language is not English you must provide acceptable evidence of your English language proficiency level.

This course requires academic IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 5.5 in each skill. See other accepted English language proficiency qualifications.

If your English currently does not reach the required standard, you may be interested in our pre-sessional English Language programmes.

Visit your country page to find out more about entry requirements.

Future prospects

The aim of studies on the MMus is to link your abilities directly to industry-led areas of music and employment. As such, preparation for employment is both vocationally-orientated and intellectually broadening.

You’ll be able to get involved with a range of music opportunities such as participating in ensembles, running collaborative projects, organising your own projects and preparing performances. These opportunities will develop transferable skills beneficial in a wide range of careers as well as music.

You’ll have the opportunity to get involved with career-based schemes, such as the school’s Students for Hire scheme, giving you the chance to fulfil external engagements. The school has developed a range of internships in partnership with professional organisations, including Hull Truck Theatre and Opera North.

The School runs engagement activities where you’ll get the chance to work with members of the public in different organisational contexts, including local schools, the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull Truck Theatre, Hull City Council Libraries, the Stroke Association (for music therapy), and community groups.