MA Music Education

The Music Education MA allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the theory and practice of teaching music to others. You will have a strong grasp of how music and education are interrelated, involving practical experience within a robust theoretical framework.
You will also have advanced skills within music and education as separate disciplines. You will be knowledgeable and skilled as musicologists, composers, performers and/or teachers, and will have honed personal and professional skills valued in the education sector, including skills in planning, course design, and management. Musical knowledge may involve a range of styles of repertoires, a range of methodologies for studying music, and experience of the benevolent roles of music in educational, community and healthcare settings. You will develop a focus on critical enquiry and creative thinking around music education. You will become reflective practitioners, with excellent leadership skills. You will consider music education in the round, focussing not on styles of repertoire but on musical knowledge and the ability to communicate effectively about music.
The programme is studied in a multi-disciplinary environment, involving interactions with musicologists, composers, performers, and professional educators. You will understand the mutual relationship between theory and practice, and may additionally have worked with scholars and practitioners in other fields, such as linguistics, journalists, and stage performers.
The course provides you with an excellent preparation for further study as postgraduate researchers (including practice-led research), as well as honing your skills and extending your knowledge for a successful career in music education. The high-level key skills gained (including communication and critical thinking) are also eminently transferable to other professions.

Careers
This programme is designed to prepare students for a career in music education by providing a thorough foundation in theoretical and conceptual frameworks as well as providing you with many opportunities to put such ideas into practice, through demonstration and observation. Employability prospects are excellent, with a wide range of career options available in the fields of music and education. The programme is appropriate for students already working in music education, and who wish to develop new skills, knowledge and ideas, and to advance their careers. The programme is also appropriate for those intending to teach music privately. It will complement a PGCE for those undertaking a career in school-teaching. Other opportunities for employment exist within arts organisations (e.g. as education officers for orchestras and opera companies), the media, journalism, publishing, librarianship and information management, and various web-based industries.

A first degree in Music at 2.ii standard or higher (or equivalent) is normally required. First degrees in other, music-related areas, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Candidates with a PGCE Music are warmly encouraged to apply. Applicants with equivalent professional qualifications and/or relevant practical experience and applications from working professionals with non-graduate qualifications will be considered on an individual basis.
International applicants whose first language is not English or Welsh are normally required to provide evidence of English language proficiency. Minimum English language requirements are IELTS 6.5 (with no element below 6.0), or equivalent.
Please also note the following additional conditions*:
Applicant self-declaration form.
A satisfactory criminal records check from your county of residence.
* Required for all applicants prior to acceptance on the course. Successful candidates will be contacted by our DBS team with guidance on how to apply following offer of a place. Successful candidates are also required to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) including a check of the children's barred list. Information explaining how to obtain the DBS check will be sent to you before the start of the course.
TOEFL iBT - 85 overall, (L-20, R-20, S-20,W-22)