Musicology - Master's Programme in the Humanities

Academic year 2022/2023

120 credits
Autumn 2022, Uppsala, 100%, Campus
Programme syllabus

Overview
Programme
Career
Admissions
Contact and further resources

Musicology studies human creation, performance, listening and experience of music in all traditions and forms. In the subject we shed light on different musical repertoires, traditions and phenomena from different theoretical, historical, anthropological, ethnological and philosophical perspectives. The Master in Humanities, specialising in Musicology, prepares you for a career in musicology and in many other areas of the music and culture sectors.

Why this programme?

The Master's programme is developed in order to give you a strong and broad competence in the scholarly study of music and music-related phenomena in all its forms. You will acquire and develop precision of analysis of music both in audible forms, as preserved in musical notation, and of writings concerning music.

You will deepen your knowledge on a specialised topic by writing a thesis, under the supervision of experienced experts. As a student in the programme, you will take both mandatory courses and courses chosen from a wide array of topics. Our alumni have pursued careers as doctoral students, others work within academia, journalism, public service, music administration, and the music archive and library sector, etc.

Degree

The programme leads to a Master of Arts (120 credits) with Musicology as the main field of study. It is also possible to graduate after one year with a Master of Arts (60 credits).

All specialisations of this programme

Programme

The Master's Programme in the Humanities, specialising in Musicology, has a duration of two academic years. To graduate from the programme, you must complete 75 credits of courses and write a Master's thesis accounting for 45 credits. The teaching takes place in form of lectures and seminars.

You may choose to complete a one-year programme and graduate with 60 credits instead. To complete the one-year programme, you must take four 7.5 credit courses and write a Master's thesis corresponding to 30 credits.

It is mandatory to take at least one of two thematic courses covering methods and theory of Musicology. These courses complement each other, can be taken independently and are offered in alternative years. Other courses are elective.

Courses within the programme

Historical Musicology (7.5 credits)

Analysing Notated Music (7.5 credits)

Analysing Music without a Score (7.5 credits)

Music in Cultural Theory (7.5 credits)

Current Perspectives in Popular Music Studies (7.5 credits)

Music, Culture and Religion in the Middle East (7.5 credits)

Ethnomusicological Perspectives (7.5 credits)

Master Thesis Proposal (7.5 credits)

Aesthetics of Music (7.5 credits)

Film Music Studies (7.5 credits)

Music and Cultural Exchange in the Early Modern Period (7.5 credits)

Internship (7.5 credits)

Learning experience

All courses at advanced (Master's) level at the department are worth 7.5 credits and run at 50% of a full-time study load. Teaching takes the form of seminars, lectures and continuous presentations of student assignments. Courses are generally examined through active participation in seminars and submitted assignments.

Normally a course in music analysis is given in the spring semester, and one thematic course each in the autumn and spring semesters. All advanced-level courses in Musicology are given in English.

You have the possibility to take a work placement for five weeks (7.5 credits), after consultation with the Director of Studies and the workplace in question.

Career

The Master's Programme in the Humanities, specialising in Musicology, will give you the analytical, theoretical and professional tools needed for a future career in many parts of the music and culture sector.

After graduating, our alumni have pursued careers within academia, journalism, music media and administration, and the music archive and library sector.

The programme will also give you a solid basis to pursue a further academic career in musicological research.

Career support

During your time as a student, UU Careers offers support and guidance. You have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and events that will prepare you for your future career. Learn more about UU Careers.

Admissions

Below you will find the details about eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and tuition fees. For information on how to apply and what documents you need to submit, check the application guide. For this programme, besides the general supporting documents, you also need to submit two programme-specific documents: 1. your degree project (preferably Bachelor's thesis), 2. a statement of purpose.

Musicology

120 credits

Autumn 2022, 100%, Campus

Location: Uppsala

Application deadline: 17 January 2022

Application code: UU-M5070 Application

Language of instruction: English

Requirements:

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university. The main field of study must be within the humanities or social sciences.

Also required is 60 credits in musicology, ethnomusicology or a similar field of study.

Language requirements

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

Selection: Students are selected based on:

an overall appraisal of previous university studies;
the quality of the Bachelor's thesis; and
a statement of purpose outlining their musicological proficiency (1–2 pages).

Special emphasis is placed on the quality of the Bachelor's thesis in musicology.

Tuition fee-paying students and non-paying students are admitted on the same grounds but in different selection groups.

Fees:

If you are not a citizen of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees. Fees cover application and tuition only and do not cover accommodation, academic literature or the general cost of living. Read more about fees.

Application fee: SEK 900

Tuition fee, first semester: SEK 50,000

Tuition fee, total: SEK 200,000