MA Music

There is one core unit, Research Skills for Musicians, which is common to all pathways, and there are a number of other core and optional units depending which of the five pathways you are following. The content especially of the pathway-specific and optional units in this MA programme relates closely to the research interests of the academic staff.

Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MA in Music.

You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in Music.

Applicants for the Composition or Performance pathways are required to submit a portfolio of work. For further information on the required portfolio, please see the Department of Music website.

Applicants for the Musicology Pathway will need to ensure that their personal statement addresses the following areas:

1. What do you hope to gain from the Music (MA) programme and from your time in Bristol?
2. Which two texts on Western music history and analysis that you have read in the last two years have you found to be the most influential, and why? Please explain in what context you have encountered these writers.
3. What topic are you considering for your dissertation? Please add as much detail as possible.

If you are currently completing a degree, we understand that your final grade may be higher than the interim grades or module/unit grades you have achieved during your studies to date.

We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree. Specific module requirements would still apply.

We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement. If you have at least one of the following, please include your CV (curriculum vitae / résumé) when you apply, showing details of your relevant qualifications:

• evidence of significant, relevant work experience in the Music industry
• a relevant postgraduate qualification.

See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.