Music Education MA
Explore cutting edge practices and debates in music education. Gain practical music teaching skills and experience to prepare you for your future career.
You are currently viewing course information for entry year:
Start date(s):
- September 2025
Overview
Gain a comprehensive understanding of music education in its varied practical, creative and cultural dimensions.
On our Music Education MA you'll be taught by academics with extensive research and practical experience in the fields of:
- Formal and informal music education
- Community music
- Music therapy
- Early childhood music education
- Vocal and instrumental pedagogy and leadership
- Music technology in the classroom
You’ll actively contribute to the musical lives and music education of young people in the region, gaining vital practical experience of working with children and young people in real-world music education contexts.
Important information
We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.
View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.
See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.
What you'll learn
As a student on the Music Education MA programme you’ll learn about:
- Pupil-centred approaches to music teaching and learning
- The benefits of informal teaching methods
- Music learning to support health and wellbeing
- The digital musical lives of young people and music educators
Develop your skills, experience and contacts through placements at local and regional schools, or with music education organisations, and community music.
Utilise the University’s relationships with local organisations including: The Glasshouse, Samling Academy, regional music education hubs and local schools.
Learn more about the benefits of music therapy in a charity setting through our partnership with Nordoff Robbins.
Graduate with the skills required to forge a career as an inspirational music educator, able to effectively support learners to follow their own musical aspirations.
Modules
You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.
Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.
Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.
Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.
To find out more please see our terms and conditions.
Optional modules availability
Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.
All students will take all of the following compulsory modules:
All students will take one of the following modules:
| Module Title | Credits |
|---|---|
| MUS8027 Live Music Events | 20 |
| MUS8030 The Recording Industry, IP and AI | 20 |
With the approval of the Degree Programme Director and depending upon the academic background of the candidate, alternative optional modules to those listed above may be selected.
Year 1
All students will take all of the following compulsory modules:
Year 2
All students will take all of the following compulsory modules:
| Module Title | Credits |
|---|---|
| MUS8020 Researching Music | 20 |
| MUS8032 Music Research Project | 60 |
All students will take one of the following modules:
| Module Title | Credits |
|---|---|
| MUS8027 Live Music Events | 20 |
| MUS8030 The Recording Industry, IP and AI | 20 |
How you'll learn
You’ll be taught using a range of methods, including:
- Lectures
- Interactive seminars
- Practice-based workshops
- Small group tutorials
Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:
- Essay
- Oral presentation
- Report
- Research proposal
- Research paper
- Written examination
Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:
- module handbooks
- course materials
- groups
- course announcements and notifications
- written feedback
Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:
- peers
- academics
- personal tutors
- our University Student Services Team
- student representatives
You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.
Our programme has a team of dedicated and friendly experts, who are here to support you through your student journey at Newcastle.
- Dr Julia Partington – Degree Programme Director
- Nancy Kerr Elliott - Lecturer in Folk and Traditional Music
- Professor Paul Fleet - Professor of Authentic Music Theory
- Professor Kirsten Gibson - Professor of Early Modern Music and Culture
- Fred Hollingsworth - Technical Expert & Team Leader: Music
- Dr Larry Zazzo - Senior Lecturer in Music
Your future
Professional skills
Equip yourself with the ability to work effectively with a variety of young and adult learners in music.
You'll gain exceptional music leadership and facilitation skills as well as an excellent understanding of the value of learner-focussed approaches to music education.
Research skills
Develop critical, academically rigorous and practical research methods.
This will enable research in the fields of music education, music technology teaching, music learning as it relates to wellbeing and community music.
Practical skills
Plan and produce teaching resources suitable for a range of ages and instruments.
You’ll reflect on the key theoretical, subject-specific and practical concerns of music education and community music practice, then apply them to practical music teaching and leadership.
You can also choose to develop creative and research projects concerning music education and community music contexts.
Careers
You’ll graduate with the skills needed to inspire young people to continue their music education.
This course prepares you for a career in music education. This could include:
- working as a music teacher in a school
- working for a music hub, charity, education department or arts organisation
- going on to PhD study
- a career developing music education resources
Our Careers Service
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.
Quality and ranking
All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body
From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK
Facilities
We have outstanding specialist music facilities including studios and performance spaces. Our £4.5m purpose-built Music Studios were designed with performance, multimedia and studio-based work in mind.
Read more about out the facilities in our Music department
Our facilities include:
- two professional-grade recording studios
- a range of recently refurbished rehearsal and performance spaces
- a work area with PCs featuring specialist music software
- a project room equipped with 5.1 mixing system
- a full range of recently refurbished teaching facilities, including a 100-seat lecture theatre, two 50 seat lecture theatres and three 25-seater seminar room
- a large student common room and a new refreshments and social lounge
- a dedicated postgraduate workspace
- 12 practice rooms with integrated recording facilities
The University Library provides access to:
- extensive music collections (including a number of important manuscript and microfilm collections)
- subscriptions to many specialist music journals
- a significant body of online resources
Fees and funding
Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)
As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.
Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.
EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.
If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.
Scholarships
We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information.
What you're paying for
Tuition fees include the costs of:
- matriculation
- registration
- tuition (or supervision)
- library access
- examination
- re-examination
- graduation
Find out more about:
If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.
You can check this in the How to apply section.
If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.
For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.
Search for funding
Find funding available for your course
Entry requirements
The entrance requirements below apply to 2025 entry.
Qualifications from outside the UK
English Language requirements
Admissions policy
This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.
University Admissions Policy and related policies and procedures
Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course
How to apply
Using the application portal
The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.
You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.
If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.
Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.
Apply Online
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Get in touch
Questions about this course?
If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:
School of Arts and Cultures
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 3509
Email: pgmusic@ncl.ac.uk
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