Music MLitt
Develop a flexible, individual research programme under the supervision of specialists who are leaders in their field.
You are currently viewing course information for entry year:
Start date(s):
- September 2025
Overview
Your Music MLitt can focus on classical, popular, world, contemporary, early, folk and traditional music. You'll apply approaches of interest to you, such as:
- historiographical
- theoretical
- cultural
- critical
This programme is primarily aimed at students who want to pursue independent musicological research. You'll work on shorter research assignments (which can be on related or separate topics), before embarking on an extended final dissertation.
The MLitt provides an excellent foundation for continuing on to doctoral study. It is also a valuable qualification in its own right and can add a further dimension to your undergraduate degree, in a 3+1 model.
Hear from our graduates about their Newcastle experience
Important information
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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
The MLitt is a modular research programme. Taught modules aim to extend your knowledge and skills beyond undergraduate level and help to develop your research skills
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.
| Compulsory Modules | Credits |
|---|---|
| Music Masters Research Training | 20 |
| Dissertation | 80 |
| Music MLitt Research Assignments (FT) | 80 |
How you'll learn
The course is delivered remotely or in the Armstrong Building. All students are required to complete the Music Masters Research Training module during their first semester of study. Your study is then based on one-to-one tutorials with supervisors appropriate to your Research Assignments or dissertation.
The MLitt is designed primarily with scholarly types of research in mind. It can also accommodate some practical components where appropriate, for example performance in the context of performance practice research.
Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:
- Dissertation
- Essay
- Oral presentation
- Research proposal
- Written exercise
The research assignments are one of the programme’s distinctive features. They allow you to propose and research two or three separate projects (weighted at 40+40, or 20+20+40 credits). These projects may be connected or on discrete topics, and which lay the ground for your final dissertation. These are completed during semesters 1 and 2 (or semesters 1–3 for part-time students) leaving the rest of the programme devoted to your dissertation.
Your Research Assignments and final dissertation require a formal proposal and approval. Provided these are practicable and within our areas of expertise, they can be on a topic of your own choosing.
Our mission is to help you:
- stay healthy, positive and feeling well
- overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
- get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
- carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
- understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules
We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.
You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:
- research and professional skills
- careers support
- wellbeing
- health and safety
- public engagement
- academic development
Your development
Your future
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. Our £4.5m purpose-built Music Studios were designed with performance, multimedia and studio-based work in mind.
Additional facilities include:
- two professional-grade recording studios
- a large student common room, including a work area with PCs featuring specialist music software
- a range of recently refurbished rehearsal spaces
- a full range of recently refurbished teaching facilities, including a 100-seat lecture theatre, two 50 seat lecture theatres and three 25-seater seminar rooms
- 12 practice rooms with integrated recording facilities
- a dedicated postgraduate workspace
- a project room equipped with 5.1 mixing system
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
The library is widely recognised for the supportive service it offers students and staff.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)
Home fees for research degree students
For 2024-25 entry, we have aligned our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The standard fee was confirmed in Spring 2024 by UKRI.
For 2025-26 entry, we will be aligning our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The standard fee will be confirmed in Spring 2025 by UKRI.
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. You will be eligible for a scholarship worth 15% off the international fee.
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
Online
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