Postgraduate Study in Music
We teach a wide range of music-related topics, including both practice-based and academic areas of study.
Our degrees
Our postgraduate students can draw on a wealth of music research experience and expertise. If you are considering applying for 2025 entry as a home applicant you could be eligible for one of our Arts and Cultures Postgraduate Taught Scholarships. This applies to the MA Music (Performance/Composition) (4190F), MA Music Education (4182F), and MA Music Industries Management (4183F). For more information including eligibility criteria please visit: Search Funding | Postgraduate | Newcastle University
Music MA (Performance/Composition)
On our Music MA degree you'll study with world-class specialists attuned to your individual aspirations and collaborate with a vibrant creative community.
Focus on your personal musical aims by specialising in performance, composition, or a structured mixture of both
Develop the professional skills needed to work within the contemporary musical world and utilise your skills and knowledge to teach the next generation of musicians.
Choose to specialise in:
- Western Classical Music
- Contemporary Pop
- Folk Music of Britain, North America, and Northern Europe
- Opera
- Jazz
- DJ-ing and Turntablism
- Improvised Music
- Electroacoustic Music and Sound Art
Music Education MA
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.
Music Industries Management MA
Whether you're looking to pursue a career in management or as a self employed professional, on our Music Industries Management MA you'll gain a solid understanding of current industry trends and challenges in regional, national, and global contexts.
You’ll explore key elements of the music sector, such as:
- live music events
- music policy
- marketing and distribution
- recording and publishing
Music MLitt
The MLitt (Master of Letters) in Music enables you to develop a flexible individual research programme. You may research any musicological area covered by our supervisory expertise.
This programme is a valuable qualification in its own right. It enables you to develop your research skills and deepen your knowledge and understanding. It also provides a robust foundation for further study at PhD level.
The MLitt requires 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time study.
Music MPhil, PhD
Our Music MPhil and PhD programmes enable you to pursue advanced research in many musical areas. They include:
- classical
- popular
- world
- contemporary
- early
- folk and traditional
Our MPhil takes 12 months full-time or 24 months part-time. The MPhil focuses on training you for further PhD study.
It is also a valuable qualification in its own right. For some the MPhil adds a further dimension to their undergraduate degree, in a 3+1 model.
The PhD takes 36 months full-time study or 72 months part-time. A PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) is the gold standard of all research degrees. It is usually the minimum requirement for entry into an academic career.
Finding a supervisor
Academic staff supervise candidates working across a wide range of music-related topics. This includes both practice-based and academic areas of study.
Here are the main areas in which we are keen to supervise your work:
- composition – of all kinds (studio-based, notated, multi-media and improvised)
- performance – in a range of genres (including classical, popular, folk, contemporary)
- music and cultural/critical theory
- ethnomusicology and world musics
- popular music studies
- historical musicology (medieval, early modern, nineteenth-, twentieth- and twenty-first-century musics)
We can also supervise music analysis and theory, and folk and traditional musics.
For more detail, take a look at our individual staff specialisms.
