Understand how music is created, perceived and responded to within the human mind and brain.
Year of entry: 2023 (September)
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Sign up for event updatesMusic psychology explores the deep and complex relationship between music, the human mind and the brain. Understanding more about how they interact may help reveal why music is so meaningful to us.
In this pathway of our MA Music, you'll learn about the basic mechanisms of the auditory system and delve into the perception and cognition of musical elements, such as melody, timing, harmony and timbre. You'll look at the mechanisms underpinning music performance. Finally, you'll discover higher level structures such as compositional form and expressiveness, alongside the basic principles underlying how we experience and appreciate music as listeners.
The course is run in close collaboration with the York Music Psychology Group.
We encourage you to get involved in the lively community of our School, from participating in musical ensembles to attending our weekly research and composition seminars and performance classes.
Music Psychology is such an exciting field - its applications range from health care to advertising. I spent the majority of my year researching empathy and how it regulates emotional responses to music. By the end I was equipped to conduct research independently and with skills that will continue to be useful far beyond the end of the MA.Katherine, MA Music (Music Psychology pathway)
You'll automatically be a member of the York Music Psychology Group, who meet once a week to discuss projects, papers and theories.
You'll have access to a wide range of specialist equipment such as listening laboratories, state-of-the-art psychophysiological measurement devices and our unique audience response system.
From choral to orchestral, jazz and folk to improvised electronica, gospel to gamelan, almost every kind of music is performed by the School’s many ensembles.
We're proud to announce that we've been shortlisted for two prestigious University of the Year awards.
All pathways for the MA Music follow the same structure. However their taught content is completely adapted to the respective field. We place an emphasis on independence and creativity - you will have the freedom to study the areas that interest you.
Over the year, you'll study a series of core modules. In addition to these modules, we strongly encourage you to participate in musical ensembles and attend weekly research seminars, performance classes and composition seminars relevant to your studies.
Throughout your degree you’ll receive advice, support and feedback from your academic supervisor. There there are regular class-room tutorials on writing, conducting, and analysing research enabling you to excel in your particular academic interests. You’ll have the freedom to submit work on areas that interest you - our courses are designed to allow maximum flexibility and independence.
In Project I you will focus on music performance research, while Project II looks at perception and cognition research.
At the end of each module, you’ll produce a ‘guided submission’:
As part of these modules, you’ll attend a weekly research colloquium within the York Music Psychology Group.
Critical Reflection in Musical Practice runs throughout the year. You'll hone your research skills in a specially designed module covering the planning, conducting, analysing, and presentation of research in Music Psychology. This module will be assessed through two in-class presentations and a paper at a conference organised by MA students.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
Our course structures are changing in September 2023. Find out more about how this course may be affected.
Project III is an extended individual project. It is considerably more complex than your first two submissions - you'll conduct an independent empirical research project and submit a related research report of 10,000 words.
You'll receive advice and support from your supervisor throughout the project to help you develop your work. There are also regular tutorials and additional sessions on methodology and statistics as required.
Recent projects have included:
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
Students on a Student Visa (formerly Tier 4 Visa) are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2023/24 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
Your teaching will largely take the form of weekly pathway seminars, regular one-to-one tutorials, research seminars and a weekly research colloquium.
You will have regular meetings with your supervisor, who will advise you and help develop your ideas as you progress through your studies.
We encourage you to get involved with our lively community, from our ensembles to our weekly seminars, performance classes and research seminars.
The Music Psychology pathway has exclusive access to the YMPG listening laboratory that allows to conduct various psychophysiological response experiments.
Our School has a variety of seminar rooms for class teaching. These rooms have an array of specialized teaching equipment including pianos, interactive whiteboards and audio equipment.
The John Paynter Music Library is an elegant facility, located within the University's JB Morrell Library, and houses the main music collections. It is also equipped with digital pianos and media replay equipment. The physical collection as well as an extensive range of electronic resources are searchable through the YorSearch.
The University Library houses and extensive collection of CDs and DVDs, which are available for listening and research. There are also archival recordings available for student use in the University of York Sound Archives.
The Document Supply Centre of the British Library is located in Boston Spa, near to York, and a bus provides transportation from the library to there once a week during term-time.
Music classes in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies located in Vanbrugh College on Campus West. The majority of departments, colleges and facilities are based nearby.
Almost all of your teaching will take place within the School.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You'll write a literature review, conduct a replication study, submit your MA thesis, and complete three presentations throughout the year.
This course will give you a thorough grounding in many aspects of Music Psychology and prepare you for a wide range of careers.
With additional qualifications, you could also work in music therapy and clinical settings.
By the end of the course, you'll have developed a range of transferable skills:
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:1 or equivalent in Music or another relevant discipline. We will also consider your application if you have a 2:2 honours degree and relevant professional experience. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
You will need to submit a sample of your creative work with your application. Please see our guidance on submitting creative work.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.0, minimum 5.5 in each component |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 169, minimum 162 in each component |
| Duolingo | 100, minimum 90 in all other components |
| PTE Academic | 55, minimum 51 in each component |
| TOEFL | 79, minimum 17 in Listening, 18 in Reading, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing |
| Trinity ISE III | Pass in all components |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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