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Become an advanced and versatile instrumental performer.
Year of entry: 2026 (September)
Combine intensive instrumental study with critical self-reflection. Develop your artistic identity and become an accomplished and expressive player.
Build your confidence and broaden your musical expression. Regular one-to-one tuition is at the heart of the course. Build healthy practice and performance habits, and apply your understanding of historical and musical context to your own interpretations. Take part in collaborative peer learning sessions and performance classes. Design and deliver informed and compelling performances in solo or ensemble recitals.
Thrive in diverse musical contexts with theoretical, practical and recital modules. Deepen your musical interpretation with option modules in historical performance practices, music history case studies and inclusive, accessible instrumental pedagogy. Critically reflect on performance and repertoire and apply what learn to both your own studies and historic practices.
You'll join a vibrant, supportive academic community and performance culture. There's a huge range of ensembles to join, from orchestras and choirs to improvisation groups, modular synths and gamelan. You’ll have opportunities to perform in our own concert spaces and even the historic York Minster in the city centre.
The skills you gain will enhance your professional abilities. You'll graduate as a creative musician ready for a career as a performer, educator, researcher, community arts worker, or further study.
Develop your artistic practice, research skills and theoretical knowledge. Tailor your studies with an option module and design and deliver your own performance recitals:
You'll also study one option module. Examples from previous years have included:
Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
Your course will conclude with a substantial public recital showcasing your artistic and scholarly insight through a programme of your own design.
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.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £12,000 | £27,250 |
| Part-time (2 years) | £6,000 | £13,625 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
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 2026/27 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
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.
Classes are formed of a variety of taught and discussion-based formats and regularly involve practical work.
You'll be taught via seminars and practical sessions in which you'll have the opportunity to teach others and receive feedback. Regular meetings with course tutors will allow you to discuss your progress and prepare for assessments.
You'll receive a generous allowance of hours of one-to-one instrument tuition over the duration of your course.
The School of Arts & Creative Technologies is home to outstanding facilities, including a variety of seminar rooms for class teaching. These rooms have an array of specialised teaching equipment including pianos, interactive whiteboards and audio equipment. We offer a range of well-equipped, bookable rehearsal spaces and 28 practice rooms in the Jack Lyons building on Campus West and the Ron Cooke Hub on Campus East. Each rehearsal space has a piano and access to chairs and music stands.
The John Paynter Music Library is an elegant facility, located within the University Library, and houses the main music collections. It is also equipped with digital pianos, and media replay equipment.
The University Library houses an 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. A weekly bus service runs during term-time.
Your teaching will take place within the School of Arts & Creative Technologies. Most teaching will take place in either the Ron Cooke Hub on Campus East and the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall buildings on Campus West.
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 will design and present up to two recitals of up to 30 minutes, and a final recital of 40-45 minutes. The length of the final recital may be reduced and presented in combination with a piece of written work.
Programmes can include solo and ensemble repertoire, and will be assessed on criteria including technical command, interpretative and historical insight, and creativity.
Alongside these you will have written, and presentation assessments designed to help you develop communication and research skills relevant to your work as a performer.
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You'll gain vital skills and insight for performing your repertoire professionally. You'll become a competitive, versatile and responsive to the demands of life as a creative artist in the 21st century. It could also prepare you for further study in fields such as education or enrich current professionals looking for continuing development.
Turn ambition into achievement with our expert guidance and connections. From your first day here to life after graduation, we'll help you find your career advantage.
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent in Music or another relevant subject. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
Performance ability will need to be demonstrated through submission of a recording. 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:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, minimum 126 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 478-509, with 444-477 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
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.
Get in touch if you have any questions
