Master of Musical Arts

Build on your Honours degree or Postgraduate Diploma and get the high-level music skills and critical perspective you need for a career in music or a related field. This one-year Master's programme will further your knowledge in either composition, sonic arts or performance and is also designed to prepare you for the Doctor of Musical Arts.

Study at New Zealand's most prestigious music school and learn from world-class musicians and academics who are leaders in their fields.

If you have a Bachelor of Music with Honours or a Postgraduate Diploma in Music, and want to continue your studies, then the MMA could be the right choice for you. Each subject has its own entry requirements you'll need to have met before enrolling. Performance students will need to do an audition and Composition students submit a portfolio. All students will need to outline their research plans and goals in a statement of research intent when they apply.

In your MMA you'll complete both coursework and a thesis.

Entry requirements

To be accepted into this programme you need:

A Bachelor of Music with Honours with at least a high B range average or a Postgraduate Diploma in Music with Distinction or Merit.

To pass an audition

To be accepted by the director of the New Zealand School of Music as being capable of proceeding with the proposed course of study

IELTS (Academic): minimum overall score of 6.5 with no sub-score below 6.0

TOEFL: minimum score of 90 for the internet-based test with a minimum of 20 in writing

Pearson Test of English: minimum score of 58 (with a ‘Communicative’ score of not less than 50)

Victoria University of Wellington English for Academic Purpose (EAP) programme: minimum final scores of 4,4,5,5

Cambridge English Qualifications: C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a score of 176 or higher, with each skill score no less than 169

New Zealand Certificates in English Language (NZCEL): Level 5 (Academic)

NZAPA: English New Zealand Accredited Pathway Assessment Level 3 (with no skill lower than Level 2)