MMus Music & Culture

University College Dublin

Ireland, Dublin

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Home/Ireland/Dublin /University College Dublin/MMus Music & Culture

University College Dublin

Ireland , Dublin

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines25-Sep-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 1 year(s)

Tuition Fee

EUR 22,600 / year

Next Intake 25-Sep-2026

MMus Music & Culture

About

The cutting-edge research that lies at the heart of our taught MMus programme has both an Irish grounding and a worldwide reach. We offer students the opportunity to work closely with scholars of international standing in the School’s core disciplines of ethnomusicology, historical musicology and composition. Students take foundation modules in two of these three areas. This provides a solid and diverse methodological foundation from which to progress to specialist modules, where students choose from a wide range of topics based on the research specialisms of our staff. Some of these, including “Sounding Ireland Onscreen” and “Contemporary Music in Ireland, Britain and North America,” display the programme’s deep engagement with Irish musical culture. Others enable students to explore musical practices stretching through history and across the globe, from ‘Creating the Musical Self in Medieval Europe’ to ‘A History of Electronic Music’. These specialist studies provide the perfect springboard for students to carry out their own independent research project, with which the programme culminates, resulting either in a dissertation or a portfolio of compositions.

Overall, the degree furnishes students with the core intellectual tools for pursuing research and creative practices in musicology, ethnomusicology or composition, while also facilitating specialisation and encouraging independent scholarship. Students form an integral part of our lively, collaborative research culture and engage regularly with visiting seminar speakers. For those students who want to go on to doctoral study, our faculty are experienced in supporting them to develop research ideas and funding proposals. Our graduates also go on to a range of related careers in the arts and cultural heritage sector, media, teaching, and many other professions.
The UCD School of Music is one of the leading centres for graduate musical study in Ireland and a QS World Top 100 Performing Arts department.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

A Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor in a cognate area with a minimum 2.1 or an equivalent of a UCD GPA of 3.08 (NFQ Level 8) or equivalent. Cognate areas include Music, Musicology, Ethnomusicology, Music Education and Performance Studies. In some cases the School of Music will accept applicants from English, History, Sociology and Anthropology. However, the School will first assess the applicant's ability to read musical notation and engage with Music Theory. Written sample work (1000-4000 words) and two positive academic references will be required. Applicants whose first language is not English are also required to submit evidence of their English language proficiency. It is expected that applicants will normally have reached an overall 7.0 in IELTS, with no individual band lower than 6.5, or equivalent.

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes.

You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

English Program Requirements

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

Taught Master's: A minimum overall score of 7.0 over all components and a minimum of 6.0 in each band on the Academic Version. The non-academic version is not accepted.

Research Programmes: A minimum overall score of 6.5 over all components and a minimum of 6.0 in each band on the Academic Version. The non-academic version is not accepted.

IELTS Indicator: A minimum overall score of 7.0 over all components and a minimum of 6.0 in each band. This test will be accepted for 2022/23 and 2023/24 intake.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Taught Master's: A minimum score of 100 is required in the Internet based TOEFL (iBT) with a score of at least 20 in each section.

Research Programmes: A minimum score of 90 is required in the Internet based TOEFL (iBT) with a score of at least 20 in each section.

TOEFL iBT Home: A minimum score of 100 is required with a score of at least 20 in each section.

Duolingo Test of English (DET)

UCD has approved the use of the Duolingo Test of English (DET) for the 2024/25 intake.
An overall score of 130 will be accepted with no section below 110.

Please note that this does not apply to the CEMS MiM / MSc in International Management. In the case of the CEMS MiM the Duolingo English Test will not be accepted.

Career

Many alumni of the MMus Degree have progressed to successful careers in arts administration, teaching, and arts journalism and broadcasting, with recent graduates going on to the BBC, RTÉ (radio and television) and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

Other former students have gone on to pursue doctoral work in musicology and ethnomusicology at internationally-renowned institutions such as The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, King’s College London, and the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Our graduates occupy academic posts throughout Ireland and the UK (including Royal Holloway, Goldsmiths, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester) and further afield (including Queensland and Sydney)