MSc Music, Mind & Brain

This unique programme combines music psychology with neuroscience, focusing on both the biological and cognitive aspects of musical behaviour.

• The MSc Music, Mind and Brain (MMB) is highly interdisciplinary and draws on expertise from leading figures in the field, in areas ranging from music cognition, cognitive neuroscience, empirical aesthetics, big data, computational modelling, music education and music therapy.
• As a student on the MSc, you will learn about topics in music psychology and the cognitive neuroscience of music, and will acquire all the necessary skills to pursue your own high-quality research.
• The programme benefits from good links with institutions such as the University of Cambridge, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, the Royal College of Music, the Center for Music Therapy Research, Roehampton and University of Hamburg among others. We also have strong links with the computing and music departments within Goldsmiths.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Diana Omigie.

The MSc Music, Mind and Brain is a truly interdisciplinary programme that attracts students from diverse backgrounds who want to complement their knowledge on music research, neuroscience or cognitive psychology. As a general rule, you should have a good background in at least one of these areas and preferably have already carried out a piece of empirical research.

You should normally have (or expect to be awarded) the following qualifications:

• An undergraduate degree of at least upper second-class standard in Psychology OR a background in music plus demonstrable knowledge and/or experience of empirical research

Pre-sessional courses will be offered to those who lack the necessary background or need a refresher in statistics or neuroscience.

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate study.

The programme will appeal to you if you are interested in pursuing doctoral research in this area or if you are already a music professional wishing to approach music scientifically.

Graduates from the Music, Mind and Brain programme have gone on to work in one of the following areas:

• Academia: pursuing a PhD, working as researchers, or engaging in university-level teaching
• Data science
• Music consulting and sonic branding
• Music information retrieval
• Music performance
• Music pedagogy

Other careers that would be informed by this programme include music therapy and neuro-rehabilitation.

MMB students are uniquely placed to apply for highly relevant industry opportunities and PhD programmes including:

• A 6-month paid internship with the sonic branding agency AMP
• The Leverhulme Trust Aural Diversity (LAURA) Doctoral Studentships with which Goldsmiths is partnered

Skills

Some of the skills you'll develop during the programme include:

• Experimental design and statistical analysis
• Critical analysis and evaluation skills in Psychology
• Skills using statistical software such as Jamovi
• An introduction to coding languages such as R and Matlab
• Report-writing skills
• Communication skills