Qualification : MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE
Award Type and NFQ level : TAUGHT MASTERS (9)
CAO/MU Apply code : MHT52
CAO Points :
Closing Date : 30 June 2025
Whether as a stand-alone degree or a stepping stone towards MLitt and PhD research degrees, the MA in Musicology offers you the opportunity to develop as a researcher, deepen your critical and communication abilities and apply these skills to the study of music history, music and culture and analysis. The programme is delivered by staff with strong international research reputations, active as scholars, performers, and composers. Their diverse expertise includes areas such as: music and film, opera studies, source studies, European art music in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, music in Ireland, ethnomusicology, popular music, music, gender and sexuality, analysis and more. Beyond the modules, seminars and showcase outlined in the Course Structure, MA in Musicology students may also attend conferences, concerts and other events that Music Department staff regularly organise. Students also benefit from a first-rate library, access to the Universitys language courses and close proximity to Dublin, enabling access to a further range of research libraries and archives.
The coordinator of this degree is Dr Laura Watson.
See the Departments webpage www.maynoothuniversity.ie/music/our-people for full details of staff interests.
Click here for brochure MA Musicology
Commences
September
Normally a minimum II.1 honours degree in Music is required. Applicants without this qualification will be requested to supply a short piece of sample writing on music and/or attend an interview.
International applicants must have a recognised primary degree which is considered equivalent to Irish university primary degree level.
International applicants whose first language is not English may be requested to submit samples of written material.
Minimum English language requirements:
Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study. For information about English language tests accepted and required scores, please see here. The requirements specified are applicable for both EU and International applicants.
Maynooth University's TOEFL code is 8850
Applications will typically be processed within three weeks.
Academic
Academic
The programme comprises seven modules in total: six group-seminar modules (three per semester) and a year-round thesis module for which students are allocated individual supervisors. You will encounter a rich spectrum of musicological topics, themes and approaches in the programme, which reflects the variety of faculty research interests. In addition, a year-round research seminar series provides an opportunity to hear guest lectures by visiting musicologists, composers and performers. Students also present their work in progress during the Research Seminars and Colloquia.
You will take 90 credits in total: Thesis (30 credits, submitted at the end of August) and six 10-credit modules in Semesters 1 and 2: (1) Research Methods (including Work Placement in Sem. 2); (2) Writing About Music; (3) Music in Ireland; (4) Music and Gender; (5) Music and Screen Media; and (6) Sound, Images, Spaces.
Students benefit from small-group teaching in seminars and one-on-one tuition with thesis and project supervisors. Through dedicated, welcoming postgraduate research colloquia, MA Musicology students benefit from the opportunity to share research in progress with peers and academics in the Department. Our strong ties with associations such as the Society for Musicology in Ireland creates further networking opportunities and supports for students. Maynooth is home to a thriving music research community. We regularly host conferences and symposia that attract international attention. In recent years, these events have explored diverse interests, including Med-Ren (MedievalRenaissance Music), Schubert, Dukas, Kylie Minogue, Music and Visual Cultures, and Sound Design in Film. In addition to a varied menu of compulsory and optional modules, the Music Department hosts a Research Seminar series, featuring guest speakers from Ireland and abroad. The library holds extensive music collections and digital database subscriptions. Maynooths location facilitates access to further libraries and archives in Dublin and beyond.
Foreign language instruction is also available through the Maynooth University Language Centre. https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/language-centre for detailed information and fees.
Online application only. To make an application please click here.
To apply for your chosen postgraduate study at Maynooth University, please ensure you have the following documents to make an application:
- Evidence of your primary degree
- Academic transcripts
- A copy of your passport
- A personal statement
Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study. For information about English language tests accepted and required scores, please see here. The requirements specified are applicable for both EU and International applicants.