The MMus in Musicology allows you to develop specialised skills in researching and writing about music, and to pursue, in greater depth, an area of special research interest.
There is considerable scope to tailor the programme to suit your own research interests. In addition to the compulsory courses, students choose two courses from a range of options that changes each year. A further, free elective allows you to choose one course from a very large number of options across the whole university, allowing you the added perspective offered by disciplines outside of musicology, or to study a further course in Music. In addition to the final dissertation, students also devise and undertake a smaller research project in the earlier part of the programme.
The MMus in Musicology provides an excellent foundation for further postgraduate work, and many of our students have gone on to work in academia.
Recent graduates have also established successful careers in performance, journalism, arts administration, music education, and librarianship.
Ideal for those in full-time employment, our Theatre MA from the Guildford School of Acting (GSA) provides a gateway to an exciting future without the need for regular attendance on campus.
You’ll have unlimited access to our virtual learning environment where you’ll be supported by highly experienced and passionate tutors.
Furthering your skills, our course will take you deeper into the fascinating history of theatre from both a practical and critical perspective.
What you will study
Our Theatre MA allows you to study at your own pace through online learning, so you can pursue your passion for theatre and develop industry connections around your existing commitments.
You’ll actively engage with fundamental principles and explore the rich heritage of theatre from a critical, historical and theoretical perspective. You’ll gain an understanding of theatrical practices and develop your ability to evaluate significant artistic, historical, social and political developments in theatre.
Our broad range of modules incorporates topics such as:
- The Background to Theatre
- The Greeks
- Shakespeare
- Naturalism and the Actor
- Modern Theatre
- Global Theatres
- Music and Dance in Theatre.
You’ll also complete an independent research project that will allow you to specialise in an area of particular interest to you, and you’ll complete a professional development portfolio relevant to your career path.
Our BMus is unrivalled in its flexibility, enabling you to tailor a programme that best fits your musical interests and strengths.
We offer a distinctive and rigorous core curriculum in the first two years that will develop your musicianship and critical thinking skills and introduce you to the history of both popular and western art music. You can specialise in performance and composition, and choose from a diverse range of subjects that includes acoustics, music psychology and music technology.
In years three and four this choice is expanded further, enabling you to specialise in particular areas and to benefit from the research expertise of Reid School of Music staff. We currently offer options in performance, composition, music in the community, Scottish traditional music, music technology, music and multimedia, and music psychology, as well as a range of courses exploring the theoretical, historical and political contexts of music. In addition, and subject to availability, you can also select to study subjects from elsewhere in the Edinburgh College of Art or across the University in all four years of your degree.
As a student in the Reid School of Music, you will be part of a vibrant musical community. You will study with scholars, composers, and performers of international renown who are passionate about teaching. You can join one or more of the many orchestras, ensembles, and choirs available at the University, enjoy our varied concert series, and take advantage of the School’s location in the centre of Edinburgh, a city with a rich musical life. You will have the opportunity to work with ensembles such as the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Edinburgh String Quartet. You can immerse yourself in our unparalleled Musical Instrument Museum, and you can also apply to participate in our Music in the Community projects, which in recent years have involved student visits to the Gambia and Greece.
As a musical theatre performer, you must be passionate and creative, and able to form a deep connection with your story, character and audience.
Guildford School of Acting (GSA) is one of the most highly regarded musical theatre schools in the world, and our two-year MFA in Musical Theatre will provide you with the very best conservatoire training in a top UK university environment.
Building on our international reputation in musical theatre, this is the only two-year postgraduate programme in Europe and is unique in the way it combines training to enhance your skills with professional opportunities and chances to launch your career.
On our Musical Theatre MFA, you’ll gain a broad range of musical theatre knowledge and skills while performing in a variety of outstanding productions.
Supported by first-class teaching, your learning will involve a working knowledge of historical, critical and theoretical content, and the creation of performances that will be presented to agents and professionals for maximum industry exposure.
A high percentage of GSA alumni appear in the cast lists of West End shows and national tours. Last year, more than 95 per cent of GSA graduates gained professional representation or professional contracts within the first year of graduating.
Do you have what it takes to guide and inspire the next generation of dancers? Are you interested in developing your teaching practices with support from industry-leading dance professionals? If so, our master’s in Creative Dance Education could be the perfect next step in your career.
Over three trimesters, you’ll explore the pedagogical approaches, creative practices and professional skills needed to work as a dance professional, community dance practitioner or youth dance leader. On this course, you’ll study practical and theoretical modules and undertake an educational and industry-focused teaching placement. You’ll get an insight into teaching dance in various contexts to suit your ambitions as a dance artist, including formal education, youth dance settings and community dance environments. This programme develops both emerging and experienced dance educators by helping you to identify and support the artistry rooted in dance teaching. You’ll understand the role of choreography in teaching and explore the creative elements involved in being a dance educator.
For dance educators at any stage in your career, this course will support you in developing your creative practice and deepening your abilities to support your students.
Our Music MMus offers you the highest level of training in contemporary music. We’ll teach you the necessary skills, techniques and methodologies to work at an advanced level with a critical awareness of relevant music disciplines.
Our award-winning staff are eminent practitioners and scholars in their respective fields. Operating over the widest range of style and practice, we’ll work closely with you in your musical development.
You’ll graduate from our course as an independent and relevant contemporary musician with the fullest knowledge of theory, practical skill, critical reflection and creativity.
On this course, you will learn the creative, re-creative, technical, critical, vocational and academic areas of contemporary music practice.
You’ll study a range of interlinked practices, including performance, composition, musicology and relevant skills in music technology. You will be able to specialise in any or several of these areas, preparing you for a future career in music and also providing a foundation for PhD study.
You’ll learn about the current developments within the contemporary theory and practice of music, so that you can work confidently and constructively within the musical culture of the present.
If you’re looking to progress onto a PhD research project after you graduate, this course will help to prepare you for doctoral level study in music-related areas.
What sets our Music MA apart? Not only is it the sheer range of musical genres and styles you’ll be exposed to, but also the hands-on experience you’ll be able to gain during your time with us.
Designed to excite and inspire, our course draws upon everything from rock and pop, to classical and electronic music. Exploring music from around the globe, you’ll be encouraged to deepen your understanding of the fundamentals of music, while developing your own playing and composition styles.
Whether you choose to study full-time or part-time, you’ll complete modules that offer an insight into the worlds of composition, performance and musical text across diverse cultures, generations and contexts. You’ll then choose your chosen specialist pathway, giving you the opportunity to deep dive into the practical aspects of performance, composition or music technology.
The variety of optional modules we offer will provide the theoretical framework for you to develop your final project contextualizing practice in your area of specialism as a research project.
As a musical theatre performer, you must be passionate and creative, and be able to form a deep connection with your story, character and audience.
Guildford School of Acting (GSA) is one of the UK’s leading accredited drama schools, providing dedicated conservatoire training in a purpose-built environment.
Successful entry onto GSA’s Musical Theatre MA means you’ll be part of a carefully selected and committed ensemble of performers-in-training, equipped with the self-discipline and motivation to master new skills and refine existing capabilities.
Building on our international reputation in musical theatre, this course will enhance your skills with opportunities to launch your career.
This intensive MA is specifically designed to equip participants in the ‘triple-threat’ musical theatre disciplines of acting, singing and dancing.
On this course, we place a strong emphasis on the practical acquisition of technical skills (taught within technical skills classes) together with a dedicated focus on professional development. We provide you with opportunities to combine these skills into musical theatre rehearsal projects and public performances.
In addition, you'll attend seminars in contextual and theoretical studies, alongside masterclasses led by industry professionals in audition technique and repertoire.
The skills you learn will be integrated through project work, which includes: studies of classic legit and contemporary musical theatre texts, a public production led by a production team of theatre professionals, a presentation of your work to a panel of industry professionals, and an industry showcase.
If you’re an emerging or established dancer who wants to add another dimension to your performance technique, as well as gain an understanding of what it’s like to dance professionally, our MA dance course is for you.
Your first trimester will lay the foundations for your time on this master’s programme. Alongside your fellow students and In the first trimester, you will work creatively with international choreographers to devise new pieces of repertory. You will develop your choreographic and reflective skills as a developing dance artist.
In your second trimester, you will begin to hone your skills as a performer and ensemble member, as you rehearse and refine the Emergence repertoire ready for touring. As well as continuing to develop your dance technique and performance skills, you’ll look at professional elements of the dance industry, including producing for small to mid-scale touring, and teaching dance in both curriculum-based and community dance settings.
Your final trimester will take you through the performance and professional practices involved in touring. You may be involved in elements such as workshop delivery, supporting the tour producer, engaging with the technical team, and more. As well as this, you’ll put together your practice as a research dissertation where you’ll be researching an area of your choice, to develop innovative performances and research outputs.
Our innovative Acting MFA builds on the success of GSA’s current postgraduate course by extending the intensive training currently offered on our one-year Acting MA.
Our Acting MFA is highly selective and intensive. You’ll train over two years, taking classes in acting for stage and screen, voice, and movement, exploring a wide range of theatre traditions and performance styles in rehearsal projects and public productions, and participating in professional development events and masterclasses. The second year of the programme includes mentored opportunities for students to develop their own teaching practice and creative work.
This unique course is led by expert teachers with extensive first-hand experience in the professional theatre sector in both the UK and internationally.
Our campus boasts great transport links to London, so you’ll benefit from GSA’s close proximity to the heart of UK theatre in London’s West End.
