Department of Music, School of Arts

MA Music (Ethnomusicology Pathway) (2022 entry)

Select year of entry: 2022 2021

Overview

Overview and entry requirements

The MA Music (Ethnomusicology Pathway) programme provides theoretical and practical grounding in the discipline of ethnomusicology, as well as the opportunity to develop performance and ethnographic skills. On this programme students gain a practical understanding of how music can work in the sphere of social development and an in-depth study of global musical styles. The MA in Music Ethnomusicology programme has three pathways in Ethnomusicology, Development and Performance, tailored for musicians and musicologists, anthropologists and development practitioners, teachers and composers, as well as those dedicated to developing an in-depth knowledge of a specific music tradition.

You will study with a world-leading group of ethnomusicologists who are all experts in the musical traditions of Africa and Asia. You will be part of a thriving culture of performance, research and active engagement with music around the globe.

This Ethnomusicology MA programme will suit those looking for a springboard into further research or employment in a range of music-related fields including journalism, industry, NGOs and education, and often serves as a conversion route for those trained predominantly in western music traditions. This programme replaces MMus Ethnomusicology.

See Department of Music

Why study Music and Ethnomusicology at SOAS

SOAS is ranked 44th in the world in the 2021 QS World University Rankings for Arts and Humanities
SOAS has the only Music department in the UK devoted to the study of world music.
very active musical life, including concert series, student ensembles and a successful summer school in which students can become involved
taught in the heart of London, home to many vibrant and diverse communities and to a breath-taking array of world music concerts, workshops and festivals.
students actively participate in this rich and varied musical scene
graduates possess not only musical and cultural expertise, but also a portfolio of widely transferable skills sought by employers in professional and creative industries.

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September intake only

Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time

Entry requirements

We will consider all applications with 2:ii (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application including supporting statement and references.

Featured events

duration:: One calendar year (full-time). Two or three years (part-time, daytime only)

Fees 2021/22

UK fees:: £10,680

Overseas fees:: £21,980

Fees for 2021/22 entrants. This is a Band 1 fee. The fees are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. Further details can be found in the Fees and Funding tab on this page or in the Registry Postgraduate Tuition Fees page

Convenors

Professor Angela Impey Convenor

Structure

Learn a language as part of this programme

Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language which sets SOAS apart from other universities.

Structure

Students must complete 120 credits of taught modules in addition to the compulsory dissertation of 60 credits. In addition to these formal elements, students are expected to attend regular postgraduate and public seminars and may also participate in performance ensemble classes and other activities.

Part-time

Students may be allowed to study for the MA on a part-time basis.

The part-time MA may be taken over two years, in which case the student takes two 30 credits modules (or equivalent 15 credits modules) in the first year, and two 30 credits modules (or equivalent 15 credits modules) and the dissertation in the second year.
Alternatively, it can be taken over three years, in which case the student can distribute the 120 credits modules evenly in each of the three years. The dissertation can be written in year two or three, but it is strongly recommended that this be undertaken in the final year of the programme. It must be submitted in September of the year in which the student registers for it.

Programme

Dissertation

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Dissertation in Music	15PMUC999	60	Full Year

Core Modules

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Music in Global Perspective	15PMUH031	15	Term 2
Theory and Method in Ethnomusicology	15PMUH030	15	Term 1

AND

Choose modules to the value of 30 credits from List A

AND

Choose modules to the value of 30 credits from List A or List B

AND

Choose modules to the value of 30 credits from List B, List C or List D

List A: Area Modules

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Aspects of Music and Religion in South East Asia	15PMUH017	15	Term 2
Ethnicity, Religion and Gender in Middle Eastern Musical cultures	15PMUH024	15	Term 1
Indian vocal music: Styles and histories	15PMUH025	15	Term 2
Music, Exile and Diaspora: the Jews of Arab Lands	15PMUH011	15	Term 1
Music in Africa: Critical Listening	15PMUH028	15	Term 2
Music in Africa: Travelling on a Song	15PMUH026	15	Term 2
Music in Morocco: Saints, Shrines and Scrolls	15PMUH033	15	Term 1
Music on the Silk Road: travel and circulation (PG)	15PARH094	15	Term 1
Music, Place and Politics in Cuba	15PMUH015	15	Term 1
Musical Traditions of East Asia (Masters)	15PMUH016	15	Term 2
Pop and Politics in East Asia (Masters)	15PMUH014	15	Term 1
Sacred Sound in South Asia	15PMUH021	15	Term 2

List B: Additional Music Modules

Module	Code	Credits	Term
Composition	15PMUH013	15	Term 1
Podcasting	15PMSH022	15	Term 2
Gender and Music (MMus)	15PMUH009	15	Term 2
Key Themes in Hip Hop Studies	15PMUH032	15	Term 2
Music in Development	15PMUC034	15	Term 2
Performance	15PMUC002	30	Full Year
Sound Recording and Production	15PMSH025	15	Term 2
The Music Business (Masters)	15PMUH003	15	Term 2

List C: Modules Taught at King's College

SOAS MA Music students can also take as a credited part of their programme up to 30 credits at Kings College London Music Department, choosing modules from the list on the KCL website.Please note that

modules in Performance and Composition are not permitted as part of the agreement; and
you will need to obtain the written consent of the convenor of the KCL course before enrolling.

Please check with modules tutors at King’s for requirements.

List D:

Modules at SOAS from other departments or MA Area Studies Modules (including languages). Module choices are subject to the agreement of both the module convenor and the MMus Ethnomusicology convenor. Modules will normally relate to the same geographical region chosen from List A Module(s).Please note that not all option modules may run every year.

Programme Specification

MA Music (Ethnomusicology Pathway) Programme Specification 2020/21 (pdf; 177kb)

Important notice

The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching & Learning

The Department of Music has been highly rated for teaching and research in all recent assessment exercises, and is regularly ranked amongst the top Music departments in the UK in Good University Guides.

Music students have access to the large Main Library of the School which holds numerous books, journals and recordings relevant to the study of ethnomusicology and world music, as well as the nearby British Library Sound Archive and other London libraries and museums.

The SOAS Library holds copies of standard reference works on music, such as the current edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. The Grove dictionary and the RILM database can also be accessed on line from computer terminals in the Library or elsewhere on the SOAS network. Listening facilities are provided in the Library, and most CDs are available on short loan. Among special items in the Department’s collections are:

field recordings, films and slides
a large working collection of musical instruments from Asia and Africa
extensive staff collections relating to specific research interests

Contact hours

All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.

More information is on the page for each module.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Fees for 2021/22 entrants, per academic year (Band 1 tuition fee)

Full-time		Part-time 2 Years		Part-time 3 Years		Part-time 4 Years Intensive Language only
UK Students	Overseas Students	UK Students	Overseas Students	UK Students	Overseas Students	UK Students	Overseas Students
£10,680	£21,980	£5,340	£10,990	£3,560	£7,330	£5,340	£10,990

Fees go up each year, therefore, your tuition fee in your second and subsequent years of study will be higher.

Our continuing students, on the same degree programme, are protected from annual increases higher than 5%.

For full details of postgraduate tuition fees see our postgraduate tuition fees page.

Scholarships

Felix Non- Indian Scholarship

Application Deadline: 2021-01-29 00:00