Graduate Programmes
The School of Music is one of the leading centres for graduate musical study in Ireland. Our graduate programmes give students the opportunity to work with scholars of international standing in the School's core disciplines of historical musicology and ethnomusicology. Graduate students also frequently pursue composition activities as part of the School's Composition Ensemble. The MMus degree furnishes students with the core intellectual tools for pursuing musical research, while also encouraging independent scholarship. The MLitt and PhD programmes afford the chance to complete a major research project under the supervision of an expert in the field. Students completing postgraduate degrees often pursue academic careers, or go on to jobs in the arts and cultural heritage sector, journalism, media, teaching, or a variety of other professions.
Graduate students at UCD are part of a friendly and supportive research culture that foregrounds regular interaction between faculty and students. We pride ourselves on the research initiative shown by our graduate students: current students edit 'The Musicology Review', Chair the Dublin Musicology Collective, and play a substantial role in the organisation of our seminar series. Our annual Graduate Colloquium offers a regular opportunity for students to share work in progress, while our PhD Forum allows a supportive environment in which to discuss broader topics relating to research and professional development.
Many current and recent PhD students have been successful in applying for Government of Ireland Postgraduate Fellowships from the Irish Research Council (IRC) for fully funded study. It is possible to apply for these fellowships either in the year prior to starting the intended PhD programme, or during the PhD itself, to fund the remaining years of study.
All of UCD’s research programmes are now fully modularized and offered with taught components (such as Transferable Skills modules and Teaching Apprenticeships). In addition to the main supervisor, research students will be supported by a Research Studies Panel. The panel frequently involves faculty members from other disciplines, to enable the best possible guidance for projects with an interdisciplinary element.
The MLitt degree can be awarded after two years’ study and the submission of a substantial thesis. The PhD is a four-year structured degree programme centred around the submission of a longer dissertation.
If you have a question on any of our graduate programmes please email our School Manager in the first instance. Applicants for the PhD programme should make informal contact with a potential PhD supervisor before submitting a formal application.
The following is a list of graduate programmes offered at the School of Music: