Psychology of Music MA

Core modules (Semester 1):

Applied Music Psychology: Education, Community and Health

This module explores the psychology of music in a variety of settings, from the everyday uses of music to music in education and in therapeutic settings. The emphasis in this module lies in two related areas: the use of music psychology to help solve the practical problems of people's lives (in terms of wellbeing, therapy, education and development) and also to explore music as a social phenomenon, that is understanding the psychology of music as a social and interactive facet of human life. 

30 credits

Music, Brain and Body

In this module, you will explore the perceptual and cognitive foundations of music. Over the course of the module, we cover issues in the neuropsychology of music, examine memory processes in music, learn about the complex relationship between music and emotions and the psychological foundations of the elements of music such as pitch and rhythm. The module will give you contemporary insight and understanding of the way in which our brains and bodies engage with and process musical sound.

30 credits

Music, Brain and Body

In this module, you will explore the perceptual and cognitive foundations of music. Over the course of the module, we cover issues in the neuropsychology of music, examine memory processes in music, learn about the complex relationship between music and emotions and the psychological foundations of the elements of music such as pitch and rhythm. The module will give you contemporary insight and understanding of the way in which our brains and bodies engage with and process musical sound. 

15 credits

Applied Music Psychology: Education, Community and Health

This module explores the psychology of music in a variety of settings, from the everyday uses of music to music in education and in therapeutic settings. The emphasis in this module lies in two related areas: the use of music psychology to help solve the practical problems of people's lives (in terms of wellbeing, therapy, education and development) and also to explore music as a social phenomenon, that is understanding the psychology of music as a social and interactive facet of human life. 

15 credits

Core modules (Semester 2):

Qualitative Research Techniques

This module provides a research training in a qualititative research techniques relevant to the study of musical behaviour. This module consists of teaching and learning of qualitative research design and analysis techniques in a seminar setting, plus a group project in which an empirical study is executed and reported. This project is assessed by means of an individual report of 6,000 words.

30 credits

Quantitative Research Techniques

This module provides a research training in quantitative research techniques relevant to the study of musical behaviour. The module consists of teaching and learning of statistical techniques in a computer-lab setting, plus a group project in which an empirical study is partially designed and fully executed and analysed. The project is assessed by means of an individual report of 6,000 words.

30 credits

Qualitative Research Techniques

This module provides a research training in qualitative research data collection relevant to the study of musical behaviour. The module consists of teaching and learning of qualitative research design techniques, including ethical consideration and evaluation of methods through pilot studies and critique of existing research. The module is assessed through a portfolio of qualitative data collection tools, including questionnaires and interview schedules, which the student has designed, piloted and evaluated.

15 credits

Core module (Any Semester):

Dissertation

Students will be required to submit a dissertation proposal that is approved by their dissertation supervisor, and furthermore a dissertation will then be required to be completed on the agreed subject.

60 credits

Optional modules (Semester 1):

Critical Musicology

This unit acts as an introduction to key trends and figures in musicology from the mid-twentieth century to the present day. Students will learn techniques and skills related to the literature in the field, and will employ them in an essay on a topic of their own choice.

30 credits

Research and Communication Skills A

Research and Communication Skills A and B together comprise linked modules delivered in collaboration with the English Language Teaching Centre, directed at all students who wish to work on research and English communication skills - written and oral, in order to reach a variety of audiences interested in music and music research.

Research and Communication Skills A runs through Semester 1 covering foundational research skills, including generating focussed research topics; literature search; critical reading; quotation, paraphrasing and summarising; citation; organising information and building academic arguments; and structuring an essay.

Research and Communication Skills B runs through Semester 2, and focuses on developing more advanced critical skills, using evidence, and written and oral communication in a variety of genres and styles. Assessments for these modules provide opportunities to improve academic research and writing skills, which can benefit performance in other modules. They also offer the opportunity to engage with a broad spectrum of written and oral communication, useful for academic and professional contexts

15 credits

Fundamentals of Cognition

The module provides an overview of the fundamental issues in cognitive neuroscience and its contributory disciplines. The approach taken is in terms of its development over the past 50 years, providing an overview of the key concepts in the information processing approach and in cognitive science, followed by an analysis of the advances that have been made recently using cognitive neuroscience techniques. Topics include: fundamental issues in cognition (memory, attention, learning, language); theoretical approaches including cognitive neuropsychology, symbolic and sub-symbolic modelling; and methodological issues.

15 credits

Optional modules (Semester 2):

Critical Listening and the Musical Work

Students will consider recordings across a range of genres from European and American music to develop their critical listening skills and understanding of musical works. Classes will cover broader questions in the first half of the module, giving way to focused case studies in the second.
Key issues may include:
what is a musical work?;
what is critical listening?;
scores and editions;
positionality;
types and values;
taste and recordings;
reception of recordings;
recording over time;
and other issues and ideas in musical listening.

Weekly listening and research tasks will contribute to an independent project, which will be assessed through a presentation and short essay.

30 credits

Research and Communication Skills B

Research and Communication Skills A and B together comprise linked modules delivered in collaboration with the English Language Teaching Centre, directed at all students who wish to work on research and English communication skills - written and oral, in order to reach a variety of audiences interested in music and music research. Research and Communication Skills A runs through Semester 1 covering foundational research skills, including generating focussed research topics; literature search; academic reading; quotation, paraphrasing and summarising; citation; organising information and arguments; and structuring an essay. Research and Communication Skills B runs through Semester 2, and focusses on developing critical skills, using evidence, and written and oral communication in a variety of genres and styles. Assessments for these modules provide opportunities to improve academic research and writing skills, which can benefit performance in other modules. They also offer the opportunity to engage with a broad spectrum of written and oral communication, useful for academic and professional contexts.

15 credits

Critical Listening and the Musical Work

Students will consider recordings across a range of genres from European and American music to develop their critical listening skills and understanding of musical works. Classes will cover broader questions in the first half of the module, giving way to focused case studies in the second.
Key issues may include:
what is a musical work?;
what is critical listening?;
scores and editions;
positionality;
types and values;
taste and recordings;
reception of recordings;
recording over time;
and other issues and ideas in musical listening.
Weekly listening and research tasks will contribute to an independent project, which will be assessed through a presentation and short essay.

15 credits

Strategies for Funding Music and The Arts

This module provides a practical exploration of funding within the music and arts sectors, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to identify funding opportunities, create compelling grant applications, and understand the nuances of monitoring and evaluation. Through a series of lectures, students will dissect current market trends in arts funding, learn quantitative and qualitative research methods for evaluation, and master the art of report writing. The module aims to demystify the process of securing funding by offering step-by-step guidance on developing successful applications, from initial research to final submission. Emphasis will be placed on understanding funders' criteria, budgeting, and the critical skill of effectively presenting proposals, ensuring students are well-prepared to navigate the competitive landscape of arts funding.

15 credits

Strategic Design Thinking for Music Consultancy

The module consists of students working as a team with a live client from the world of professional music to address an issue of the client's choice. The issues sought from prospective client organisations will be those which either have a long term strategic bearing on the organisations's work and existence, or which address an immediate operational issue or set of issues. In both instances the issues to be studied will be typical of what might be expected to be encountered in the real world of music management. Once the definition of the issue to be studied has been fully agreed with the cilent, the course will consist of weekly seminars at which the team will plan reasearch into the issue and will discuss on a regular basis its ideas and proposals for action with the course tutor. The progress of the team will be checked with the client at the mid-point of the semester. The final outcome of the project will be a live presentation by the team to the client outlining its research findings, its interpretation of these, followed by conclusions and recommendations. This presentation in turn will be followed by the creation of a written group report which will be the subject of formal assessment and then made available for the client to use as they choose Assessment will also include peer-group assessment by the students of themselves.

15 credits

Students can also select Languages for All modules: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/languages/lfa/modules