The Beatles: Music Industry and Heritage MA
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-25 | - |
Program Overview
Course overview
Based in Liverpool - birthplace of The Beatles, and a UNESCO City of Music, this programme aims to reframe and extend contemporary discourse about The Beatles beyond the historical and musicological into a broader and more robust 21st-century context.
Introduction
You will explore how The Beatles, their music and their story are inextricably bound up within an increasing number of creative and cultural industries including (but not limited to): music, media and social media, tourism, and heritage. Through interactions with the Liverpool Beatles tourism and heritage sectors, you will experience first-hand the role and significance The Beatles and their legacy contribute to these industries at local, regional and national levels.
You will have the opportunity to hear from and speak with guest lecturers, as well as visit and explore sites and venues in and around Liverpool and Merseyside that were formative in The Beatles’ early years.
What you'll learn
Departmental support:
Program Outline
Compulsory modules
STUDYING MUSIC INDUSTRY (MUSI510)
Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1
The module examines some of the interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the music industries and explores these contributions. Drawing on examples it examines, in a practical way, how research in the field is conducted. Students learn how to plan and develop a research project in preparation for their dissertation. Students will develop their understanding through lectures, online class discussions and tutorials. Successful students on this module will develop skills in research appropriate for the study of the music industries at postgraduate level, including bibliographic skills and the ability to find and evaluate various kinds of evidence.
Heritage & Culture: The Beatles’ Liverpool through 1966 (MUSI533)
Credits: 15 / Semester: semester 1
This module examines the complex and dynamic interplay between the Beatles and the city of Liverpool’s rich cultural, musical, economic and political history, arguing that more than simply being ‘from’ Liverpool, the Beatles were – and remain – ‘of’ Liverpool. The module will explore the concept of Beatles heritage via a range of local perspectives focussing particularly on race, gender and class.
The Beatles in the 20th Century (MUSI531)
Credits: 30 / Semester: semester 1
This module will serve as the foundation for exploring the creative, industrial and cultural implications of the Beatles, their music and their career within the context of the 20th century. The module will take a critical approach in surveying the vast body of academic, popular and historic research on the group, with the intention of seeking to replace well-worn narratives and tropes with new and emerging scholarship and discourse drawn from a wide range of disciplines.
Careers and employability
Students from the taught postgraduate programmes in the department of Music have gone on to a wide range of careers, including various positions in the music industries, museums, arts administration, journalism, publishing, and teaching.
Career support from day one to graduation and beyond
Career planning
Our Careers Studio and career coaches can provide tailored support for your future plans.
From education to employment
Employability in your curriculum for a successful transition
Networking events
Make meaningful connections with like-minded professionals
Career planning
Our campus Career Studio is a space for students and graduates to drop into and talk to a career coach. Career coaches are highly trained to help no matter what stage you are at in your career planning. You can access support to find and apply for full-time and part-time roles, placements, internships and graduate schemes. You will also find the help you need if you have a start-up idea or want to create a business plan. You can explore the world of work, prepare for job interviews, and access careers events and workshops. The Career Studio is open Monday to Friday from 10am-5pm, simply drop in at a time that works for you.
Meet our Career Coaches
From education to employment
We develop our programmes with employers in mind. You will be supported to enhance your long-term employment prospects as you learn. We do this by exposing you to professionals, a variety of sectors and supporting you to work collaboratively with others to develop transferable skills. You are equipped with a clearer view of what to focus on in your area of interest, and to reflect on your studies. Our digital employability tools give you a tech-enhanced curriculum experience and make it easy for you to prepare for the world of work. You can use tools like the Handshake platform to connect with employers and message the Career Studio 24/7.
Employability programmes
Networking events
You can start building good professional networks by attending events and employability activities. Our events are designed to develop your skills and expose you to many different employers, as well as to help you make contacts in your field. We help you improve your confidence when speaking to employers and give you access to unique opportunities. Our networking events also boost your understanding of the competencies and skills that employers are looking for in their recruitment process, giving you a competitive edge.
Careers events
Your future
Graduates will be equipped to enter a wide range of industries, including the local Beatles-related sector, heritage, museums, tourism and leisure, music, and creative industries in general. Students from the Department of Music have gone on to a wide range of careers, including various positions in the music industries, museums, arts administration, journalism, publishing, and teaching.
Working in the UK after graduation
The UK is a great place to live and work, so it's no surprise that many international students want to stay after they graduate. A graduate visa lets you stay in the UK for up-to two years after graduation. It's available to students in the UK on a student visa (or Tier 4 [General] student visa). Our careers service is here to support you getting work once you finish studying.