Program Overview

---

Postgraduate Taught

Study

Key information

Delivery mode: In person Study mode: Full time, Part time Duration: One year full-time, September to September, two years part-time Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent): UK 180/ECTS 90 Application status: Open Start date: September 2025

Course essentials

On this course you may specialise in either Composition or Musicology & Ethnomusicology. (Please note, we do not offer a Performance pathway.) We encourage you to choose modules that reflect your particular interests, and up to a third of your optional module choices may be from other Arts & Humanities departments, meaning you can build a broad and truly individual study pathway. Our specialist modules will teach you current approaches to academic writing on music as well as advanced techniques for research and composition. At the end of your course, you will submit a special study – either a dissertation or a substantial work of 8-15 minutes in duration (for composers) – for which we will give you one-to-one supervision. Our aim is to nurture leaders in musicology, ethnomusicology and composition. If you intend to go on to research or composition at doctoral level, or if you want to build on your existing skills, this course will be ideal for you.

Base campus

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.

Regulating bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry requirements

UK applicants

Standard requirements

A minimum 2:1 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree

If you have a lower degree classification , or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).

Programme-Specific Requirements

Bachelor's degree with 2:1 honours in Music or a related discipline is usually required. However applicants with equivalent qualifications or experience will be seriously considered.

In order to meet the academic entry requirements for this programme you should have a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree with a final mark of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme. If you are still studying you should be achieving an average of at least 60% or above in the UK marking scheme.

Additional requirements for "Musicology" or "Composition" pathways (please note, we do not offer Performance): please read carefully the instructions for your Personal Statement and Supporting Information below.

International applicants

Equivalent International qualifications

Select a country to view equivalent international qualifications.

English language requirements

English language band: C

To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.

Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.

For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Selection process

Applications must be made online using King's Apply, the Admissions Portal.

A non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.

Applications are seen by at least two members of the teaching staff; candidates may be called for interview or (for overseas candidates) interviewed by phone or online.

Personal statement and supporting information

Please note that there are different application procedures for Composition or Musicology and Ethnomusicology pathways. You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

• Personal Statement: Yes (all applicants)
  • Please provide a personal statement of around 500 words, answering the following questions:
    • Briefly explain why you are applying for this specific programme and how it fits with your future plans? (max 250 words)
    • How does your experience and education make you a suitable candidate for this programme? (max 250 words)
    • Please specify the pathway (musicology and ethnomusicology OR composition) in your personal statement as well. If you do not include this we will not be able to process your application.
    • Please write these questions as separate answers, with a clear title for your answer to each question. Documents where your answers are not clearly titled and separated will not be accepted.
• Previous Academic Study: Yes (all applicants)
  • A scan or digital copy of your official academic transcript(s) showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English will need to submit both the original and an official translation of their documents.
• References: Yes (all applicants)
  • One academic reference is required. A professional reference will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. In some cases, we may request an additional reference from you.
• Portfolio: Composition only
  • Applicants for the Composition pathway should send a portfolio of recent scores (pdf), accompanied by recordings of the works if available. You can provide these digitally, uploading them in the writing sample section of your application.
• Writing Sample: Musicology and Ethnomusicology only
  • Applicants for the Musicology and Ethnomusicology pathway should upload an undergraduate dissertation (if available) or two or three recent essays to the writing sample section of your application. Your work should engage with the existing scholarly literature (so essays that are purely descriptive or technical are unlikely to be appropriate).
• Other: Optional
  • Applicants may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of their application.

Teaching & structure

Teaching methods - what to expect

Our specialist modules will teach you current approaches to academic writing on music as well as advanced techniques for research and composition. At the end of your course, you will submit a special study – either a dissertation or a substantial work of 8-15 minutes in duration (for composers) – for which we will give you one-to-one supervision.

Our aim is to nurture leaders in musicology, ethnomusicology and composition. If you intend to go on to research or composition at doctoral level, or if you want to build on your existing skills, this course will be ideal for you.

Location

The course is primarily taught on the King’s College London Strand Campus. Our location in the heart of London gives you easy access to a huge variety of cultural and musical opportunities, such as the two major opera companies (Royal Opera Covent Garden and English National Opera) and two major arts centres (South Bank Centre—where the Royal Festival Hall and other performance spaces are located, and Barbican), both within walking distance.

Teaching

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Assessments are typically submitted electronically and assessed within our web-based teaching platform.

If you are studying the Musicology & Ethnomusicology Pathway, we will give you six to eight hours of teaching each week (if you are a part-time student, three to four hours) through seminars, and we will expect you to undertake 24 hours (12 hours for part-time) of self-study.

If you are studying the Composition Pathway, we will give you an average of four hours of teaching each week (two hours if you are a part-time student) through seminars and one-to-one teaching, and we will expect you to undertake 26 hours of self-study (13 hours for part-time).

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include coursework essays, class presentations, or for Composition Pathway, musical works. Coursework contributes approximately 90% to your final mark and examinations approximately 10%.

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Structure

You are required to take:

Required modules

Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 180 credits.

• Musicology & Ethnomusicology Pathway, required modules:
  • Special Study in Musicology or Ethnomusicology (60 credits)
• Composition Pathway, required modules:
  • Special Study in Composition (60 credits)

Optional modules

In addition, you are required to take 120 credits from a range of optional modules that may typically include:

• Musicology & Ethnomusicology Pathway:
  • Approaches to Music Research 1 (30 credits)
  • Approaches to Music Research 2 (30 credits)
  • Topics in Music before 1700 (15 credits)
  • Topics in Eighteenth Century Music (15 credits)
  • Topics in Nineteenth Century Music (15 credits)
  • Topics in Music of the Twentieth/Twenty-First Centuries (15 credits)
  • Topics in Opera (15 credits)
  • Topics in Jazz and Popular Music (15 credits)
  • Regional Studies in Music Research (15 credits)
  • Global Histories of Music (15 credits)
  • Music and Performance (15 credits)
  • Music and Digital Cultures (15 credits)
  • Topics in Music Theory and Aesthetics (15 credits)
  • Topics in Music Research (15 credits)
• Composition Pathway
  • In addition, you are required to take between four and six modules (totalling 120 credits) from a range that may typically include:
    • Introduction to Contemporary Composition (45 credits)
    • Composing for Ensemble (45 credits)
    • Orchestration (15 credits)
    • Any of the postgraduate musicology and ethnomusicology modules, such as those listed above

You are also free to choose up to 30 of your 180 credits from Master’s modules offered across the Faculty of Arts & Humanities or from MMus modules (excluding performance and composition) offered by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)

Part time study

180 credits earned through 1 x 60 credit compulsory Special Study module and 120 credits of optional modules.

Part-time students have some flexibility how they divide their studies across the two years, but at least 60 of the 120 credits of optional modules required for the degree should usually be taken in the first year of the programme. The 60-credit Special Study module (7AAMM051 for the Musicology and Ethnomusicology Pathway or 7AAMM050 for the Composition Pathway) is taken in the second (final) year.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Careers

Employability

Our graduates have gone on to further research at the doctoral level in the Department or elsewhere in the UK or overseas (particularly the USA). Others have transferred the skills and knowledge they develop to careers in teaching, media, arts administration and other fields.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

UK:

• Full time: £13,500 per year (2025/26)
• Part time: £6,750 per year (2025/26)

International:

• Full time: £30,000 per year (2025/26)
• Part time: £15,000 per year (2025/26)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Deposit

If you receive an offer for this programme, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Deposit payments are credited towards the total tuition fee payment.

• The Home deposit is £500.
• The International deposit is £2000.
  • If you receive an offer before March, payment is due by 20 March.
  • If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, payment is due within one month of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, payment is due within two weeks of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, payment is due within one week of receiving the offer.
  • If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, payment is due within three days of receiving the offer.

If you are a current undergraduate King’s student in receipt of the King's Living Bursary this academic year, you are not required to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme. Please note, this will not change the total fees payable for your chosen programme.

Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.

King’s Bridge Scholarship

King’s College London offers King’s Bridge Scholarships, covering full-time or part-time tuition fees for selected Arts & Humanities master’s programmes. Open to home students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. Learn more.

Additional Costs

In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:

• books if you choose to buy your own copies
• society membership fees
• personal computer and other equipment
• concert admission fees at London venues outside of the university
• travel costs for travel around London and to/from your permanent home
• graduation costs

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.