Program Overview

Faculty of Philosophy Musicology – Master

The department of musicology covers all theoretical and practical variations and contexts of music. The Department of Musicology at Heidelberg University puts the scientific coverage of European musical history from antiquity to the direct present as well as that of popular music at the focus.

Facts & Formalities

• Degree: Master of Arts
• Type of programme: Consecutive
• Start of programme: Winter and summer semester
• Standard period of study: 4 semesters
• Language(s) of instruction: German
• Fees and contributions: 161.10 € / Semester
• Application procedure: Consecutive master’s programmes with access restriction
• Application deadlines: Information about deadlines can be obtained after you have put together a degree program.
• Part-time option: Yes
• May be studied as a minor subject: Yes

Course Content

The Master’s degree programme in musicology forms the second section of a three-level academic education in the department of musicology (bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctorate). It requires prior completion of methodical and analytical basics and a wide range of basic knowledge in musical history from the first level in the Bachelor’s degree programme. Based on this, the following areas are at the focus of the primarily research-oriented specialist education:

• Differentiation of methodical and conceptional questions
• Expansion of interpretation approaches and discourse perspectives
• Specialising handling of contexts, sources, and practice of historical and popular forms of music

This Master’s degree programme must be combined with a minor subject.

Course Structure

The Master’s degree programme in musicology has profiles to choose from. Applicants must choose from the profiles of Historical musicology and popular music research. The degree programme is built modular in all subject parts. The subject part is made up to 75% of compulsory courses, a compulsory elective area, and an elective area.

• Profile-specific compulsory modules
• Compulsory elective modules
• Application module
• Elective module
• Final phase of the master’s degree

There are a great many options to choose from: For example, students may choose from a range of lectures in every semester within the profile-specific compulsory modules of the compulsory courses and the subject-specific compulsory elective modules. The lectures required within the compulsory modules can be completed, and the corresponding proof of results achieved, by the end of the 3rd semester. Additional elective options are provided by further compulsory elective, elective, and application modules.

The final phase of the Master’s degree in the major subject comprises compulsory participation in an examination colloquium in the 3rd and 4th semesters, the Master’s thesis, and its oral defence.