Program Overview

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MSt in Music (Performance)

The MSt in Music (Performance) is a one-year course that serves as a self-contained program for students wishing to pursue advanced studies in performance or as preparation for doctoral research. The course introduces a broad range of current methodologies and approaches in music scholarship.

Course Structure

The main MSt teaching and coursework are done in the first two terms, and the third term is reserved for completion of assessed work. Students on the MSt courses in musicology, performance, and composition follow a common structure, supported by appropriate individual supervision or tuition in their chosen specialism.

Core Seminars

In the Michaelmas term, there are typically six topics of study:

• Historical musicology
• Current trends in music theory
• Aesthetics
• The social and cultural study of music
• Performance
• Composition

Elective Seminars

Each year, a number of faculty members convene a series of elective seminars based on their research interests, to help prepare students for their assessment essays. Recent seminar series included:

• Pitch, Amplitude, Timbre
• Brazilian Music
• Distributed Creativity in Composition and Performance
• Thirteenth-Century Motets
• Music and (Non) Religion
• Music and Race
• Gender and Sexuality in Popular Music Studies
• Music and Islamic Culture
• Beethoven between History and Myth

Attendance and Resources

The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements. As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources, including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources, and IT services.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of Music. Students can usually expect to meet with their supervisor between two and three times a term, depending on the needs of the student and at the discretion of the supervisor.

Assessment

You will undertake an examined lecture-recital at the beginning of Hilary term and will submit an essay in musicology at the end of Hilary term. The final assessment will include a second essay in musicology and a longer recital at the end of Trinity term.

Graduate Destinations

Typical graduate destinations include doctoral research in music, teaching, arts management, performance, and other music-related or broadly cultural professions.

Entry Requirements

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown.

Proven and Potential Academic Excellence

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• An average mark of 67% or higher in an undergraduate degree with honours in music or related fields. However, entrance is very competitive, and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent.

Degree-Level Qualifications

For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0. However, most successful applicants have a GPA of 3.7.

English Language Proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below. | Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component | | --- | --- | --- | | IELTS Academic | 7.5 | 7.0 | | TOEFL iBT | 110 | Listening: 22, Reading: 24, Speaking: 25, Writing: 24 | | C1 Advanced | 191 | 185 | | C2 Proficiency | 191 | 185 | | Oxford Test of English Advanced | 165 | 155 |

Supporting Documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application, including references and an official transcript.

Funding

For entry in the academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,100 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.

Annual Course Fees

The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis. | Fee status | Annual Course fees | | --- | --- | | Home | ｣17,910 | | Overseas | ｣43,730 |

Living Costs

In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course. The range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between ｣1,405 and ｣2,105 for each month spent in Oxford.

College Preference

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. The following colleges accept students on the MSt in Music (Performance):

• Blackfriars
• Campion Hall
• Christ Church
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Magdalen College
• Merton College
• New College
• Oriel College
• The Queen's College
• Regent's Park College
• St Anne's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• St Hilda's College
• St Hugh's College
• St John's College
• St Peter's College
• Somerville College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

Application Process

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.

Referees

Three overall, academic preferred. Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete.

Official Transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date.

Statement of Purpose

A maximum of 1,000 words. Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you and/or you intend to specialise in.

Written Work

Two essays, a maximum of 5,000 words in total. Academic essays or other writing samples from your most recent qualification, written in English, are required.

Portfolio

Recording of up to 15 minutes. You should submit a recorded recital showing contrasting styles of performance.

After You've Submitted Your Application

Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.