Musicology

Interested in our programme? Meet us at the Open Day!

Studying Music in Depth

Our Research Master’s in Musicology will train you in advanced research while giving you academic insight into the theoretical and artistic principles underpinning music across history and cultures. You will also investigate the contextual circumstances influencing the production, distribution, and reception of music.

Western Music from the Middle Ages to the Present; Music and Media

The Musicology programme at Utrecht University focuses on Western music from the Middle Ages to the present, the impact of media on the reception and conceptualisation of music, and digital musicology. Interdisciplinary work is central to the programme, and there are particularly strong links with Medieval and Renaissance Studies, New Media & Digital Culture, Gender Studies, Postcolonial Studies, Computational Humanities, as well as Game Research, the focus area Cultures, Citizenship and Human Rights, and the strategic theme Institutions. This programme aims to innovate, while at the same time retaining its links to the traditional musicological research fostered at the University over the past 85 years.

Hallmarks of Research

Our current research focuses on late medieval music from the 13th to the early 15th centuries, Renaissance Franco-Flemish polyphony, music and migration, Baroque opera, Dutch music since the 17th century, music and its epistemologies from the late 18th century to the present, 20th-and 21st-century art and popular music, the complex relationship between music and politics (in particular, during the 19th, 20th and 21st century), the interaction between music and media (in particular, film and digital media, but also the materiality and semiotics of notations), and the impact of digital research tools on musicology. This research is firmly imbedded within the taught components of this programme, which are further enhanced by guest lectures and master classes led by international experts. Read more about the teaching and research environment, including our teaching staff.

After graduation

• You will possess thorough knowledge of the field of musicology.
• You have acquired sophisticated knowledge of a research specialism, either within the field of musicology, and/or an interdisciplinary subject.
• You are equiped with the academic and professional skills needed to identify, define, analyse, and solve research problems.
• You have learned to conduct independent research in the field of musicology and to report on this research at an advanced level.

This programme will give you the specialist knowledge, insight and skills necessary to pursue further study at PhD level or a career as a researcher. Many alumni pursue academic careers  in international musicological research. Read more about career development and possible career prospects.

Admission

Musicology is a selective Research Master’s programme. Do you want to know if you are eligible for this Master? Check the entry requirements.