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Accessibility statement
A image to illustrate MA Music part 1 module
You will be introduced to the breadth and depth of the study of music, including elements of historical musicology, ethnomusicology, feminist musicology, organology, music and technology and more. Case studies drawn from the research of every member of the OU Music staff throughout the module ensure a wide cultural and geographical scope. Independent study is a key part of the module, allowing you to pursue study in your own area of interest. The module is accessible and relevant to those who have a vocational or leisure interest in music.
This module is divided into the following four blocks:
Block 1: Inclusions and exclusions

The first block introduces a range of musicological traditions, opening with an overview of the ways in which status or value has traditionally been assigned to particular groups of musical works, practices, practitioners and methods. You'll explore themes including historiography and canon, gender and feminist musicology, and genre and tradition. The research skills developed in this block will be focused on planning research projects and formulating research questions, as well as the skill of preparing a succinct abstract.
The assessment for this block requires you to submit an essay, a plan, and an abstract/summary.
Block 2: Investigating practice

This block makes explicit the relationships between music practice and musicology, exploring current examples of research into various musical practices, practice-led, and practice-based research. Themes include performance practice, impact and engagement, mobile phone music production, and ethnographic study. Research skills development is focused on identifying and evaluating sources, from scores, manuscripts and biographies to recordings, videos, web discussion forums and more. In particular, the wide range of sources relevant to musicological practice is discussed, including the practical and ethical issues around interviews and participatory research.
The assessment for this block will allow you to include an optional element of practice (unweighted), a reflective piece, and a shorter essay.
Block 3: Technologies, tools and techniques

This block reflects on how different tools, technologies and techniques are used both in the practice of music and in contemporary musicological practice, as well as the many new avenues that have opened up with technology-based areas of research. In addition, case studies on musical instruments (organology) and the use of software tools exemplify the many ways in which musicology deals directly with the matters of musical production. Research skills involving identifying and deploying a range of different methods will be developed in this block.
The assessment for this block will be a conference-style presentation, produced simply using slides and voiceover, accompanied by an abstract.
Block 4: Communities and interdisciplinarities

The final block builds on many of the research specialisms of the department that foreground how music works in interaction with groups of people. Examples include music education, music and wellbeing, politics, and social history. You’ll examine ways in which musicology has drawn strategies and research areas from other disciplines, as well as its contribution beyond disciplinary boundaries.
The research skills focus here will be on using and developing theoretical frameworks. The final assessment, your end-of-module assessment project, will allow you to develop these skills while focusing on a topic of your choice.
By studying this module, you will:
Many of the skills you will acquire are relevant to and transferable to a range of career options. These include researching and communicating about music in different formats. Alongside Part 2 of the MA (A891), the module provides many of the skills needed to pursue a career in academia.
This module is delivered entirely online. You will have a tutor who will provide online tutorials, help you with the module work, mark and comment on your written work, as well as supporting you to design and produce your end-of-module assessment project. You are encouraged to take part in the online tutorials with your tutor and tutor group, as well as the module-wide forum. Tutorials will be held throughout the year and can be accessed from any computer with internet access.
There will also be four seminars, including a presentation by an invited academic, with accompanying discussion forums. You will be encouraged to take an active role in these live seminars by preparing questions, comments and other contributions, and/or continuing the discussion in the online forum after the events. More details about these learning events will be available at the start of the module.
Course work includes:
The study materials you will be provided include:
Good-quality headphones or loudspeakers to help you gain the most from the various listening activities
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
A890 is a compulsory module in our:
A890 is an option module in our:
Sometimes you cannot count a module towards a qualification if you have already counted another module with similar content. To verify any excluded combinations with this module, check with an adviser before registering.
MA Music part 1 starts once a year – in September.
This page describes the module that will start in September 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in September 2035.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
The principal requirement to study the MA in Music is that you are able to write an essay to a good academic standard. The best way to provide evidence of this is to hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent from an English-speaking university), with at least a 2:1 classification. Although your degree does not need to be in Music, you will need a good knowledge of, or experience in, at least some areas of music to successfully complete this qualification. This may include performing or listening to music and reading about music (for example, books, magazines, blogs). The ability to read music notation is useful but not a necessity. There is no requirement to perform on a musical instrument.
If your degree or background is not in Music, we strongly recommend that you complete the preparatory work listed below.
If you do not already hold an honours degree or equivalent with at least a 2:1 classification, you will be asked to demonstrate your preparedness for the module in other ways. You should undertake studying the free OpenLearn course Introducing music research and submit an essay of between 1,000 and 1,500 words on a topic of your choice, making use of what you have learned in at least one section of this course. You may instead submit an essay of a similar length to the one you have already written on any other arts and humanities subject. Your essay will be assessed on its written clarity and structure rather than its subject matter. Your essay can be submitted alongside evidence of previous study at the point of registration. If you are unfamiliar with scholarly writing and academic practice, particularly regarding referencing, you should also study the free OpenLearn course Succeeding in postgraduate study.
It is expected that your spoken and written English will also be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your first language, we recommend that you will need a minimum score of 7 under the International English Language testing system (IELTS).
The following resources will be useful in preparation for the MA:
There is a range of other free courses on music topics on OpenLearn. You may find it useful to work through some of these in order to begin thinking critically about music topics.
This module has no printed materials and is delivered online. The materials are provided as a series of web pages via the module website. Some online material may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader, and some archival materials, particularly where musical notation is involved or where you are required to study original documents, may be particularly difficult to read in this way.
You should also be aware that this module demands a high level of independent study, including reading journal articles with music examples. Where certain activities are not accessible, we will provide suitable alternatives, but some activities, for example, studying digitised music manuscripts, may not be available in different formats. You will be expected to listen to music, engage with videos, undertake sound recordings and study a variety of musical scores and documents, although accessible alternatives are provided where feasible. This module also makes use of online databases. The module may, therefore, be particularly challenging if you have a severe visual or hearing impairment.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.
StartEndRegister byEngland fee
05 Sep 202630 Jun 202713 Aug 2026£4,200
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
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Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2027. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
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