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The MSc Music, Mind & Brain at Goldsmiths is an interdisciplinary degree combining music psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and empirical research to explore how the brain perceives and produces music. It suits students with backgrounds in psychology, neuroscience, or music who want to pursue research, academia, or applied roles in music therapy, branding, or performance.
Curriculum Structure
Over the programme, students engage with core modules that develop their scientific and research expertise. In Music Perception, they study how we process pitch, rhythm, memory, emotion, and imagery in music. The Cognitive Neuroscience of Music module explores neural mechanisms of musical expectancy, memory, creativity, and the overlap between music and other cognitive functions. Through Foundations of Neuroscience, they build a grounded understanding of brain structure and function that underlies musical cognition.
In Statistics & Experimental Design, students learn how to build experiments, design stimuli, and analyse data, while Research Design & Analysis and Research Skills round out their methodological training. Finally, in the Research Project, students design and conduct a substantial empirical study—behavioural, neuroscientific, or computational—with supervision.
Focus areas
“Music perception, neural bases of musical cognition, empirical research methods, brain structure & function, experimental design, independent research project”
Learning outcomes
“Understand how neural systems support musical behaviour; apply rigorous research methods to study music cognition; design and conduct original empirical research; critically evaluate neuroscience and psychology in musical contexts.”
Professional alignment (accreditation):
Led by the Music, Mind & Brain (MMB) research group, this programme is tailored for students aiming for doctoral research or careers in academia, music therapy, data science, sonic branding, or neuro-rehabilitation.
Reputation (employability rankings):
Goldsmiths is globally recognized for creativity and interdisciplinary research; graduates from this MSc have gone on to PhD programmes and roles in academia, the music industry, and applied neuroscience.
Students gain practical research skills through hands-on experiments in Goldsmiths' specialist laboratories, including their infant and child development labs and neuroimaging facilities. This applied learning is central to the curriculum, with key experiential components including:
Software: Training in R for statistical analysis, alongside experiment-building tools.
Research Project: Conducting a substantial empirical dissertation using departmental lab facilities.
Laboratories: Access to specialist infant and child observation suites, and EEG systems for brain imaging research.
Group Work: Collaborative research projects and peer review exercises to develop scientific teamwork skills.
Graduates of the MSc Music, Mind & Brain at Goldsmiths, University of London develop expertise to pursue careers such as music therapists, cognitive neuroscientists, music consultants, and researchers in music cognition and therapy:
Goldsmiths’ Careers and Employability Service offers personalized support including CV workshops, interview preparation, and access to internships and networks in music, health, and research sectors.
Employment prospects are strong in interdisciplinary fields; salaries vary widely by sector ranging from arts and therapy to academic research.
The program has partnerships with institutions including the Royal College of Music, Institute of Education, and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery enhancing placement and research opportunities.
Graduates benefit from a highly interdisciplinary curriculum combining neuroscience, psychology, and creative arts, supporting long-term career flexibility.
Outcomes include advanced research skills, critical scientific analysis, and practical application of music cognition and neuroaesthetics.
Further Academic Progression: Graduates can pursue doctoral research (PhD) or professional pathways in music therapy, cognitive neuroscience, or related interdisciplinary fields.
An undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in Psychology OR a background in music plus demonstrable knowledge and/or experience of empirical researchIndia- For entry to postgraduate programmes you will normally need a Bachelors degree in relevant subject. We use the NOOSR ranking to make differential offers.USA- For entry to postgraduate programmes they will normally need a Bachelor’s degree in a subject relevant to your proposed area of postgraduate study with GPA around 2.7. IELTS - 6.5 with a 6.5 in writing and no element lower than 6.0TOEFL- Overall 92, 22 in Reading and Listening and 24 in Speaking and Writing will meet English language requirementsMusic Cognition ResearcherAuditory Interface DesignerMusic Technology DeveloperNeuromarketing Researcher (audio focus)Music Therapy ResearcherPhD Candidate in Cognitive NeuroscienceUser Experience (UX) Researcher for audio productsCreative Industries ConsultantAcademic LecturerHealthcare Technologist (hearing and cognition)
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Goldsmiths University of London
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