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The MA Psychology of Music at the University of Sheffield explores how psychological processes influence musical behavior, performance, and perception. It suits students with interests in both music and psychology who wish to apply scientific approaches to understand musical experience.
Curriculum Structure:
In the first year, students study modules such as Cognitive Psychology of Music, Music Perception and Performance, and Research Methods in Psychology of Music, developing a scientific understanding of how people experience and create music. They also engage in Quantitative Research Techniques and a Dissertation Project, where they design and conduct independent research on a topic such as emotion in music, performance anxiety, or musical learning.
Focus areas: "Music cognition, performance psychology, emotion and perception in music"
Learning outcomes: "Students gain research and analytical skills to investigate musical behavior, understand cognitive and emotional responses to music, and apply psychological principles to performance and education."
Professional alignment (accreditation): Developed in line with contemporary research practices in music psychology; supported by the University’s Department of Music research expertise.
Reputation (employability rankings): The University of Sheffield ranks highly for music and psychology research quality and graduate employability (QS, Guardian).
Students on an MA Psychology of Music programme develop advanced, hands-on expertise in the tools and techniques of psychological science. They gain proficiency through dedicated practical classes, workshops, and a substantial independent research project, utilising university-specific research facilities and specialist software. The core experiential components are as follows:
Software: Advanced training in R, Python, SPSS, and JASP for statistical analysis, and often E-Prime or PsychoPy for experiment design.
Research Project: A central, supervised empirical dissertation acting as a capstone project, designed to be of publishable quality.
Laboratories: Access to the department's specialist research labs (e.g., eye-tracking, EEG, psychophysiology) for project work.
Quantitative & Qualitative Methods: Intensive workshops covering advanced statistics, neuroimaging analysis, and qualitative methods like IPA or thematic analysis.
Seminars & Conferences: Participation in departmental research seminars and often presentation of own work at an internal student conference.
Graduates of the MA Psychology of Music at the University of Sheffield gain specialized knowledge in music cognition, performance psychology, and the application of music to wellbeing and education. Typical roles include Music Therapist, Music Educator, Researcher, and Arts Practitioner. The program combines rigorous research training with practical engagement in music psychology and education:
The university’s Careers Service offers targeted employability workshops, personalized career guidance, and access to an alumni network in music and psychology sectors.
Graduates enjoy strong job prospects, with 85% employed within three months post-graduation; salary figures vary widely by role and sector.
Partnerships with music therapy centers, educational institutions, and cultural organizations support placements and collaborative projects.
The program's interdisciplinary and research-led approach provides long-term academic and professional value.
Graduation outcomes include roles in therapy, education, research, and arts administration.
Further Academic Progression:
Graduates may pursue PhD research in music psychology, clinical music therapy training, or specialized professional paths in arts and health sectors.
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in any subject.India- Bachelor degree with minimum 60%USA- Bachelor degree with a GPA 3.0 IELTS 6.5 (with 6 in each component) or University equivalentTOEFL: Overall score of 88 with a minimum of 19 in Listening, 20 in Reading, 22 in Speaking and 19 in WritingVIP Services AgentRegional HR ManagerPrincipal Experience DesignerCollege Recruiter
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The University of Sheffield
