Become a leader in collaborative and inclusive music making
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
Join us online or in person to find out more about postgraduate study at York.
Upcoming eventsThe MA in Community Music will enable you to develop creative music activities using appropriate leadership approaches to facilitate access for diverse client groups in varied social contexts. It will provide you with the skills and knowledge to devise and deliver participatory community projects and develop research skills based on critical practice, data handling and evaluation.
The course covers music in education, health, welfare and recreation and the ability to to move flexibly within these fields. This multifaceted approach is complemented by topics in arts administration and will prepare you to meet the demands and professional requirements of related employment and has proved attractive to recent graduates, mature students and international students.
Typical applicants may have an interest in the creative application of music in various participatory settings such as education, health, and personal or community-development but may not wish to train exclusively within one of these areas; they may be attracted to the growth in job opportunities in arts management, administration and consultancy; or they may wish to develop a portfolio career in a range of scholarly, professional and charitable settings. The programme aims to meet these needs and interests through its wide-ranging course structure that balances breadth of subjects with specialised research projects.
The best course that I've ever had was the MA Community Music - it has prepared me very well for my current arts administration career. It allowed me to explore music in many different ways such as education, special needs, music for the elderly and also gave me a great opportunity to carry out a placement.Kitty, MA Community Music
York has long been a leader in the study of community music and this course was the first of its kind, meaning you'll have access to years of specialist experience.
You'll be encouraged to put your learning into practice with local and regional delivery partners, and via other forms of practical work.
From choral to orchestral, jazz and folk to improvised electronica, gospel to gamelan, almost every kind of music is performed by the School’s many ensembles.
The MA Community Music is based on a series of modules, seminars and a supervised independent study module.
You'll cover a range of topics relating to professional issues in community music.
In addition to the modules, we strongly encourage you to engage with local community music opportunities, participate in musical ensembles and attend weekly research seminars, performance classes and composition seminars relevant to your studies.
You will choose one option module from examples including:
Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
You'll begin work on the Capstone Project with sufficient time to plan your fieldwork. You'll have the freedom to take on a project relevant to your own interests.
Recent Capstone Projects have carried out research and analysis on community music activities at:
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £11,200 | £25,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£5,600 | £12,950 |
| Part-time (3 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£3,733 | £8,633 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
The MA Community Music is based on a series of modules, seminars and a supervised independent study module.
We have a range of outstanding facilities, including the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall and dozens of teaching rooms and practice facilities. All spaces are designed to be flexible and are used for projects, seminars, ensemble rehearsals and recordings.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You'll also produce a substantial independently-managed capstone project submission, eg a dissertation or practice-based project with extended critical commentary.
I now discover York music graduates wherever I go - it's a great network to be part of. It's also a place where the unexpected becomes normality, and that means that I barely bat an eyelid when an interesting request appears on my desk!Rachel, MA Community Music
Graduates of this course are highly placed in many of the UK arts institutions, with many employed at UK and overseas institutions. Others have taken advantage of the diverse portfolio of arts management and administration gained from this course, or gone on to qualify further as music therapists. You'll also be perfectly equipped to continue your studies to PhD level.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent in Music or another relevant subject. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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