Combine your passion for music with career-boosting management and marketing skills
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
Join us online or in person to find out more about postgraduate study at York.
Upcoming eventsBuild the knowledge, critical skills and practical insight that you'll need for your future management career in the creative sector.
Study a course that emphasises real-world learning, working with industry partners and creative problem-solving.
You’ll be taught by staff with well-established industry experience in music management and marketing. Our academics have expertise ranging across music, music psychology, marketing, management and the creative industries. You don't need a qualification in music to take this course. You'll join a friendly community at the School of Arts and Creative Technologies, and have lots of opportunities to get involved.
Study modules led by the School of Arts and Creative Technologies with options from the School for Business and Society.
You'll work with industry professionals in our Collaborative Industry Project module.
You'll study core modules which cover the fundamentals of music management and leadership, including strategic planning, event management, finance, fundraising, marketing, audience development, and stakeholder management. You'll use critical analysis to examine current issues in the industry, and will develop your professional capabilities with practical tasks that mirror real-world activities. These modules will also offer you the chance to develop sophisticated empirical research skills and psychology-based marketing insights that are applicable across marketing, market research and research careers more generally.
On the Collaborative Industry Project module you will work with industry partners drawn from a range of music-related arts organisations.
Part-time course structure
You'll study 80 credits in Year 1 (two 20-credit modules per semester), and 100 credits in Year 2 (one 20-credit module per semester and the 60-credit Independent Study Module).
You must take the core modules Principles of Music Management and Empirical Research Skills for Music, Management and Marketing in Year 1. You can take the remaining core modules Music Psychology for Marketing: The Influence of Music on Behaviour and Collaborative Industry Project in Year 1 or 2. If you take these in Year 1, then all your Year 2 modules will be from the option module choices.
As a part-time student you can start the Independent Study Module early, in Year 2 across semesters 1 and 2. If you do that then you'll be left with 30 credits of the module to complete in the summer.
You will choose two option modules 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 undertake a project focusing on a topic of your choice. You'll work with a supervisor, who will offer one-to-one support and expertise in your chosen area.
Your project could focus on varied aspects of music-related management and marketing, business strategies, marketing or communications plans, or empirical studies on topics related to music, management and marketing.
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 |
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.
I completed a Digital Marketing module where I worked on an innovation proposal with my coursemates. This was a practical programme that made me more comfortable expressing my ideas. I had a wonderful collaborative experience working with students from around the world.Verna, MSc Global MarketingRead Verna's blog
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 course involves a range of different teaching styles, including problem-based learning, collaborative work and practical activities. Our teaching staff are from both the School of Arts and Creative Technologies and the School for Business and Society.
You'll also have the opportunity to attend events such as talks, productions and festivals outside of your modules. You'll be assigned a member of our teaching staff who will act as your personal supervisor for the duration of the course. They are there to give advice on academic matters as well as other areas of University life.
You'll be able to use our performance spaces including the Jack Lyons Concert Hall and the Rymer Auditorium, rehearsal spaces and practice rooms.
You will be based in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies, which has purpose-built facilities on Campus East and Campus West. You'll be part of a large postgraduate community, with an extra base for studying in our Humanities Research Centre.
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.
Your modules are assessed with a mixture of essays, portfolio submissions and presentations. Group presentations will involve collaborative work with individual assessment marks. You'll receive feedback on all the work you submit, helping you to understand your strengths and identify areas for improvement.
We expect graduates from this course to move onto roles in management or marketing in music organisations, marketing, or arts management. The experience you build will contribute to enhanced professional ability as a music leader, manager or marketing specialist. The specialist skills you gain from this course will support and develop your work in a range of different professional contexts, including arts organisations, private companies and community music settings.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent in an undergraduate degree, with a demonstrable interest in Music. |
| 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.
Get in touch if you have any questions
We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to premium.
Explore campus and city life and hear what our current students have to say about living here.
Lively, full of culture and beautiful, York is regularly voted one of the best places to live and visit in the UK.
Find out more about York. Chat to staff and students and take the tour, on campus or online.
