Extend your solo performance skills and potential as a versatile singer.
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
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Upcoming eventsOur MA Music Performance: Vocal Studies is practitioner-led and designed to help you discover and establish your unique, authentic voice and sense of artistry. It will foster your initiative and creativity by sustaining and developing your vocal technique, knowledge and repertoire - likely to include opera, musical theatre, art song and contemporary classical.
Intensive individual teaching combines with collaborative peer learning sessions and performance classes that encourage curiosity and diversity, enriching your potential as a distinctive musician.
This course is led by Susan Young, who has considerable experience as both a dedicated teacher and an active performer with industry knowledge and insight. Her current and former students can be found in international opera companies, young artist programmes, West End musicals and award-winning consorts.
Susan is a once-in-a-lifetime singing teacher who gets your best possible sound out of you. She is a superb technician who gives you the tools to find your way around your own voice. Her knowledge of a vast range of repertoire and of the current working industry is invaluable.Brianna, MA Music
From a range of choirs to student-run opera and theatre groups, jazz to folk, gospel to contemporary classical, almost every kind of music is performed and celebrated. Opportunities exist for you to forge new and exciting connections with other singers, instrumentalists and composers.
Throughout the year, you'll work individually and collaboratively to develop and hone your solo performance skills within a supportive environment. Seminars/workshops and performance classes will cover a range of relevant topics, including technique, reflective practice, text, language, imagination and voice/body integration. Repertoire is likely to include opera, musical theatre, art song and contemporary classical.
We place an emphasis on independence and creativity - you will have the freedom to study the areas that interest you, in consultation with your supervisor.
Over the year, you’ll study a series of core and option modules. In addition, we strongly encourage you to participate in musical ensembles such as Chamber Choir, University Choir and The 24, and to attend weekly research seminars, performance classes and other seminars relevant to your studies.
You’ll receive 30 hours of private vocal tuition spread evenly throughout the year, tailored to your needs.
You'll also take a range of option modules. Examples from previous years have included:
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.
*If you're taking the part-time route, you will be required to take Recital II rather than an option module as in the full-time programme. This will help you maintain your performance skills across the 2-year programme.
Your course will conclude with a substantial public recital showcasing your artistic and scholarly insight through a programme of your own design.
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.
Lively, full of culture and beautiful, York has been voted one of the best places to live and visit in the UK.
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.
Your teaching will largely take the form of weekly seminars, performance classes, solo voice lessons and tutorials. Our holistic approach aims to respond to different learning styles.
You will have regular meetings with your supervisor, who will advise you and help develop your ideas as you progress through your studies.
We encourage you to get involved with our lively community, from our composers, instrumentalists and accompanists to our ensembles, weekly workshops, performance classes and research seminars.
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. Discover our facilities.
You will be based in the School of Arts and Creative Technologies on Campus West. Almost all of your teaching will take place within the School.
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 will design and present up to two recitals of up to 30 minutes, and a final recital of 45-50 minutes. The length of the final recital may be reduced and presented in combination with a piece of written work. Programmes will be assessed on criteria including technical command, interpretative and historical insight, and creativity. Alongside these you will have written and presentation assessments designed to help you develop communication and research skills relevant to your work as a performer.
This course is beneficial to students wishing to gain vital skills and insight for performing their repertoire professionally, enabling them to be competitive, versatile and responsive to the demands of life as a creative artist in the 21st century. It may prepare them for further study in fields such as opera or education or enrich current professionals looking for continuing development.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent in Music or another relevant subject. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
You will need to submit a sample of your creative work with your application. Please see our guidance on submitting creative work.
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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