Blend science, technology and creativity to develop innovative solutions to audio problems
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
1 year full-time
September 2025 (semester dates)
Join us online or in person to find out more about postgraduate study at York.
Upcoming eventsCombine a unique mixture of science, technology and creativity to develop innovative audio applications for music making, recording, analysis and reproduction.
Recent advances in digital audio technology have seen an explosion of interest in surround sound for home entertainment and virtual reality, voice recognition and synthesis applications, as well as environmental and architectural acoustics.
This course provides thorough grounding in scientific theory and creative engineering techniques in audio technology, audio analysis and audio programming. It will prepare you for further research or employment in the audio technology and digital creative industries.
You'll be forging connections in the industry right from the start of your course. Throughout their studies, previous students have collaborated with companies such as Google, Abbey Road, Native Instruments, the BBC and many more.
Accredited by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council. Some employers recruit preferentially from accredited degrees, and an accredited degree is likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.
You'll study a number of modules designed to help you get to grips with essential topics in audio and music technology, as well as undertaking a research project.
You will study two option modules. Examples can be found below. 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.
Alongside practical work, you'll undertake a dissertation as part of your Research Project. For this project you'll produce a novel study on an aspect of the course ranging from the development of a technical audio component or solution through to perception of sound within specific audio technologies.
Throughout the project, you will receive the support and guidance of an academic supervisor. You will also have the opportunity to choose projects in collaboration with industry partners.
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.
The main reason for my choice was the involvement of the university in spatial audio research, which is reflected in the course curriculum. However, I enjoyed modules focusing on areas I was initially largely unfamiliar with such as iOS programming for audio, and voice synthesis. The modules are varied and detailed, and the assignments are challenging but rewarding.Nikola, MSc Audio and Music Technology
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £13,300 | £31,900 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
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.
All course text books and materials are available in the Library or via the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Depending on how you work, you may wish to pay for printing of notes and other material. You may find it beneficial to purchase a set of good quality, professional headphones.
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.
If available, subject-specific scholarship opportunities for our taught MSc courses will be advertised on the School funding information page.
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.
You'll be introduced to topics through lectures, and then take part in practical lab sessions to develop your skills.
In the lab sessions you could be undertaking a variety of tasks including critical listening, audio programming, creating virtual auditory environments and sound synthesis.
You'll also have the opportunity to undertake studio sessions to get you up to speed on recording, producing, and mixing. You'll get to listen to work you have created in the lab in our fully immersive and interactive audio laboratory.
You will be able to use up-to-date technologies, including several fully-equipped recording studios, a bespoke 50-channel loudspeaker array, a fully anechoic chamber and a newly updated Mac and iOS computer suite. You will also have access to specialist microphones, interactive VR and AR technologies and state-of-the-art acoustic measurement equipment.
We also have dedicated listening spaces for immersive audio environments.
The majority of teaching takes place at the AudioLab on the Science Park, with labs and classes also taking place at the main School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, based on Campus West.
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 be assessed through course work rather than exams. You'll receive assignments to produce a piece of software, or audio material. These will then be assessed on competency and technical accuracy. Written reports will further support your work.
This course will equip you for a career in various fields within the audio industry. You'll develop strong skills in acoustic analysis and design using industry-standard tools and practices. Dealing with the psychoacoustics behind audio technologies and the programming elements will empower you to design and debug audio systems for a wide variety of applications. Virtual acoustics and surround sound over loudspeakers and headphones are core to the course and support careers in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and games systems development as well as other interactive audio technologies.
Our students have gone on to successful careers with many leading companies in the audio industry including Abbey Road, Jaguar Land Rover, AECOM, Bowers and Wilkins, Arup, AECOM, Sony, Meridian, DTS, and Dolby.
Studying the AMT course has helped to prepare me for working with some of the latest innovations in music technology and to extend my professional network.Hashim, MSc Audio and Music Technology
Programme Manager, Abbey Road Studios
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent in Music or Music Technology, or a relevant technology, mathematics, science, engineering or computing degree where candidates can demonstrate music performance or music production skills. We are willing to consider applications from students with lower qualifications, particularly when the student has high marks in relevant modules and/or appropriate industrial experience. As a general rule, we prefer subjects that have a technical element or significant industrial experience. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis. |
| International pre-masters programme | Pre-masters from our International Pathway College |
| 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) | 6.0, minimum 5.5 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 169, with no less than 162 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 6, minimum of 5 in each component |
| Duolingo | 105, minimum 95 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 65 with a minimum of 60 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 426-458, with 396-425 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Pass with Merit overall, with Pass in each component |
| PTE Academic | 55, minimum 51 in each component |
| TOEFL | 79, minimum 17 in Listening, 18 in Reading, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing |
| Trinity ISE III | Pass in all components |
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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