Program Overview
Skip to content Accessibility statement Home Study at York Postgraduate taught Courses 2026/27 Community Music (MA) MA Community Music Become a leader in collaborative and inclusive music making Year of entry: 2026 (September) Overview Course content Fees and funding Teaching and assessment Careers Entry requirements Start date September 2026 View semester dates Length 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time School/department School of Arts and Creative Technologies Apply for this course Sign up for event invites Sign up for our postgraduate emails to get event invites straight to your inbox. Find out more The MA in Community Music will enable you to facilitate inclusive and creative music activities with diverse groups of people in a variety of social contexts and for a range of purposes, including education, healthcare, leisure, social justice and wellbeing. The course will provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to design and deliver participatory projects, and to carry out primary research using practice-based approaches, critical thinking and safe data management. The course builds skills in practical musicking and critical reflection and nurtures your ability to move flexibly across the diverse contexts encountered in the field of community music. This practical approach is complemented by topics in arts administration, project management and underpinning philosophies.
Key Program Features
- Immersive On-Campus Experience: In-person seminars, laboratory sessions, and professional networking at University of York.
- Expert Faculty: Taught by research-active academics and practitioners with deep expertise in Humanities & Arts.
- Diverse International Cohort: Study alongside students from around the world, broadening your global professional network.
- Research-Informed Curriculum: Content grounded in the latest academic research and real-world industry practice.
- Dissertation / Capstone Project: Culminating independent project applying your expertise to an original research question or industry challenge.
- Dedicated Career Support: Access to career coaching, employer networking events, and job placement assistance.
- 12 months Duration: Part-time and accelerated options may be available — enquire with the admissions office.
Career Opportunities
Careers and skills
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.
Career opportunities
- Community Outreach Officer , University of Cambridge
- Participation Producer , Southbank Centre, London
- Education Manager , London Mozart Players
- Director , Sound Out Cork
- Music Tutor , HM Young Offenders' Institution, Wetherby
- Arts Development Officer , City of Durham Council
Transferable skills
- Time management
- Leadership
- Teamwork
- Critical reflection
- Presentation
- Sophisticated writing skills
- IT and technical skills
- Communication
Program Curriculum
Course content
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.
Modules Research project Modules Core modules Community Music in Principle Facilitation Skills: Theory and Practice Groupwork, Arts Administration, and Project Management History, Practice and Study of Community Music Specialisms and Contexts Option modules You will choose one option module. Examples may include: Case Studies in Music History 2 Collaborative Project Creative and Critical Practice 1 Empirical Research for Music Enhanced Student-centred Pedagogy Music Across the Lifespan 2: Music In the School Years & Beyond 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. Research project 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: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Education Bradford Festival Castaway Accessible Music Theatre HM Prison New Hall Music and the Deaf Musical Connections residential care homes project Park Grove Primary School York District Hospital Yorkshire Regiment Band
Admission Requirements
Entry requirements
| Qualification | Typical offer |
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent in Music or another relevant subject. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
English language
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Qualification | 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 |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, minimum 126 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 | 478-509, with 444-477 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 .
If you haven't met our 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 .
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
GBP 16,290/year (international)
Fees and funding
Annual tuition fees for 2026/27
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
| Full-time (1 year) | £12,000 | £26,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. | £6,000 | £13,450 |
| Part-time (3 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. | £4,000 | £8,966 |
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) fees may increase in subsequent years (up to a maximum of 2%). International fees may increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).
Fees information
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.
- Postgraduate taught fees and expenses
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Fees and funding
Annual tuition fees for 2026/27
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
| Full-time (1 year) | £12,000 | £26,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. | £6,000 | £13,450 |
| Part-time (3 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. | £4,000 | £8,966 |
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) fees may increase in subsequent years (up to a maximum of 2%). International fees may increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).
Fees information
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.
- Postgraduate taught fees and expenses
About University of York
University of York
Heslington, United Kingdom
University of York is a distinguished institution of higher education committed to academic excellence, innovative research, and preparing students for leadership in their chosen fields. The...
University Profile- Application Deadline 2018-06-15
- Start Date 2018-09-24
- Language English
- Duration 12 months
- Credits 60 ECTS / 180 credits (1-year programme)
