New MA (Popular Music Research) at Goldsmiths

The MA (Popular Music Research) engages with scholarly debates and public controversies around popular music, while examining and developing both traditional and innovative ways of researching popular music. It provides a grounding in the historical development of popular music research as a subfield of musicology, and encourages those taking the degree to think critically about musical texts, artefacts and ecologies; audiences, reception and questions of interpretation; creativity, industries and production; and to interrogate these through repertoires that are broad in historical range and geographical scope.

The course addresses contemporary issues of significance to academics, musicians, industries and organisations involved with popular music. Yet it also provides opportunities to move beyond and think outside the scope of ‘popular music studies’ when evaluating the conceptual and methodological limitations of a variety of research into popular music that is being conducted across the arts and humanities, business and sciences. The dissertation allows candidates to focus on a topic of their choice and to consolidate their learning through the design and execution of an original, imaginative research project. The course aims to develop research skills, critical thinking and rigorous methodological expertise that will have a range of applications both within the academy (at doctoral level) and outside (in music related industries, marketing, arts management, museums and archives, the sciences).

The course will appeal to a wide range of candidates who wish to develop their research skills whilst engaging critically with debates about popular music. Although a knowledge of and passion for a range of popular musics is vital, it is not essential that your first degree is in music or popular music, or that you have a background in music-making. We welcome applicants from a wide range of disciplines and with a wide range of interests: the course is designed to be of benefit not only to those wishing to continue their research at doctoral level, but also those wishing to reflect on their experiences as musicians, listeners, or media and arts industry professionals. We welcome applications from Home, EU and international students.

For more information and details on how to apply, please visit the Goldsmiths website.