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Ethnomusicology - MA

Continue and broaden your education in music cultures and acquire the skills to research and teach at tertiary levels.

Key information

EU fees per year €7,995
Non-EU fees per year €18,000
NFQ Level NFQ Level 9 Major
Duration One year
Attendance Full-time
Programme type Taught
Delivery In-person
Start date September
Award Masters

The Master of Arts (MA) in Ethnomusicology is a one-year, full-time programme that explores music in its cultural, social, political and ecological contexts, asking how and why people make music, and why that matters. 

You will study the social and cultural contexts of many music traditions, including folk, world, Irish traditional, and popular musics through academic seminars and ensemble-based work.  

The programme focuses on developing your skills in fieldwork.   This includes interviewing and observing musical communities and producing written and creative outputs (like ethnographies, recordings, performances) that are informed by disciplinary theory and ethical codes of practice. 

This MA is recognised internationally and prepares you for careers in university teaching, research, music education, music curation & archiving, ensemble facilitation, and inter/transcultural applied work with institutions and cultural organisations. 

It is designed for graduates in music and related fields who want to continue their education and build careers in teaching, research, curation/performance, and across various cultural sectors. 

During this programme, you will:  

  • Explore music in its cultural, social, political and ecological contexts, asking how and why people make music and why that matters, now more than ever. 

  • Develop a sound theoretical basis for undertaking music (and movement) research with important applied dimensions. 

  • Benefit from experiences in music and movement ensembles with a focus on embodied practice. 

  • Develop applied skills and generate impactful research that tackles social, political, and ecological challenges in the 21st century. 
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