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Master of Philosophy in Music

The regulations made by the Board of the Faculty of Music are as follows:

Each candidate will be required:

  • 1. To follow for at least six terms a course of study in music.

  • 2. To have satisfied the examiners in a Qualifying Examination identical to that for the degree of Master of Studies in Music, and governed by the regulations for that degree, in the Trinity Full Term of the academic year in which their name is entered on the Register of graduate students. Candidates whose work in the Qualifying Examination meets the standard required for the degree of Master of Studies in Music but not of the standard required to proceed to the second year of the M.Phil. in Music may supplicate for the degree of Master of Studies in Music. Students must achieve an overall average mark of 65 in their first year and a mark of over 70 in their Part 2 submission in order to meet the qualifying standard. Candidates whose work in the Qualifying Examination is not judged by the examiners to be of the standard required for the degree of Master of Studies may retake the examination on one occasion only. Only candidates who reach the required standard to proceed to the second year at the first attempt may do so.

  • 3. To specialise in musicology, performance or composition. The choice of specialism should correspond to that pursued for the Qualifying Examination, but the subject matter of work submitted must be different from that offered for examination in the first year. Students may change specialism with special dispensation from the Course Convenor.

  • 4. To submit two substantial pieces of work, named ‘Part 3’ and ‘Part 4’ as a continuation of the numbering in the regulations for the degree of Master of Studies. The elements of the examination will be determined by the candidate’s chosen specialism.

  • 5. Candidates specialising in musicology will be required to submit:

    • Part 3: a written project which may be either a short dissertation or an edition with commentary or an analysis or a portfolio of essays and ethnographic work. Music Ethnography portfolios may be submitted in a variety of formats, including recordings with commentary, video, photography, transcription and analysis. The topic of the project must be submitted for approval to the Masters' Course Convenor, Faculty of Music, by noon on Friday of Week 4 of Michaelmas Term. The project must be submitted, not later than noon on Tuesday of Week 7 of Trinity Term.

    • Part 4: either a dissertation in musicology or ethnomusicology or a substantial editorial exercise (edition), with prefatory matter, of comparable length. The topic for the dissertation or edition must be submitted for approval to the Masters' Course Convenor, Faculty of Music, by noon on Friday of Week 4 of Michaelmas Term. Subject to the approval of the Masters' Course Convenor, a dissertation may be a development of written work submitted for the M.St. The dissertation or edition must be submitted, not later than noon Tuesday of Week 10 of Trinity Term.

  • 6. Candidates specialising in performance will be required to submit:

    • Part 3: either a dissertation in musicology or ethnomusicology or a substantial editorial exercise (edition), with prefatory matter, of comparable length. The topic for the dissertation or edition must be submitted for approval to the Masters' Course Convenor, Faculty of Music, by noon on Friday of Week 4 of Michaelmas Term. Subject to the approval of the Masters' Course Convenor, a dissertation may be a development of written work submitted for the M.St. The dissertation or edition must be submitted, not later than noon on Tuesday of the seventh week of Trinity Term.

    • Part 4: a recital, vocal or instrumental, of at least two contrasted pieces. The proposed programme must be submitted for approval to the Director of Performance, Faculty of Music, by Friday of Week 3 of Hilary Term.

  • 7. Candidates specialising in composition will be required to submit:

    • Part 3: a written project, which may be either a short dissertation or an edition with commentary or an analysis or a portfolio of essays and ethnographic work. Music Ethnography portfolios may be submitted in a variety of formats, including recordings with commentary, video, photography, transcription and analysis. The topic of the project must be submitted for approval to the Masters' Course Convenor, Faculty of Music, by noon on Friday of Week 4 of Michaelmas Term. The project must be submitted, not later than noon on Tuesday of Week 7 of Trinity Term.

    • Part 4: a portfolio of at least two well-contrasted compositions. The portfolio of compositions must be submitted, not later than noon on Tuesday of Week 10 of Trinity Term.

  • 8. All submissions must be formatted and submitted as specified in the handbook for the course. The assessments must be submitted by uploading it to the University approved online assessment platform; no concomitant hard-copy submission may be submitted, for any purpose. Electronic submissions must be received by the deadline; technical problems external to the University approved online assessment platform will not be accepted as grounds for excusing lateness. Written work shall be submitted as word-processed files converted to PDF using the course coversheet as first page of the work, bearing on the front the candidate's examination number but neither their name nor the name of their college. Candidates must themselves retain a copy of each piece of work.

  • 9. A candidate who fails the final examination will be permitted to retake it on one further occasion only, not later than one year after the initial attempt. Such a candidate whose work has been of satisfactory standard in one or more elements examined will be required to resubmit for examination the element(s) which fell below the pass mark when originally examined.