Music and Development

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The MA Music in Development is an innovative, new degree that is offered on a full-time or part-time basis. It explores the role of music within a broader framework of Communication for Development, building on the premise that music and associated performance activities represent rich discursive sites where local knowledge, social structures and cultural meanings are negotiated, challenged and affirmed.

Drawing on theories and approaches from a range of disciplines (including Ethnomusicology, Anthropology, Media and Development Studies), it examines ways in which music viewed as both sonic and somatic discourse - may contribute toward more culturally apposite communication processes in a range of contexts in Asia, Africa and the Middle East and their diasporas.

Students on the MA Music and Development programme will also conduct in-depth study on the musical styles and cultures of one of these regions, and may choose from a wide range of 'minor' courses in Music, Anthropology, Migration Studies or other disciplines taught at SOAS.

The programme draws on the expertise of staff in Music at SOAS and will be co-taught by Professor Mercédès Pavlicevic, Director of Research at the leading British music therapy charity, Nordoff-Robbins. It will also encourage inter-disciplinary dialogue with other relevant departments and centres within SOAS.

Teaching & Learning
The aim of the programme is to develop:

* critical understanding of music as a culturally embedded system that has wide-ranging application as a communication tool and process in a variety of development contexts;
* a critical understanding of relevant theories in Ethnomusicology and allied disciplines, such as Development Studies and Anthropology;
* a critical understanding of participatory research methodologies and applications;
* the development of workshop modelling and management skills aimed at linking musical performances and meanings to social action and advocacy work; and
* a critical knowledge of the musical practices, meanings and performance contexts from select regions of the world.

The programme is designed to prepare students for entry into a range of professional sectors, namely International Development, Social Music Therapies, Cultural Research and Policy, Sound and Audio-Visual Archiving, Media for Development, and documentation and research for the UNESCO Intangible Heritage Programme.

Programme Specification

The MA Music in Development programme involves taking three courses and writing a 10,000-word dissertation. In addition to these formal elements, students are expected to attend regular postgraduate and public seminars and may also participate in performance ensemble classes and other activities.

Course Detail

The four formal elements of the MA Music in Development programme are:

* The full unit core course Music in Development: Taught as a weekly two-hour lecture/seminar with additional tutorials. Part-time students must take this in their first year.
* The Dissertation in Music: A special study 10,000 words in length on a topic agreed with the candidate's supervisor. Part-time students normally take this in their final year.
* A "Major Region" specialization:Students must select one of the following six as their "major region": East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Africa, Jewish Music and take a course or courses to the value of 1 unit from this list. Part-time students normally take this in their first year, but because not all regional courses will necessarily be available in any one year, this may also be taken in year 2 or 3 if Department approval is obtained.
* An approved "Minor" course: This is chosen from the "Minor Courses" list below, and may consist of one full course or two half-courses taken in any year of registration. Students may also choose courses from other departments in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities or MA Area Studies courses in the Faculty of Languages & Cultures, subject to the agreement of the course convenor.
* Students may also take approved courses from Kings College Department of Music" see this link for available options:
One compulsory Core Course

* Music in Development - 15PMUC034 (1 Unit) - Full Year

One compulsory Area Course

Selected from the following

* Aspects of Music and Religion in South East Asia - 15PMUH017 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Atlantic Africa: (P)Layers of Mediation in African Popular Music (PG) - 15PMUC009 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Central Asian Music - 15PMUH008 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Indian Classical Music - 15PMUC027 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Music, Place and Politics in Cuba - 15PMUH015 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Musical Traditions of East Asia (Masters) - 15PMUH016 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Pop and Politics in East Asia (Masters) - 15PMUH014 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Popular and Fusion Music in South East Asia (PG) - 15PMUH018 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

A dissertation of 10,000 words

based on practice-based research (preferably based on a consultancy for a commissioning agency)

* Dissertation in Music - 15PMUC999 (1 Unit) - Full Year

One full-course option or two half-course options Music

* Analysing World Music: Transcription & Analysis in Ethnomusicology - 15PMUH004 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Aspects of Music and Religion in South East Asia - 15PMUH017 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Atlantic Africa: (P)Layers of Mediation in African Popular Music (PG) - 15PMUC009 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Central Asian Music - 15PMUH008 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Composition - 15PMUH013 (0.5 Unit) - Full Year
* Ethnomusicology in Practice - 15PMUC004 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Gender and Music (MMus) - 15PMUH009 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Indian Classical Music - 15PMUC027 (1 Unit) - Full Year - Not Running 2012/2013
* Music and Healing - 15PMUH019 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1 - Not Running 2012/2013
* Music, Place and Politics in Cuba - 15PMUH015 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Musical Traditions of East Asia (Masters) - 15PMUH016 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Performance - 15PMUC002 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Pop and Politics in East Asia (Masters) - 15PMUH014 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Popular Music and Politics in Israel - 15PMUH010 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* The Music Business (Masters) - 15PMUH003 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Development Studies

Courses available still to be confirmed. See Development Studies programme pages for a full list of available courses.

Centre for Media and Film Studies

* Global Media and Postnational Communication: Theoretical & Contemporary Issues - 15PMSC003 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Transnational Communities and Diasporic Media:Networking, Connectivity, Identity - 15PMSH004 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2

Anthropology

* Anthropology of Development - 15PANC090 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Cultural Understandings of Health - 15PANC093 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Food, Body And Society - 15 PAN H041 (0.5 Unit) - Cannot be taken with Food Development and the Global Economy
* Issues in Psychoanalysis and Anthropology - 15PANH032 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Issues in the Anthropology of Gender - 15PANH024 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2 - Not to be combined with 15PDSH010 Gender & Development.
* Media Production Skills - 15PANH050 (0.5 Unit) - Term 2
* Perspectives On Development - 15PANH033 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1
* Therapy and Culture - 15PANH027 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

Gender Studies

* Gender theory and the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East - 15PGNC002 (1 Unit) - Full Year
* Gendering migration & diasporas - 15PGNH002 (0.5 Unit) - Term 1

Languages

Students with a demonstrably strong background in music performance and evidence of a serious and sustained interest in development and creative communication. An undergraduate training in ethnomusicology, music psychology or music sociology would be an advantage, although a 2.1 pass in any social science degree would be acceptable. Under exceptional circumstances, significant fieldwork experience may off-set the absence of formal academic qualifications in this area.English language requirementsIn order to ensure that SOAS students have a sufficient standard of English to study effectively, we require overseas students to submit evidence, during the application process, of their current level of proficiency.Score for Unconditional Entry * IELTS: Overall 7+ with at least 7 in all sub scores * TOEFL: iBT105+ with at least 25 in all sub scores * Pearson Test of English - Academic: Score of 75 or above with at least 70 in all sub scores English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 TOEFL iBT® test: 105 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.

Scholarships and Bursaries

There are some scholarships and bursaries available for postgraduate students. These are very competitive and early application is advised.

· The Ahmad Mustafa Abu-Hakima Bursary (programme must include studying the history of the modern Arab world)

· AKS Postgraduate Bursary (in Korean Studies)

· Bernard Buckman Scholarship (MA Chinese Studies, for UK/EU fee paying students)

· The Canon Collins Scholarships at SOAS. There are two scholarships available available in 2013-14 for study at SOAS. These scholarships are for Masters study in any subject field. Open a national of and resident in one of the following countries:
Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe. The application process normally opens in December and closes in February, for study commencing in September the following year. Please go to the Canon Collins website and click "Apply for A Scholarship" and then "Canon Collins Scholarship for Masters Study in the UK" for further information on how to apply.

· Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (for students from African Commonwealth countries)

· D.G.Hall Scholarship (Taught Masters programmes at SOAS, for applicants holding a Burma/Myanmar passport)

· Felix Scholarships (for Indian students)

· Ferguson Scholarships (for African nationals from an African Country)

· HSBC SOAS Scholarships (MA Sinology & MA Chinese Literature, for UK/EU fee paying students)

· Kamran Djam Scholarships (MA Iranian Studies)

· Professor Stuart Wilson Scholarship (MA South East Asian Studies)

· Standard Chartered Scholarships (for a range of full-time Taught Masters programmes. The programmes relate to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East/NorthAfrica)

· Tibawi Trust Awards (for Palestinian students currently enrolled in a programme at SOAS)

· SOAS Master's Scholarships - Faculty of Arts & Humanities - (for any full-time taught masters programme in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities)

· SOAS Master's Scholarships - Faculty of Language & Cultures (for the full-time MA Gender Studies, MA Postcolonial Studies, MA Linguistics, MA Applied Linguistics & Language Pedagogy, MA Language, Documentation and Description, MA Translation Theory and Practice (Asian and African Languages)

· SOAS Master's Scholarships- Faculty of Law and Social Sciences (for any full-time master's programmes in the Department of Development Studies, Economics, Law, Politics & International Studies and Financial & Management Studies)

· Tallow Chandlers and M. W Beer scholarship (MA) (MA Anthropology of Food, for UK/EU fee paying students)

· William Ross Murray Scholarship (LLM, for students from a developing country)