Your research project will enable you to explore in depth some aspect of your specialist subject area. You will be allocated a project supervisor with whom you will meet and agree a project brief and plan. These must be submitted to, and agreed by, the project coordinator. You will thereafter have weekly meetings, either in person or electronically, with your supervisor or, if your supervisor is unavailable, a delegated deputy. The dissertation is in the first week of September, unless an extension is agreed or you are taking referral examinations.
The MSc project will entail four months of full-time work investigating a topic related to Marine/Earth/Environmental science, and culminating in the submission of a dissertation. The project is conducted on a novel question, often associated with a larger research project being conducted by staff within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and/or NOC Strategic Research Divisions, or with an external organisation. The project draws on a literature review (undertaken as part of SOES 6018) on a general area of the research question, providing the background to understanding the issues associated with the research. The literature review also provides material suitable for the introduction to the dissertation. You will also submit a research proposal, outlining the plans for your project and its significance, for assessment before the project period (this must be signed by the project supervisor). The project can be focussed on existing data, or may require the collection of new data, or can aim to develop and test a new method. You will present a seminar on the results of your project towards the end of the dissertation period.
Within the context of your programme of study, you will undertake independent, original and critical research on a relevant topic. You will then communicate the research aims, objectives, methodology, analysis, results and conclusions effectively through the production of a research paper. Placements or collaboration with external organisations are strongly encouraged. Topics for research may either be chosen from a list offered by academic staff, or students may initiate their own projects in collaboration with staff. The research undertaken must be appropriate to the degree being sought and the final decision on the appropriateness of the chosen topic lies with the module lead. All projects must be approved and supervised by an academic member of staff within the university, irrespective of the involvement of outside bodies. Whatever the topic, the background literature must be researched and critically reviewed so that analysis, methods and/or experimental procedures may be identified and justified as appropriate to the challenges of the project specification. A pure subject review without either analysis or experimental investigation is deemed inappropriate for an MSc dissertation.
Within the context of your programme of study, students will undertake independent, original and critical research on a relevant topic. Students will then communicate the research objectives, methodology, analysis, results and conclusions effectively both orally and through the production of a Dissertation. Industrial placement or collaboration is strongly encouraged and facilitated. The subject matter of the research based dissertation is provided in the School of Engineering project specification list offered by academic staff. Alternatively, students may initiate their own project in accordance with local arrangements within the different MSc programmes. Whatever the topic, the background literature must be researched and critically reviewed so that analysis (mathematical or numerical) methods and/or experimental procedures may be identified and justified as appropriate to the challenges of the project specification. A pure subject review without either analysis or experimental investigation is deemed inappropriate for an MSc dissertation. A research project from a discipline that is different to the MSc programme being followed may be undertaken where the invitation to participate is sufficiently open and the student has the necessary background knowledge and competence to permit meeting the project challenges in the timescale available.
This module will introduce you to the notion of ‘Multilingualism’, how this is understood and represented in different ways, and why it matters to you. You will explore how people become multilingual, and whether it makes a difference if multilinguals are exposed to two languages at the same time or one after the other. You will also look at how multilinguals behave socially, how they interact (both face-to-face and virtually), how they construct/articulate their cultural identities, how they maintain their multilingualism and the crucial role of education and language policy in obstructing or facilitating multilingualism. In addition, you will be invited to consider the relations between English as a global language and multilingualism in the context of globalisation which situates multilingualism in a global society.
This module examines the past, present and future of museum and heritage communication. It will explore the ever-changing purposes and practices espoused by museums, with a primary focus on the UK. The sessions will look at the development of heritage communication, public engagement with the past, and the debates around authority, protection and control. This context will provide the background to discussion of more detailed case studies, including fieldtrips as well as practical activities linked to the construction of exhibition schemes. The frameworks that underpin the construction of such interpretive schemes will be examined, as well as the shifting political, social and economic contexts that drive the delivery of heritage interpretation. Note, this module cannot be taken by students who have completed ARCH3017: Presenting the Past, and vice versa.
This module provides an introduction to music education and social justice. This involves exploring philosophical perspectives about the nature of education and social justice (such as decolonisation, race, class); overarching conceptual considerations to do with social justice in educational contexts (e.g. achieved by exploring educational issues through the lens of inclusion, equality, diversity). Students will be invited to attend events at Southampton’s Centre for Music Education and Social Justice (CMESJ) and engage in creative writing assessments and presentations and organising in community-based projects. Connected to a network of professionals, performing venues, schools, charities, and local authorities, the course aims to develop collaborative and interpersonal skills, social awareness, and knowledge about the significance of social justice in the local music-making community. You are expected to gain insights into the role of social justice in music education setting. You will also explore the interaction between music and society through community-based learning opportunities on-site, addressing social justice issues. Special Features of Module This module integrates theoretical and practical aspects of the field of music education and social justice. It is tailored to enhance your employability skills by offering hands-on, practical experience through community-based projects. By exploring both the theoretical underpinnings and real-world applications, this module provides a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between music education and social justice. It equips you with valuable insights and skills, preparing you to engage meaningfully with community initiatives upon graduation, fostering a deeper connection between your academic knowledge and its practical applications in wider contexts.
The Music Education Final Project is the final stage of the MMus in Education, completing work started in the Preparation for Final Project module. The aim of this module is to complete a portfolio of 8000-10000 words or equivalent on a topic of your choice. Your supervisor will guide your independent research design, observation, data collection and write up, according to accepted academic standards. You will be able to write an extended essay or a portfolio of inquiry and practice-centred capstone project accompanied by a written commentary.
This module aims to introduce students to a range of crucial themes and topics in the history of music, up until c.1750, with reference to their relevance in contemporary society. It will both explore and question traditional narratives, providing students with an opportunity to engage critically with and analyse the impact, value, and limitations of different approaches to the historical study of music. Specifically, we will question Western, White dominated frameworks, male-centric narratives, and observe the creation of power structures of patriarchy, inequality and difference and their relation to music of the past and their continued resonance today. Lectures introduce major cultural and historical topics such as worship and belief, technology and virtuosity, drama and spectacle, and power and resistance, exploring how musical practice reflects and shapes society. Seminars provide opportunities for contextual historical work and interactive discussions. Your knowledge and understanding of diverse musical styles and genres will be developed through familiarity with scores and recordings, aiming to develop critical reading and listening and academic writing skills.
This module introduces you to diverse topics in music from around 1750 to the late twentieth century. It challenges widespread notions and distinctions regarding “art" and “popular" music, it explores tensions and overlaps between public and private, it engages with the relationship between musical texts and performance, and it explores virtuosity and the rise of the star performer. Lectures provide ‘snapshots’ of major phenomena and trends in European and American musics of the period, including the development of musical instruments, private and public venues and institutions, professional musics, publishing and recording, music in the theatre, and the rise of modern music business models, while follow-up open discussion sessions offer opportunities to have a detailed look at individual pieces of music and to explore issues of gender, race, and sustainability and to foster the decolonisation of repertoires and historiographical approaches.
In recent years, film culture has become increasingly aware of the film industry’s connections with the music industry. In some cases, critics have decried the use of films as vehicles for the sale of unconnected pop songs as if it were a new development, yet similar processes have been in place since before the advent of sound cinema in the late 1920s. This module will be concerned with the historical development of film and television music as a distinct aesthetic element. It will look into production strategies, commercial, promotional and reception concerns and the place of musical accompaniment in audiovisual products. This will include, among others, sessions focusing on the development of Classical Hollywood film music, the Classical Musical film, television incidental music, MTV and beyond.
This innovative module, developed and delivered in close collaboration with the BSO Participate Team, will allow you to develop a range of skills and experience in community music practice. You will undertake training with BSO Associates and members of the BSO Participate Team in how to develop, lead and run music workshops. You will document what you have learnt through a learning diary. You will also research and deliver an individual presentation focused on a topic related to community music. A minimum of 20 students are required to run this module and there is a cap of 30 students with level 6 students having priority over level 5 and level 7 students.
The Music Management Final Project is the final stage of the MA in International Music Management. The aim of this module is to promote a concerted period of independent study alongside tutorials and peer discussion and feedback.
Music Management Fundamentals lays advanced theoretical foundations for the practical work you will learn to do later in the Programme. Why is the international music business organised the way it is? What forces – technological, economic, political and creative – have driven industry developments in the past, and where are they likely to drive it in future? How do audiences consume music? How are consumption patterns changing? What motivates musicians to make music; and why do audiences want to listen? These questions matter because they define the context in which music managers have to operate. What do managers actually do? What do managers have in common with entrepreneurs? How might the roles of manager and entrepreneur differ, and how might they be combined? What impact can you, as manager, have to ensure ethical practices? To answer questions like these, Music Management Fundamentals will introduce you to a set of academic theories and show you how the theories can be used both to explain the structure of the music industry and to predict some of the changes likely to affect the industry in years ahead.
This module introduces the fundamentals of contemporary music production– analogue and digital audio, MIDI, digital audio workstations, synthesisers, samplers, processors; practical audio recording, MIDI sequencing and audio mixing.
This module explores how music therapy uses music very differently to the entertainment industry, introducing you to the unique use of music as a powerful clinical tool in health and education settings. Using clinical music therapy techniques, music can be used to develop an individual’s personal, emotional and social skills, emotional wellbeing and to improve quality of life. This module endeavors to explain the facts and subtleties that make this possible through music therapy and community music. Weekly lectures are designed to promote discussion and debate of key characteristics of music therapy work.
The aim of this module is to look beneath the surface - challenging assumptions made about music being therapeutic and exploring how to prove music is effective as therapy. Drawing on the knowledge gleaned in the second year module, the module aims to develop practical music therapy skills through participation in workshops and a placement. There is an opportunity to learn about less common clinical settings and current, innovative medical research projects at the University. For students interested in possible careers in music therapy and community music, the lectures provide vital knowledge and insight. It has also been particularly helpful to students interested in pursuing careers in education. This module is equally valuable to students wanting to explore music from a different angle.
The Dissertation is the final stage of the MMus in Musicology, completing work started in the Preparation for Final Project module. The aim of this module is to complete a dissertation of 12,000-15,000 words or equivalent on a topic of your choice.
