Postgraduate study

It’s time to master your career

Develop yourself academically, creatively and professionally with a postgraduate degree. A master’s degree will stretch your skills and build your expertise in both research and practice. For those serious about making waves in the creative industries, it’s a powerful accolade.

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Master’s degrees at a glance

  • Build on either your bachelor’s degree or professional experience.
  • More autonomous than undergraduate degree courses.
  • Chance to research, collaborate and experiment.
  • Make contacts across a wide group of creatives and specialisms.
  • Also referred to as a postgraduate degree or postgraduate study.

 

 

 


Key benefits of studying for a master’s degree at BIMM

 

Advance in your chosen career

Having a master’s improves your career prospects. It gives you the depth of knowledge you might need to apply for advanced positions in your company or industry. People with master’s degrees also tend to earn more on average than those with only a bachelor’s degree.

Learn flexibly and autonomously

You can choose to study full-time over the course of twelve months or part-time over two years. Whilst we recommend committing to full-time study to benefit from feeling fully immersed in your work and research, we understand that you may not be able to put your career on hold or give up the day job.

Build your network

Not only does the BIMM experience welcome you into a community of like-minded creatives working in a variety of areas, but our alumni networks, such as BIMM Connect, are also second to none, ensuring you can stay connected and carry on building your network for a sustainable and fulfilling career.

Explore your interests in depth

If you’re reading this then you’re probably someone with a passion. A master’s degree is the chance to dive into your passion, exploring, analysing and experimenting it in a nurturing environment.

Develop the tools you need to change career

If you’re thinking of switching careers (or have a dream role in mind), a master’s degree can help get you there. We welcome individuals with significant professional experience in their field who want to pursue an academic route or push themselves with innovative research.

Become a leader in your field

On the MA Popular Music Practice course, you’ll be taught by the best in the business. And you’ll have the opportunity to become a contributor in your field yourself, not just a learner.

The innovative MA Popular Music Practice provides fantastic opportunities for you to explore your own specialism within popular music in line with your personal career aspirations. It allows you to stand apart from others in your chosen field and lead the discussion in contemporary music.

You are a popular music practitioner – either a performer, producer, composer or entrepreneur – with innovative ideas and a desire to work together with students from different fields.

During your MA, we’ll help you turn your ideas into reality. We’ll introduce you to cutting-edge research and assist you with broadening your network within the industry.

Take the next step

Studying the MA Popular Music Practice is the next step if you want to further develop yourself academically, creatively and professionally after your degree.

Find out more

 

This course is available to study at the following BIMM Music Institute locations:

The MA Learning & Teaching in Creative Industries is perfect if you’re looking to enter a teaching career for the first time. It’s also the ideal choice if you’re an experienced educator wanting to broaden your knowledge and skills within the field of creative arts education at Further Education and Higher Education levels.

You’ll engage in critical and collaborative development as a creative educator and improve your skills and agency as a teacher, as well as literacy in educational research.

The MA programme will take a person-centred approach and include a balance of expert tuition, experiential workshops and self-guided study.

Take the next step

Studying the MA Learning & Teaching in Creative Industries is the next step if you want to further develop yourself academically, creatively and professionally after your degree.

Find out more

 

This course is available to study at the following BIMM Music Institute locations:

  • Our Popular Music Practice course is designed for popular music practitioners – performers, producers, composers and entrepreneurs – with innovative ideas and a desire to work together with students from different fields.
  • Our Learning & Teaching in Creative Industries course is ideal if you’re wanting to enter a teaching career for the first time, or you’re an experienced educator looking to broaden your skills and knowledge within the field of creative arts education at FE and HE levels.

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You can apply for a Masters whether you studied your degree at BIMM Music Institute or elsewhere/at another university. You can also apply if you’re a mature student.

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The application process is a little different compared to our degree-level courses. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

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Like most academic qualifications, postgraduate courses have entry requirements. You can find the entry requirements for our postgraduate degrees on the individual course pages.

However, you can also apply to study a Masters even if you haven’t met the entry requirements as sometimes a substantial amount of professional experience (such as teaching) will suffice. You may be asked to submit an additional portfolio evidencing your practical experience. This is referred to as Recognition of Prior Certified and Experiential Learning (RPCEL).

The course team will assess your experience on a case-by-case basis before your interview.

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This is a case-by-case decision made by the course team prior to interview. Typically, you would have several years of teaching experience, which could come from a variety of contexts such as classroom or one-to-one tuition.

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We normally ask for two referees, one of which should be able to comment on your academic ability to succeed on the course. Please contact the Admissions Team if you are not able to provide this.

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Our Admissions Team checks enquiries daily and would normally be able to respond to your application within 48 hours of receipt. The team will then be in touch regarding the next steps, such as booking your interview.

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You may hear on the day, but in some cases, the course team will consider your application for longer. We aim to respond within seven days at the latest.

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Yes, we will hold your place on the course for one year. Beyond that, you are welcome to reapply for a place.

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You’ll be taught by expert practitioners who are also often active researchers.

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This will depend considerably on whether you take the one-year full-time, or two-year part-time version. For the former, you take two modules each semester, and the latter just one module.

Modules on the MA differ in how they are delivered. Typically, you may either have weekly evening sessions (usually 6 pm until 9 pm) for the 12-week semester, or you may have weekend workshops (one to two days, from 10 am until 5 pm) with some shorter weekly/fortnightly meetings. In all cases, there will be preparation and/or reading before each session.

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  • Postgraduate study space
  • Access to online library and journal database
  • Free research software – NVIVO
  • Tutorials and supervision with expert practitioners in the field of education
  • Teaching placements at BIMM Music Institute, with the support of an experienced mentor

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Subject to eligibility criteria applicants will be able to apply for a Post Graduate Loan for tuition fees. Further details are available here.

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BIMM Music Institute do not offer any payment plans as the fees will be covered by a Post Graduate loan for eligible applicants.

If you intend to pay your fees privately please be aware that payment for the course must be received before you can enrol.

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No. The introductory module on the MA is designed to accommodate those with no teaching experience. However, we recommend gaining some experience in the area you wish to teach before applying. This is the best way to decide for yourself if you are committed to the course you would take on.

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Our MA is geared for post-compulsory education in the creative industries/subjects – so that means FE/HE, private or alternative education, or corporate training/development. Our alumni typically go on to work in colleges as music tutors, in student support departments, become instrumental teachers, teach abroad in music institutions, work in HE institutions in teaching, administration or (usually later) leadership, and some alumni have set up their own companies/institutions offering creative education.

During the MA itself, there is the space to explore what kind of professional work you are interested in and to get practice and provide feedback in developing in those areas. For instance, there are optional modules concerning module/curriculum development, educational philosophy, or mentoring/leadership, in addition to teaching and research in education.

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Not quite. QTS is the qualified status for school teachers, and is granted as part of a PGCE. Since the MA is focused on post-compulsory education, the relevant professional route is QTLS through the Society for Education & Training (SET). The SET do not directly accredit courses for QTLS, but is instead offered as a follow-on after the qualification. So, upon graduation of our MA, you could then gain QTLS, which would enable you to teach in late-secondary schooling or be more competitively qualified for FE teaching.

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No. Typically placements are unpaid on such courses. The PGCert/MA has part-time routes allowing you to work alongside studying. You might find paid work either in private instrumental teaching, or assisting/teaching at an institution, which can count towards your placement hours on the course.

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If you opt to select the teaching practicum (part of the final ‘action research’ module), then you will be supported in gaining at least 100 hours of logged educational practice while on placement in a BIMM Music Institute College.

In addition, the course includes a wealth of opportunities to link new ideas and techniques to your personal teaching practice.

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Any questions?

For questions on how BIMM Music Institute can prepare you for a career in music, or if you’d like more information on how to apply, please contact our Enquiries Team on 01273 840 346 or email [email protected].

 

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