The MA in Experimental Sound Practice may be taken full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

In order to be permitted to proceed to the MA in Experimental Sound Practice, a candidate must hold an Honours Bachelor's degree, with a grade of Second Class Honours, Grade II or higher, and demonstrate experience in the creation of music or other sonic art.

Applicants with an appropriate professional equivalent (e.g. professional musician or other artist of high standing, etc.) will also be considered. Final acceptance is subject to approval by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, UCC.

All applicants will be required to submit a portfolio of sound-based creative work in whatever form is suitable (scores, recordings, videos, computer programmes, etc.) and may also be required to attend an interview with members of the programme team.

Students take 90 credits as follows:

Part I

MU6100 Expanded Instrument Systems (10 credits)
MU6101 Digital Music and Media Composition (10 credits)
MU6102 Composing in Real Time (10 credits)
MU6103 Sound Art (5 credits)
MU6104 Composing with Field Recordings (5 credits)
MU6105 Experimental Music (5 credits)
MU6031 Sound Studies and Musicology (5 credits)

Plus

10 credits (1 x 10 credit or 2 x 5 credit modules) selected from all modules available to final year, undergraduates or postgraduates studying Music. In special circumstances, students may be able to select courses offered by other departments which they have not previously completed. The selection of courses is undertaken in consultation with the student's mentor; those selected should be complimentary to those already being studied elsewhere in the programme and offer the student a significant addition to their skillset that is pertinent to the overall aims of the degree. Module selection should take place in consultation with the student's mentor and the host department of the module. Module choice may be constrained by timetabling and capacity factors.

Part II
MU6024 Portfolio (30 credits)

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations
Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2020/2021 Book and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2020/2021.

Programme Learning Outcomes for MA in Experimental Sound Practice (NFQ Level 9, Major Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate improved knowledge and understanding of many important trends in New Music and other sonic arts;
• Exhibit comprehension of diverse technical skills employed in the creation of music and other sonic arts;
• Show expansion, improvement and greater confidence in their artistic language;
• Demonstrate increased ability to discuss and critique their own and others' music and/or other sonic art;
• Demonstrate knowledge, aesthetic comprehension and technical abilities across a wide range of sonic arts.