FACTSHEET
RESEA R C H M ASTER’S P R O G R A M M E MUSICOLOGY
Dear students,
Welcome to the Research MA programme in Musicology at Utrecht University. This programme book will provide you with all the basic information you need to successfully start your new programme of study and the new academic year and serves as a guide and a supplement to the extensive information available on our programme website. I hope that it will prove useful.
As an Utrecht Musicology Research MA student, you are now a member of a lively intellectual and social community. Our students represent many countries and backgrounds, as do our instructors.
I trust you will find the experience a rewarding one, both academically and professionally.
With all best wishes for your studies,
Dr Rebekah Ahrendt Programme CoordinatorThis factsheet provides the most essential information on your programme. It is a guide to locating additional sources of information. It also serves as a complement to the student website, particularly with regard to Internships, Study Abroad, and Electives. Please read it all the way through and keep it as a resource for the future.
The student website provides current information and links on a wide variety of topics. On the student website you will find more information about your programme, ranging from an overview of courses to policies and procedures. Visit http://students.uu.nl/en/hum/musicology
We maintain a Blackboard Community RMA Musicology where we share important announcements and additional information. You will automatically become a member of this site when you enrol, and you will be notified by email when new information is posted here. Visit: https://uu.blackboard.com
Tip: Look under the ‘Content’ tab for resources regarding study abroad, tips on research schools, resources for academic writing, etc.
THE PROGRAMME
Our Research Master’s programme in Musicology will train you in advanced research while giving you academic insight into the theoretical and artistic principles underpinning music across history and cultures. You will also investigate the contextual circumstances influencing the production, distribution, and reception of music.
The Musicology programme at Utrecht University focuses on Western music from the Middle Ages to the present and on the impact of media on the reception and conceptualisation of music. We also stress the impact of digitisation on Humanities research. Interdisciplinary work is central to the programme, and there are particularly strong links with Medieval and Renaissance Studies, New Media & Digital Culture, Gender Studies, Postcolonial Studies, and Digital Humanities. The programme also maintains lively connections with the University’s focus areas Game Research and Migration and Societal Change, as well as the strategic theme Institutions for Open Societies. The Musicology programme aims to innovate, while at the same time retaining its links to the traditional musicological research fostered at the University since 1930.
Research Themes
Our current research spans many areas within historical musicology and music-and-media research. Research foci include late medieval music from the 13th to the early 15th centuries, Renaissance Franco-Flemish polyphony, Dutch music since the 17th century, music and its epistemologies from the late 18th century to the present, 20th-and 21st-century art and popular music, the development of music within colonial and post-colonial settings, the interaction between music and media, in particular film and digital media, and the impact of digitisation on musicology. As you will see, this research is firmly embedded within the taught components of the Research MA programme. Teaching is further enhanced by research colloquia and master classes led by international experts. You will also participate in classes at the national research schools relevant to our field of study (Huizinga Institute, Research School for Media Studies, National Research School Medieval Studies, Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis, Netherlands Research School of Gender Studies).
Goals
After graduating from our programme you will possess thorough knowledge of the field of musicology and will have acquired sophisticated knowledge of a research specialism either within the field of musicology and/or an interdisciplinary subject. You will be equipped to conduct independent research in the field of musicology and to report on this research at an advanced level. In short, you are ready to embark on a PhD dissertation or to enter the work force with a job that requires advanced research skills and deep insight into the methodologies employed by musicologists and humanities scholars in general today.
WHO IS WHO?
The RMA Musicology community at Utrecht University includes a wide variety of teaching and support staff members, offices, and services. For an overview of the many people and desks who are prepared to answer your every question, please visit https://students.uu.nl/en/hum/musicology/practical-information/advising-and-counselling This page also provides tips on which person to ask what question. When in doubt, your first points of contact are your Programme Coordinator and your Study Adviser. In this section, you will meet some of the most familiar faces in our community.
ACADEMIC STAFF
Our teaching staff includes experts in a wide variety of musicological topics, methods, theories, and orientations. You will meet many of them on the Introduction Day. For an overview of our academic community, visit https://www.uu.nl/en/research/musicology/staff
MENTORING AND SUPPORT
Every RMA student in our programme is assigned a mentor. The mentor is an experienced teacher who will periodically review your progress with you. The mentor also helps you with course selection, setting up your semester abroad or an internship. The mentor fulfils a crucial function in guiding you towards your next career step, whether this involves applying to a PhD programme or finding employment.
STUDY ADVISOR
The study advisor of this programme is Maaike Wouda. You may approach the study advisor (studieadviesMCW.gw@uu.nl) if you experience personal circumstances which might influence the progress of your study. Please contact the student advisor in a timely manner when you experience personal problems:
https://students.uu.nl/en/hum/musicology/contact/study-advisor
Other student support and well-being
The UU offers all kinds of support in the field of wellbeing. Good health and wellbeing are not only crucial ingredients for a good and effective student life, they contribute to a rewarding professional life after your studies as well.
That is why we offer you the opportunity to focus on the personal side of professional development in addition to the academic development you are going through. In that context, we offer various (group) activities to support your well-being that help with staying resilient and flexible, capable of dealing with stress, procrastination and perfectionism, focusing on what is important and being able to make decisions.
Take a look at our website for the training offer: https://students.uu.nl/en/hum/personaldevelopment/wellbeing-trainers. Check this link for further information and weblinks to various student services.
CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
The Curriculum Committee is a representative, advisory body comprised of both students and teachers. It is responsible for advising on and evaluating the Education and Examination Regulations of the programme and monitoring the quality of education, including addressing any problems which might arise through dialogue with the programme coordinator and/or the dean.
Student opinion plays a key role in directing the Curriculum Committee’s actions. Through programme and course evaluations, the Committee receives the information it needs in order to make informed judgements in academic matters.
Every fall, the students of the programme select one of their colleagues to represent them on this committee. Consider accepting this important position! And do not hesitate to contact your student representative if you have concerns (or even praise) which deserves the attention of the Curriculum Committee. For further information and a list of current members, visit https://students.uu.nl/en/hum/musicology/contact/curriculum-committee.
BOARD OF EXAMINERS (AND APPROVAL OF ELECTIVE COURSE CHOICES)
The Board of Examiners is responsible for ensuring the integrity and quality of examinations and determining whether a student has achieved all objectives of the programme. The Board awards diplomas, handles cases related to academic dishonesty, evaluates requests for delaying graduation, and provides exemption or approval of non-standard features of the curriculum. This last aspect is the most common point of interaction with the Board, as Musicology students are particularly creative in their elective choices (see further on this topic below).
STUDENT ASSOCIATION
Utrecht musicology students have a very active student association, Studievereniging Hucbald (www.hucbald.nl). Do not hesitate to contact them if you want to get involved!
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
We are in the process of setting up a formal alumni network. Many of your instructors (Kamp, Marinescu, Schuiling) are alumni of the programme, so you already have a direct line to some of the programme’s most successful alumni. In case of any specific needs or inquiries, please contact your mentor.
PROGRAMME INFORMATION Programme Outline
Below you find a schematic overview of your study programme. As you can see, the programme is arranged in three thematic areas that mutually interact and complement each other: Historical Musicology, Music and Media, and Musicology in Interdisciplinary Context. On the vertical axis, you can identify a progression from general overviews and state-of-the-art introductory courses in study period 1 to more and more specialized research seminars from study period 4 onward. Study periods 2 and 3 are an intermediary stage where you will be introduced to research topics and methodologies that are typical of the research areas that are Utrecht Musicology’s internationally recognized areas of strength. Throughout, the Utrecht Colloquia in the Musicologies will allow you to observe international researchers ‘in action’ when they report on their newest findings to the research group, giving you an overview of the global musicological ‘scene’ and what’s hot in musicology today. You will continue your specialization in your second year, acquiring additional hands-on research skills either abroad, in the field (internship), or during continued training in seminars and tutorials, leading you directly into the writing of your MA thesis. This way the programme structure guides you from the general to the specific while at the same time allowing you to get to know as many new research areas and methods as possible within the amount of time that is at our disposal. Have a look at: https://students.uu.nl/en/hum/musicology/curriculum
Please note that the Course Planner on the website may appear to give contradictory information regarding course choices. Use the information here as your guide.
CORE COURSES
Our programme is organized along three research themes: Historical Musicology, Music and Media, and Musicology in Interdisciplinary Context. The courses progress from one block to the next with the aim of giving the widest possible exposure to the vast range of research topics and methodologies currently employed in musicological sub-disciplines pursued by the Utrecht research group. The purpose of the core coursework of the programme is to make sure that each of you, no matter what your previous background, is versed in the discourse of musicology as practiced today at the end of compulsory course work. You can find musicology course descriptions here: https://www.uu.nl/masters/en/musicology/courses
An essential feature of our class meetings which will help you achieve an appropriate level of expertise is the seminar format: unlike lectures, where students passively receive knowledge from the instructor, seminars are designed to actively engage students in discussion and debate under the guidance of the instructor. Therefore, your dynamic participation is both welcome and necessary. Within a single block you will experience both contrast and synergies. You are encouraged to make connections both horizontally (within a given block) and vertically (from one block to the next) between courses.
In addition, the lectures offered in the series Utrecht Colloquia in the Musicologies as well as lectures organized by other disciplinary groups and the Graduate School are on offer. The Colloquia and lectures complement the course list and offer a selection of examples of the most up-to-date, as yet unpublished musicological research-in-progress by a variety of guest speakers. Attendance of the Colloquia is compulsory for Musicology students. You are encouraged to attend lectures organized by other disciplinary groups and the Graduate School at your discretion.
We also host a Musicology Research Forum, where members of our research group present workin-progress. Attendance at these fora is not compulsory, but is recommended, for they give you an insider’s view into the development of new research.
Information regarding the Colloquia and Research Forums is shared via email and Blackboard.
ELECTIVE COURSES
You have a great deal of flexibility in choosing elective courses at Utrecht or other Dutch universities, depending on your research interests. Consult with your Programme Coordinator about suitable options. To further assist you in your search, the Faculty of Humanities has created a website of RMA courses on offer in Utrecht: https://rm-electives-hum.sites.uu.nl/
Please note that some courses require approval from the instructor (“course coordinator”), so be sure to contact them in a timely manner. Also note that some courses may be open to Musicology students, even if the site says no. We advise you to therefore filter courses simply by ticking the box for the relevant block. If you find an appealing course and it is not clear if you are eligible, write to the course coordinator and/or your programme coordinator.
Note: The course “Music and the Moving Image” does not appear on this site for administrative reasons, but it remains a recommended elective for our programme.
If you wish to follow a course at another university, be aware that academic calendars differ and that space is not guaranteed.
Important Note Regarding Electives!
Elective courses, particularly those taken at other Dutch universities, must be approved by the Board of Examiners in order for you to obtain credit. To have an elective approved, you must submit a request using Osiris. For further information on approval of courses, including a link to the online request form, visit https://students.uu.nl/en/hum/musicology/practical-information/academic-policies-and-procedures/approval-andexemption
Consult with the Programme Coordinator if you have any questions.
Tutorials
A tutorial is the most advanced form of teaching offered in the curriculum and represents that next level up from course work. Tutorials are the bridge between general course work (as in the courses above) and increased specialization that will help you identify your individual research area and interests. This is done through hands-on work with a specialist in the field.
In a tutorial you will work with an instructor either individually or in a very small group to explore a topic directly related to your and the instructor’s research interests. There are many possibilities for tutorials;. Consult with your programme coordinator to learn more.
Many tutorials arise from the initiative of students, so if you have an idea, speak with the programme coordinator or your desired tutorial supervisor. Once you have found an instructor, your specific ideas and goals will be worked out in an agreement (protocol), signed by both you and the instructor. You can find the ‘Tutorial Protocol Form’ on the RMA Musicology Blackboard Community site. The tutorial lasts for one block and may be either 5 EC or 10 EC, depending on the amount and type of work you hope to accomplish. For example, you can write a research paper, perform a literature review, organize a reading/discussion group, work on language acquisition/skills, or prepare an annotated bibliography. It is up to you and the instructor, so use your imagination!
Note: Registration for tutorials only officially occurs after you have signed the Protocol Form with your tutorial supervisor.
Research Schools
As a Research Master student, it is mandatory to participate in the National Research Schools Out of the 120 EC that you need to collect throughout your entire RMA, 5-10 EC need to be gained by taking courses/masterclasses at research schools (5 EC if you go abroad or conduct a 30-EC internship in the second year; 10 EC in all other cases). There are several research schools that may be of relevance to you as you develop your research focus based on what you have learned and what piqued your curiosity in the seminars. You can subscribe to a research school which offers courses/masterclasses matching your research interests and thus already begin to specialize in a direction that you might find interesting. The Huizinga Institute is Musicology’s traditional ‘home’ research school. Additionally, the Research School for Media Studies, the National Research School for Gender Studies, the Dutch Research School for Medieval Studies, and the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis may be of interest.
These schools offer a wide range of courses and master classes to earn study points (EC), ranging from intensive summer schools of 10 EC to seminars of 5 or 6 EC or short workshops of just 1 EC. In conversation with your mentor you will identify which courses are best suited to your individual research interests and study programme.
Becoming a member of one particular research school (for free!) does not mean that you cannot take courses and masterclasses of other research schools. You are at liberty to shop around and obtain credits elsewhere. However, membership gives you priority in course enrolment.
It is recommended that you sign up for courses as early as possible, as spaces are limited. If your plans change, you may cancel your enrolment at any time without penalty.
It is highly recommended that you take at least 5 EC of research school courses before the end of your first year.
Once you have completed all requirements for a research school course, you will be awarded a certificate. The research school will send an official copy of the certificate to Studiepunt (Humanities Student Desk) and the course and EC will be added to your study programme. Do make sure to check that the credits (eventually) appear, though this can take time. If it takes too long, do not hesitate to be in contact with the research school or your programme coordinator.
For further information, please see the information on the RMA Musicology Blackboard site (under ‘Content’) or visit: https://logosgw.nl/research-schools/ https://logosgw.nl/information-for-remastudents/
SEMESTER ABROAD
The semester abroad is one of the distinctive features of the Utrecht Musicology programme. It is not compulsory but strongly recommended, although in some situations it will clearly be preferable to stay in the Netherlands. The time abroad often helps students to find their way to the next step in academic education, such as enrolment in a PhD programme, although this is not a compulsory outcome. In any case, students who have gone abroad found their time at the host university and in a different research culture decisive for their future.
In consultation with your mentor, you will first identify whether you should go abroad or not (alternatives are an internship or further coursework in Utrecht or other Dutch universities). If it is determined that a stay abroad is desirable, your mentor will help you identify the most suitable university based on your performance in the programme, your research interests, and other factors such as language ability or the availability of particular resources. It is important to start preparations early as getting accepted by the university (and the scholar/s of your choice working there) can be quite competitive.
To assist you in making your choices, please consult the document ‘Study Abroad Destinations for Musicologists’ on the Blackboard site (under ‘Content’). This is updated yearly.
Please note: It is vital that you create a study plan and choose courses for your study abroad in consultation with your programme coordinator. If you do not, courses might not be counted toward your degree.
While abroad you will stay in touch with your mentor. Your mentor will continue advising on your study programme or any changes thereto that may emerge. At the end of your stay, ensure that your minimum of 30 EC is transferred properly into your UU student dossier.
INTERNSHIP
Just like the semester abroad, an internship in the RMA is an invaluable element in your training as a professional researcher and a great way to prepare for the working environment as well as develop a topic for your MA thesis. It allows you to experience the work field as an embedded researcher, either within academia, within a research institute or external research project, or in the context of a professional organisation or cultural institution dedicated to research, e.g. a museum, library, archive, or research institute. During the internship you obtain the opportunity to develop your research skills in a professional (research) environment, to further develop your personal professional research identity, and to reflect on your role as a researcher in relation to the (wider) professional field. In the research master a clear research component is essential to an internship. It is part of the goals of an internship to develop a research topic suitable for your MA thesis as part of your research.
After finding a host project, organization, or institution for your internship, you will discuss your research goals with the internship supervisor from your research master program at Utrecht University in dialogue with an external supervisor at the project, organization or institution that offers the internship. This trialogue is important to ensure that there is a solid research component to your internship and that all parties involved are in agreement about the internship activities, goals, and the research component. On the basis of this agreement you will write an internship work plan, including the research proposal for your internship. In the work plan you elaborate on the research you will be conducting, your research questions, as well as the practical tasks you will be fulfilling at your internship. Your mentor will help you fine-tune the topic with a view to developing your internship into a thesis topic and will also intervene in case any problems arise.
At the end of the internship you will write a detailed internship report in which you critically reflect upon your research activities during the internship, your research findings and your own learning process as embedded researcher. In this report you demonstrate an appropriately high level of critical reflection on your research
e.g., the development and different stages of the research, the arguments behind the choices you have made, methodologies you have, or have not employed. You
will also reflect on your own role as a researcher within this internship, and on this experience as part of your training and personal development as a researcher.
UU Musicology partners for internships include but are not limited to:
■ University Library Utrecht, Special Collections
■ University Library Amsterdam, Special Collections
■ Royal Library of The Netherlands, The Hague
■ Special Collections Royal Library of Belgium, Brussels
■ Manuscript Department Netherlands Music Institute, The Hague
■ Museum Speelklok, Utrecht
■ Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam
■ Meertens Institute, Amsterdam
Internships may be either 15 EC or 30 EC and may also take place abroad there are so many possibilities. Under the guidance of your mentor you are encouraged to discover other partners which specifically relate to your areas of expertise and research interest.
THESIS
Your programme will conclude with a thesis. This thesis is the last element in the master programme and its crowning achievement. There you will apply all the skills, knowledge and insights that you have acquired during the programme. The thesis should be at least 30,000 words and may be no longer than 40,000 words (including notes and bibliography) and will yield 30 EC. You can find more info here: https://students.uu.nl/en/hum/musicology/curriculum/masters-thesis
CAREER ORIENTATION
During your programme you will improve your knowledge and your academic and professional skills, particularly in courses such as Research Design or Digital Humanities Tools for Musicologists. Generally speaking, it is advisable to prepare yourself for your future career during your MA studies by going through the following phases: reflecting on your motivation and work values, researching your opportunities on the job market, creating ties with potential employers and practicing skills as needed for your applications and interviews. This way, you will establish yourself as a professional. Internships and your semester abroad are excellent ways to forge connections with the international research infrastructure for which you are training, as are master classes and research colloquia. Your mentor will be able to guide you through preparing applications to suitable PhD programmes or jobs.
In addition, Career Services offers workshops to all students, for which you can register via www.uu.nl/careerservices. Topics include using social media, writing a curriculum vitae and cover letter, transferable skills, preparing for a job/internship interview, and working consciously & effectively. Career Services also offers several online tests: the career check, work values test, career choice test, personality test, and competence test (https://uucareercheck.nl/site). Career Services also hosts an online vacancy site (uu.jobteaser.com); and organizes events such as the Humanities Career Night (https://carrierenachtgw.nl/en/), the UU CareersDay (www.careersdayuu.com) and the monthly evenings Your Perspective: Career Opportunities for Humanities Graduates.
You can find more information here; https://www.uu.nl/masters/en/musicology/career-development www.uu.nl/careerservices
IMPORTANT FOR HUMANITIES STUDENTS
New students students.uu.nl/hum-new Practical information for new students at the Humanities faculty.
Academic calendar students.uu.nl/hum-calendar
Information about days off, course registrations and change-of-enrolment days.
UU online
Information about our online systems and how to log in: students.uu.nl/hum-online In need of a manual? IT manuals: https://manuals.uu.nl/en
REGISTRATION, PROCEDURES, INTERNSHIP INFO
Student Information Desk Humanities students.uu.nl/hum-contact
Programme related matters, such as
• course registration
• course schedules
• study results & study progress (Osiris)
• graduation
Student Services students.uu.nl/en/contact/student-services
Studying at Utrecht University in general:
• registration as a UU student
• tuition fees
• elite athletes
• disability or chronic illness
Internship coordinator students.uu.nl/hum-internshipcoordinator
Information about:
• guidelines and procedures
• internship placements
QUESTIONS ABOUT ENTERING THE JOB MARKET
Career Services students.uu.nl/hum-careerservices
Advice on getting a job after graduation through workshops, CV check-up, and coaching. Your programme coordinator will inform you about programme-specific events.
NEED EXTRA HELP?
Study advisor: students.uu.nl/hum-studyadvisor
Student psychologist: students.uu.nl/psychologist
Workshops: Skills Lab: students.uu.nl/en-skillslab
THINKING OF GOING ABROAD?
International office Humanities: students.uu.nl/hum-io
OTHER FACILITIES
University Library: students.uu.nl/hum-library
Olympos sports centre: olympos.nl/en-us/home.aspx
Parnassos cultural centre: uu.nl/en/parnassos
FACT! You can find your grades, student card and timetable in the MyUU portal and the MyUU app: students.uu.nl/en/myuu and students.uu.nl/en/ myuu-app
FACT! In the second semester, you will have to register in Osiris for courses you wish to attend. If you want to switch courses, you can do so on the change-ofenrolment days before the start of the relevant block.
FACT! Deadlines are always listed in the course syllabus, which your lecturer will provide approximately 2 weeks prior to the course’s ’start.
FACT! If you need more information about specific aspects of your programme, e.g. internships or thesis, please see the Curriculum page on the programme website via students.uu.nl/hum
FACT! Check students. uu.nl/hum-studentlife for information about living, jobs, sports and leisure in Utrecht!