The MMus Composition is designed to develop advanced creative, technical, and collaborative skills that graduates put to use as professional artists, researchers, and in wider creative careers. This course gives you opportunities to develop your compositional creativity and technical fluency to an advanced level under the guidance of our prize-winning and internationally-recognised staff. Our diverse composition staff are all experienced and active in their fields (notated music, electronic music, film/TV music, experimental music), enabling us to support a broad range of musical interests to enhance your further development and specialisation.
Throughout the year, you’ll take modules that hone your critical and creative skills and help you to develop your voice as a composer and musician. You’ll strengthen your critical skills, including research and presentation, as well as study the principles of composition and their application in different professional contexts. You’ll also develop an awareness of broader topics in music through exploration of aesthetic theories. Across the programme you will learn by doing, whether working on live briefs, addressing practical challenges that mirror the realities of today’s creative industries, or collaborating with other creative artists.
Alongside this, you can pursue study in other areas such as musicology, film music, global music education, electronic music and technology, performance, and music psychology as standalone modules or through the Individual Project optional module. This will be complemented by your development of a major project of original compositions, resulting in a professional-ready artistic portfolio.
There are opportunities to try out new work through access to our excellent electroacoustic and recording studios, use of our multimedia suites, participation in workshops with visiting musicians, opportunities with our industry partners, and collaboration with other students and the School of Music’s contemporary music ensemble (LSTwo). The School enjoys a significant reputation for performance and has a lively and full concert diary.
The course is ideal if you wish to pursue advanced compositional studies in preparation for a career in the creative industries, and can also be used as preparation for undertaking a composition-based practice-led PhD.
[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]
View Timetable
Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUS5002M | Portfolio of Original Composition | 60 | PFP | |
| MUS5121M | Composition Studies | 30 | ||
| MUS5231M | Critical and Aesthetic Theory | 30 |
Candidates will be required to study 60 credits from the following optional modules:
| Code | Title | Credits | Semester | Pass for Progression |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUS5131M | Issues in Musicology | 30 | ||
| MUS5132M | Applied Research Methodologies | 30 | ||
| MUS5232M | Global Music Education Futures | 30 | ||
| MUS5241M | Short Recital | 30 | ||
| MUS5331M | Short Dissertation | 30 | ||
| MUS5332M | Individual Project | 30 | ||
| MUS5355M | Ideas and Impact for Wellbeing: Developing Professional Skills | 30 |
Please note that optional modules run subject to enrolments. An optional module may not run if only a low number of students choose it.
Last updated: 14/08/2026 11:08:56
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