Programme at a Glance
Intake and Application
Overview
The National University of Singapore (NUS) Master of Music Leadership (MMusL), is offered by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YST).
The MMusL is a graduate degree programme designed to support musicians who want to advance their skills and be leaders of change within the rapidly evolving musical landscape in Singapore and around the world.
The programme adopts a multidimensional approach to increase students’ understanding of the musical ecosystem, diversify their skillsets, and promote critical thinking. Flexibility is also integrated into the curriculum, in order to help each student to develop along their unique artistic trajectory.
The MMusL curriculum places an emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation, aimed at equipping graduates to keep pace with the changes wrought by rapid technological development, digitalisation of the music profession, and societal need for cross-domain competencies and collaboration. Graduates will emerge with an increased versatility that will allow them to adapt more quickly and effectively in their current and future career paths.
Why This Programme?
Cultivate leadership and music entrepreneurial skills within a learning environment that keeps abreast of and contributes to the evolution of the musical landscape.
Attain excellence in individual practice to enhance artistic vision and credibility with the support of a well-established yet constantly innovating institution.
Be empowered as a future leader of the music industry, with critical thinking skills within and across disciplines, diversified knowledge and skillsets, and access to various world-class faculties within NUS.
Application Period
An Academic Year (AY) at NUS consists of two semesters and a special term (which occurs during the Semester 2 Vacation, and is divided into two parts of six weeks duration each):
For the MMusL programme, there are two application periods for each AY:
| Programme | Intake | Application Dates |
|---|---|---|
| MMusL | Semester 1 (Aug Intake) | 1 Feb to 31 Mar of the intake year |
| MMusL | Semester 2 (Jan Intake) | 15 Jul to 1 Sep of year preceding the intake year |
Admission to the NUS MMusL programme is granted on a competitive basis as places in the programme are limited. Applicants should possess the following minimum requirements:
| Academic | Bachelor of Music or equivalent degree from an approved institution of higher education in music Note: Alternatively, candidates may be evaluated based on significant contributions and demonstrable professional accomplishments in music-related fields (see Skill/Experience requirement below), and on a case-by-case basis. |
| Skill/Experience | For holders of Bachelor’s Degrees other than the above, professional experience in music-related industries |
| English Language | Applicants whose native tongue and medium of university instruction is not completely in English: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum score of 100 (Internet-based) and a minimum score of 22 for the writing section, or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) minimum Academic score 7.0, or A good pass in the Diagnostic English Test Note: TOEFL / IELTS scores are valid for two years from the test date and should not have expired at point of application. Expired scores will not be considered for the application. |
| Other | Not applicable |
Candidates may visit the official Educational Testing Service (ETS) website for scheduling of TOEFL/GRE tests.
Note: Applications must be completed on the NUS Graduate Admission System (GDA2). Each application must be accompanied by:
a curriculum vitae,
a personal statement,
two referee reports from referees who are in the most suitable position to comment on the applicant’s music ability and aptitude (to be submitted online by the referees); recommendations by a peer, family member or friend will not be accepted, and
official English translations of all non-English documents.
All shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview(s) and/or audition(s) where requested, in order to carefully assess if this professional studies programme is appropriate for the goals and aspirations of each applicant. Please see application information here.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application information and all supporting documents are truthful and correct. NUS reserves the right to verify information provided as part of an application. False or misleading information in an application (including but not limited to test scores, resumes, certificates, transcripts, etc.) is grounds for admission rejection, revocation and/or dismissal from the University.
The NUS MMusL programme is offered on the following basis (with estimated time to complete the programme indicated below):
| Full-time | 12*–24 months |
| Part-time | 30–48 months |
* The fastest mode of two semesters, or a single year of full-time is applicable for students who have already passed required courses via NUS L3 prior to admission to the MMusL programme.
Note: International applicants must be accepted into an approved full-time course in Singapore to apply for a Student’s Pass. For more information, refer to the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website.
The NUS MMusL is a 40-Unit coursework-based Master’s Degree programme comprising:
Core/essential courses (20 Units), inclusive of a Capstone Project (6 Units),
A Graduate Certificate in Music Perspectives and Practices (12 Units), and
Elective courses (8 Units).
Core/Essential Courses
The core curriculum (20 Units) comprises three compulsory courses (totalling 14 Units), and two to three additional courses that may be selected based on the individual student’s interests (totalling 6 Units). Workload and assignments will vary based on the nature of the course.
Compulsory Courses
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUA5160 | Leadership in Musical Contexts | 4 |
| MUA5163 | Research Practices in Music | 4 |
| MUA6178* | Graduate Capstone Project in Music Leadership | 6 |
Additional Courses
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUA5105 | Leadership in Orchestral Conducting | 4 |
| MUA5121 | Professional Practices in Music | 2 |
| MUA5122 | Graduate Practicum in Pedagogy | 2 |
| MUA5123 | Collaborative Portfolio | 4 |
| MUA5124 | Musical Explorations | 2 |
* The Capstone Project is an individualised, self-directed application of research thinking and skills, building upon the work done in the preceding Research Practices in Music course. Students will conceive and independently develop a project that investigates their chosen topic, demonstrating skills such as experimentation, literature review, and quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis. Each student will be supported by at least one supervising mentor from YST faculty.
Graduate Certificate Courses
Students must complete three courses from the following list of YST SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)-eligible courses for the Graduate Certificate in Music Perspectives and Practices.
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUA5264 | Musical Engagement in the Community | 4 |
| MUH5201 | Histories and Cultures of Amateur Music-Making | 4 |
| MUH5202 | Music in Interconnection | 4 |
| MUT5201 | Practical Approaches to Musical Analysis | 4 |
Elective Courses
Students must complete 8 Units of free electives, which may be fulfilled by two to four courses from the following list of YST SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)-eligible courses.
| Course Code | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUA2203 | Keyboard Literature: Genres throughout History | 4 |
| MUA2204 | Keyboard Literature: Sonatas in Context | 4 |
| MUA3105 | Conducting | 2 |
| MUA3116 | Pedagogy for Orchestral Instrumentalists | 4 |
| MUA3209 | Business for Musicians | 4 |
| MUA3228 | Re-Imagining Pianism through Analysis | 4 |
| MUA3271 | Acoustics and Sound Production for Performers | 4 |
| MUA4113 | Piano Pedagogy | 4 |
| MUA4215 | Vocal Pedagogy | 4 |
| MUT3224 | Teaching Music Online | 2 |
| GEH1047 | Social and Cultural Studies Through Music | 4 |
| GES1020 | Western Music within a Singaporean Context | 4 |
| GET1019 | Patrons of the Arts | 4 |
| GET1039 | What, When and Where is Art | 4 |
| GET1040 | Communicating about the Arts | 4 |
| GET1047 | Art and Identity | 4 |
Note: For course descriptions, please visit the MMusL web page at YST. For more information about the courses listed above (as well as other courses offered in the current academic year), please visit NUSMODS.
To graduate from the NUS MMusL programme, students must meet the following requirements:
| Programme and/or Specialisation | Read and pass a total of 40 Units, comprising: 20 Units of core/essential courses 12 Units for a Graduate Certificate, and 8 Units of elective courses |
| Course and/or Qualification | Read and pass Graduate Certificate in Music Perspectives and Practices and elective courses totalling 20 Units (level 4000 and below courses capped at a total of 8 Units) |
| Grade Point Average (GPA) | Minimum 3.5 (out of maximum 5.0)
Please see also the University’s minimum standards for Continuation and Graduation Requirements. Specific programmes may implement stricter or additional requirements. |
| Other | Not applicable |
The University reserves all rights to review fees as necessary and adjust accordingly without prior notice.
| Tuition | S$44,290.00
(excluding GST) /
|
| Application | Not applicable |
| Acceptance | S$5,000.00 (excluding GST) Payable upon acceptance of offer Non-refundable and non-transferable Will be credited towards tuition fees |
| Miscellaneous Student Fees | As published by Office of the University Registrar
Payable every regular semester |
Scholarships & Financial Assistance
The scholarships and financial assistance schemes presented here are examples of the kinds of funding from the University as well as third-party sponsors that might be available to eligible NUS Master's Degree (Coursework) programme students and applicants.
The information provided is subject to change, and warranties cannot be provided as to its completeness or accuracy. Students and applicants are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research, and refer to the relevant sponsors and/or websites for more detailed and up-to-date information.
NUS Master's Degree by Coursework Tuition Fee Rebate
SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) Tuition Fee Subsidies
Programme at a Glance
Intake and Application
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