The MA track Popular Music and Sonic Cultures examines music and audio cultures within global and local contexts. Unique in its kind, it combines attention for creative practice and music analysis with a wide array of methodological and theoretical approaches at a World Top 100 university.
Students are guided by an internationally recognized faculty of scholars whose specializations and research range from hip hop, R & B, and electronic dance music to jazz, music video, soundscape, video game, dance, and theatrical sound design. These scholars offer insight into the music industry, and the field of music criticism, and from a variety of perspectives which address the key approaches and challenges of our times. In the various courses and internships, students will develop highly relevant and transferable skills that prepare them for a professional future in the popular and contemporary music world.
This programme focuses on cutting
edge developments in popular music including the impact of new
media upon modes of creativity, distribution, and reception.
Through applying a range of theoretical approaches, the programme
will offer students an in-depth understanding of how such processes
affect musicians and the music industries in light of rapidly
changing economic, political, and technological
structures.
Students critically examine the
organization, experience, and creative potential of music makers,
organizations, audiences, and media cultures today. Concrete topics
and approaches may include: contemporary careers in the music
industry; popular music criticism (e.g. media platforms and
journalism); song writing aesthetics and music genre cultures;
gendered, queer, and intersectional identities within performance
and reception contexts; ecocriticism of sonic environments; new
music media and digital technologies; and urban soundscapes and
mobile sound cultures. Engaging with these themes, students deepen
their understanding of how musical actors respond to new challenges
introduced by perpetually transforming economic, political, and
professional worlds.
Our
programme offers a unique combination of research-driven seminars,
a music series with international academics and industry
practitioners (Music Matters), and extensive networks for the
internship. Therefore, this MA is attractive to students who want
to expand their knowledge of music and apply that within the music
sector.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Music Identities and Sound Ecologies (10 EC) | ||||
| Music Industries and Digital Cultures (10 EC) | ||||
| Songs and Music Genres (10 EC) | ||||
| Music Research and Action (5 EC) | ||||
| MA Internship (10 EC) | ||||
| MA Thesis (15 EC) | ||||
Students acquire their MA in two semesters of this one-year programme. During the first semester, students follow three courses (30 ECTS) within the popular music specialization. These include: Music Industries and Digital Cultures; Music Identities and Sound Ecologies; Songs and Music Genres. During the second semester, students engage in research with a self-chosen music partner in the course Music, Research and Action (5 EC). They also follow an internship with a relevant music industry partn
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
The Master's track Popular Music and Sonic Cultures is open to students with a BA in Arts, Culture and Media. University of Groningen students with a BA in:
with a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Music, Theatre and Performance track, are also admissible to this Master's track. Students who have completed a different Bachelor's or Master's degree programme in a relevant field and students who have completed the pre-Master's degree programme that prepares for the track can also apply to the track. The Admissions Board will assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific track requirements, and will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies. |
| language test |
Additional requirements English: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 90 (with a minimum of 21 on all items), or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 on all items) or Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| English Language and Culture | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Music, Theatre and Performance Studies track |
| American Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Music, Theatre and Performance Studies track |
| Media Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Music, Theatre and Performance Studies track |
| Frisian Language and Culture | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Music, Theatre and Performance Studies track |
| History (part-time) | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Music, Theatre and Performance Studies track |
| European Languages and Cultures | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Music, Theatre and Performance Studies track |
| Dutch Language and Culture | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Music, Theatre and Performance Studies track |
| Communication and Information Studies | University of Groningen |
Additional requirements More information:With a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Music, Theatre and Performance Studies track |
| Study programme | Organization | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, Culture and Media | All Research universities | No additional requirements |
Please use this step-by-step guide for more information regarding your eligibility and your specific application procedure.
After you complete your application, the Admissions Board will assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific programme requirements, and will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies.
The Admissions Board will then determine whether:
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 15 August 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
The Master's track Popular Music and Sonic Cultures is open to students with a BA in Arts, Culture and Media. University of Groningen students with a BA in:
with a Faculty Minor (30 ECTS) in Arts & Culture, Popular Music and Sonic Cultures track, are also admissible to this Master's track. Students who have completed a different Bachelor's or Master's degree programme in a relevant field and students who have completed the pre-Master's degree programme that prepares for the track can also apply to the track. The Admissions Board will assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific track requirements, and will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies. |
| language test |
Additional requirements English: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 90 (with a minimum of 21 on all items), or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 on all items) or Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. |
Please use this step-by-step guide for more information regarding your eligibility and your specific application procedure.
After you complete your application, the Admissions Board will assess whether your educational/academic background meets the specific programme requirements, and will consider the level and curriculum of your previous studies.
The Admissions Board will then determine whether:
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 15 August 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2026 | 01 September 2026 |
Our students have found jobs in the
music and cultural industries in the Netherlands and abroad. They
are active as music programmers and cultural critics, festival and
event organizers, project managers, journalists and policy
advisors, content creators and coordinators, in music studios and
marketing and as academics and cultural educators. They work in
local, national, underground, and international corporations such
as: Universal Records, Warner Records, Eurosonic Noorderslag,
Noorderzon Festival, Viacom CBS, XITE, Prins Bernard Cultuur Fonds,
NPO Radio 1, Submarine Records, Subbacultcha, Guy and Roni Dance,
Chordify, Best Kept Secret Festival, Mediamatic, Simplon, and Vera
Music Venue Groningen.
Our students have also set up their
own successful arts organizations, advice bureaus, or research
institutions in the field of music, arts, culture, and event
organizations. Students can also pursue an academic career with a
PhD.
The internship, as an
integral part of the programme, prepares students well for a career
in the cultural field. Students benefit from the excellent
international networks for staff and alumni of the
programme.
