Art and Design

Master of Musicology

The Master of Musicology is a postgraduate programme that trains musicians and scholars to become specialist musicologists. The programme prepares graduates to research, analyse, and document music as a cultural and artistic phenomenon in Kenya and beyond.

Core areas of study include historical musicology, ethnomusicology, systematic musicology, music theory and analysis, African music studies, music historiography, music criticism, music aesthetics, research methods, and music documentation. Students engage with both theoretical foundations and extensive research practice across musical traditions.

The programme is offered by Kabarak University through its School of Music and Media. Musicology is one of four specialisations within the Master of Music programme, alongside Music Education, Music Composition, and Church Music. Kabarak University is the only institution offering this programme in Kenya.

Students develop competencies in musicological research, music analysis, historical music study, ethnomusicological fieldwork, music documentation, music criticism, African music scholarship, and academic writing. The programme includes coursework, research projects, seminars, examinations, and a research dissertation.

The programme is delivered over two years with full-time and part-time study options at Kabarak University. The programme follows a semester system with two semesters per academic year, each comprising fifteen weeks of lectures and examinations. The programme is designed for musicians and scholars seeking to advance musicological knowledge and research skills.

Graduates pursue careers as musicologists, ethnomusicologists, music researchers, music educators, music critics, and cultural administrators in universities, research institutions, media houses, and cultural organisations.

Skills Required

Musicological Research and Documentation
Historical Music Analysis
Ethnomusicological Fieldwork Methods
Music Theory and Analytical Techniques
African Music Studies and Scholarship
Music Historiography and Criticism
Music Aesthetics and Philosophy
Music Transcription and Notation
Academic Writing and Publication
Music Archival and Preservation Techniques

Key Subjects

Historical Musicology
Ethnomusicology
Systematic Musicology
Music Theory and Analysis
African Music Studies
Music Historiography
Music Criticism and Aesthetics
Research Methods in Music
Music Documentation and Archiving
Music and Cultural Studies

Certifications

IMS Musicology Membership
SEM Ethnomusicology Certification

Specializations

Historical Musicology

Focuses on historical musicology, studying Western art music traditions, music history, historical performance practice, and documenting musical developments across historical periods.

Ethnomusicology

Examines ethnomusicology, studying music in cultural context, conducting fieldwork, documenting oral musical traditions, and researching African and world music traditions.

Systematic Musicology

Covers systematic musicology, studying music theory, music aesthetics, music psychology, acoustics, and analytical approaches to understanding music as a system.

African Music Studies

Focuses on African music studies, researching African musical traditions, documenting indigenous music, studying African music theory, and preserving African musical heritage.

Music Criticism and Journalism

Examines music criticism, writing about music for publications, reviewing performances, analysing musical works, and communicating musicological knowledge to public audiences.

Church Music Studies

Covers church music studies, researching sacred music traditions, documenting liturgical music, and studying the role of music in worship and religious practice.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 280,000
Private, up to: Ksh 130,000
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 10 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Historical Musicology
Ethnomusicology
Systematic Musicology
Music Theory and Analysis
African Music Studies
Music Historiography
Music Criticism and Aesthetics
Research Methods in Music
Music Documentation and Archiving
Music and Cultural Studies

Modules

10 in the programme

Historical Musicology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines Western art music history, musical developments across historical periods, historical performance practice, and documenting musical traditions.
Ethnomusicology and Fieldwork Methods
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers ethnomusicological theory, fieldwork methods, recording techniques, documenting oral musical traditions, and researching music in cultural context.
Music Theory and Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines advanced music theory, analytical techniques, Schenkerian analysis, post-tonal theory, and applying analytical frameworks to diverse musical works.
African Music Studies
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers African music traditions, indigenous musical systems, oral traditions, African music theory, and preserving African musical heritage through documentation.
Systematic Musicology and Aesthetics
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines systematic musicology, music aesthetics, music psychology, acoustics, and philosophical approaches to understanding music as a system.
Music Historiography and Criticism
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers music historiography, writing music history, music criticism, reviewing performances and recordings, and communicating musicological knowledge to audiences.
Research Methods in Music
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines qualitative and quantitative research methods in music, fieldwork ethics, research design, data analysis, and academic writing in musicology.
Music Documentation and Archiving
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines music documentation techniques, archival methods, digital music preservation, cataloguing musical collections, and managing music archives.
Music and Cultural Studies
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers music and cultural studies, music sociology, music and identity, music and politics, and understanding music within broader cultural and social contexts.
Research Dissertation
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research dissertation on a musicological topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and musicological knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Historical Musicology
Focuses on historical musicology, studying Western art music traditions, music history, historical performance practice, and documenting musical developments across historical periods.
Ethnomusicology
Examines ethnomusicology, studying music in cultural context, conducting fieldwork, documenting oral musical traditions, and researching African and world music traditions.
Systematic Musicology
Covers systematic musicology, studying music theory, music aesthetics, music psychology, acoustics, and analytical approaches to understanding music as a system.
African Music Studies
Focuses on African music studies, researching African musical traditions, documenting indigenous music, studying African music theory, and preserving African musical heritage.
Music Criticism and Journalism
Examines music criticism, writing about music for publications, reviewing performances, analysing musical works, and communicating musicological knowledge to public audiences.
Church Music Studies
Covers church music studies, researching sacred music traditions, documenting liturgical music, and studying the role of music in worship and religious practice.

A day as a student

A typical day during the Master of Musicology programme begins with morning lectures on music history, music theory, or ethnomusicological methods. Students spend significant time in the library researching musical traditions, analysing scores, and reviewing scholarly literature. Seminar sessions involve presenting research findings, discussing musicological debates, and critiquing recent publications. Ethnomusicology students may conduct fieldwork, recording and documenting traditional music performances in community settings. Music analysis sessions involve transcribing recordings, analysing musical structures, and applying analytical frameworks to diverse musical traditions. African music studies sessions explore indigenous musical systems, oral traditions, and the cultural context of African music. Music criticism workshops involve writing reviews of performances and recordings, developing critical writing skills. Research methodology sessions prepare students for their dissertation, covering qualitative and quantitative research methods, fieldwork ethics, and academic writing. The programme at Kabarak University offers both full-time and part-time options, with two semesters per academic year. The two-year programme culminates in a research dissertation defence.

The trade offs

In its favour

Growing interest in African music documentation and cultural preservation creates demand for qualified musicologists in Kenya.
Programme covers diverse areas including ethnomusicology, African music studies, music criticism, and cultural studies, offering varied career paths.
Kabarak University offers both full-time and part-time study options, providing flexibility for working professionals.
Two-year programme duration allows relatively quick completion compared to longer professional programmes.

Against it

Only Kabarak University offers this programme in Kenya, limiting choice and geographic access for prospective students.
Musicology has a niche job market in Kenya, with limited full-time positions outside academia.
Programme requires prior music training and strong academic writing skills, limiting access for those without music backgrounds.
Musicology salaries in Kenya may be lower compared to other professional fields, particularly in non-academic positions.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 73 art and design courses

Public216k to 280k

216k at Kenyatta University280k at Technical University of Kenya

Private130k to 130k

130k at Kabarak University130k at Kabarak University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

KU 216K, TUK 280K/yr verified. Kabarak ~130K/yr tuition (kabarak.ac.ke).

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. Kabarak University offers financial aid for eligible students. UNESCO provides cultural grants for music and cultural heritage research. The programme's cultural preservation focus attracts cultural sector funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
Kabarak University Financial Aid
UNESCO Cultural Grants

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
Kabarak University Financial Aid
ScholarshipKsh 130,000Kenyan
Kabarak University offers financial aid for eligible postgraduate students based on need and merit.
UNESCO Cultural Grants
ScholarshipKsh 300,000
UNESCO provides cultural grants for music and cultural heritage research and preservation in developing countries.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: The programme is designed for musicians and scholars seeking to advance musicological knowledge. Two-year programme with full-time and part-time study options at Kabarak University. Two semesters per academic year, each comprising fifteen weeks.

How you are assessed

4 components

Coursework and Seminars
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through coursework assignments, seminar presentations, research projects, and class participation throughout the programme.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering musicology theory, music history, ethnomusicology, and music analysis, conducted at end of each semester.
Research Project
Research40% of the mark
Research project involving fieldwork, data collection, music analysis, and written report demonstrating research skills and musicological knowledge.
Research Dissertation
Research100% of the mark
Original research dissertation on a musicological topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and musicological knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Kabarak University's Master of Musicology is offered through its School of Music and Media as a specialisation within the Master of Music programme. The programme meets CUE standards for postgraduate music training.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Kabarak University's Master of Musicology is offered through its School of Music and Media as a specialisation within the Master of Music programme.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Musicologist
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 400,000
Conducts musicological research, studies musical traditions, publishes scholarly work, and teaches musicology in universities and research institutions.
Ethnomusicologist
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 400,000
Researches music in cultural context, conducts fieldwork, documents traditional music, and preserves indigenous musical heritage.
Music Researcher
Moderate demandKsh 70,000 to Ksh 350,000
Conducts research on musical topics, works in research institutions, publishes findings, and contributes to music scholarship and documentation.
Music Educator
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 350,000
Teaches music theory, history, and appreciation in schools, colleges, and universities, training the next generation of musicians and scholars.
Music Critic
Moderate demandKsh 60,000 to Ksh 300,000
Writes about music for publications, reviews performances and recordings, and communicates musicological knowledge to public audiences.
Cultural Administrator
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Manages music and cultural organisations, festivals, and heritage programmes, overseeing operations, funding, and artistic direction.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as musicologists, ethnomusicologists, music researchers, music educators, and music critics in universities and cultural institutions.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Sibelius Music Notation Software
SoftwarePrimary
Professional music notation software for transcribing musical works, creating scores for analysis, and documenting musical compositions.
Field Recording Equipment
EquipmentPrimary
Portable field recording equipment for ethnomusicological fieldwork, capturing audio recordings of musical performances in community settings.
EndNote Reference Manager
Software
Reference management software for organising scholarly literature, managing citations, and producing academic publications in musicology.
SPSS
Software
Statistical analysis software for musicological research, analysing survey data, and conducting quantitative music research studies.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Musicology is just about studying music history.
Musicology encompasses historical musicology, ethnomusicology, systematic musicology, music theory, music criticism, and cultural studies, covering music as both art and cultural phenomenon.
Musicology has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Growing interest in African music documentation, cultural preservation, and music education creates demand for musicologists in universities, cultural institutions, and media.
Musicology is only for classical musicians.
Musicology studies all musical traditions including African music, popular music, church music, and contemporary genres, not just Western classical music.
Musicology is a purely academic subject with no practical application.
Musicology has practical applications in music education, cultural preservation, media, arts administration, and the music industry, informing how music is understood and valued.
Only one university offers this programme, making it inaccessible.
Kabarak University offers both full-time and part-time options, providing flexibility for working professionals and students from different locations.
Musicology is the same as music composition or performance.
Musicology is the scholarly study of music, focusing on research, analysis, and documentation, while composition and performance are creative and practical musical disciplines.