Funded MA studentships in Music at the Open University

Thanks to a generous bequest, The Open University Music Department is pleased to offer two scholarships for students to study our MA in Music starting in September 2026. These are open to all students who are permanent UK residents and eligible to pay fees at the home rate, but priority will be given to those who meet one or both of the following criteria:

• Students from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background
• Have an annual individual gross income of not more than £25,000, including any government benefit

Please see below for details and get in touch with us if you have any questions.

About the MA in Music

The MA in Music at the Open University provides you with the opportunity to discover what it means to study music in the twenty-first century. The course has cultural and thematic breadth, and during your studies you will engage with classical, popular and folk music from around the world. Above all, the MA gives you the opportunity to study music that is of interest to you, and it culminates in a project on a topic that you yourself choose. 

This is the ideal qualification for anyone who wants to know more about the richness and diversity of music and the ways in which we can approach it as researchers and practitioners.

It is a two-year qualification requiring approximately 25 hours of study time a week, which means that it can be completed alongside employment, and it is taught entirely online.

The Margaret Wooder studentships

The Margaret Wooder studentships will cover tuition fees for both Part One and Part Two of the degree, with the scholarship for Part Two being dependent on successfully passing Part One at merit or distinction level. 

To apply for a studentship, please complete the application form and send it to [email protected] by 30 June 2026. (If you experience any difficulty accessing the form, please get in touch with the contact provided here.)

With the form you should also send:

• a separate curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than two pages
• a copy of your latest degree certificate and/or transcript of results achieved to date if you have not yet received your degree

The studentships will not be awarded to students receiving full funding from other funding bodies.

You should not register for the MA until you have been notified of the outcome of your studentship application.

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Naomi Barker.