Undergraduate Course: Music Research Project (MUSI10121)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | Students undertake a substantial, supervised independent project in music, choosing either a text-based dissertation or a creative practice portfolio with written commentary. The course supports historical, ethnomusicological, analytical, social scientific and practice-led approaches, with shared sessions on project design, methods, ethics and scholarly communication. It serves as a BMus final year capstone, consolidating skills in research, critical reflection and multimodal presentation, and prepares students for further study or professional practice. |
| Course description |
This course is a capstone independent project for BMus students. Under supervision, students design and complete a substantial piece of work in one of two formats: a written dissertation or a creative practice portfolio with critical commentary. Projects may draw on historical and analytical musicology, music theory, ethnomusicology, music sociology, music psychology, sound studies, or practice-as-research in areas such as applied performance, improvisation, installation or audio production. Shared sessions address topics including project design and feasibility, research questions, methods across different musical subfields, ethics and research integrity (especially for work with participants or communities), and inclusive scholarly communication, including appropriate use of digital tools and generative AI. Students are expected to engage in sustained independent work throughout the year, including reading, listening, practice, data collection and drafting.
Students will normally attend several whole-cohort seminars across the year (for example, on project design, methods, ethics and writing/documentation), alongside regular one-to-one supervision meetings to support their individual project. Between sessions, students are expected to develop and refine their project plans, complete preparatory reading or listening, undertake practical work or fieldwork as appropriate, and submit interim written and/or creative work for formative feedback. The course requires significant self-directed study, with students managing their own time to plan, execute and write up (or document) their projects over two semesters, culminating in a major final submission.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 14,
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
374 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
This course has 1 assessment component.
1. Research project submission (dissertation or creative practice portfolio + commentary), 40-credit capstone project, 100%, May exam diet, relates to Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Individually assessed. This component must be passed.
Further information:
Research project submission: Students choose either (a) written dissertation of 8,000 words, or (b) creative/practice portfolio accompanied by a written commentary of approximately 5,000 words.
Both formats are assessed against the same course Learning Outcomes using a shared course-level rubric alongside existing Reid School of Music essay and creative-practice marking criteria.
Resubmission Information:
The resubmission arrangements for this course are as follows:
Students will submit to the original assessment brief.
Students will receive further resubmission information as per University regulations as necessary. |
| Feedback |
Formative Feedback:
Students will receive formative feedback throughout the year to support the development of their final independent project (dissertation, or portfolio + commentary).
Formative work-in-progress review (end of Semester 1)
Dissertation route: students submit a draft section (e.g. literature review or methods, c.1,500-2,000 words) for review by their supervisor.
Practice-led route: students submit short creative extracts plus a reflective text (c.800-1,000 words).
Supervisors give targeted comments (usually written with follow-up discussion in supervision) within 2-3 weeks, highlighting strengths and areas to develop in relation to argument, methods, and contextualisation. This material can be revised and incorporated into the final submission.
Supervision meetings (throughout both semesters)
Regular one-to-one supervision provides ongoing oral feedback on emerging ideas, plans, drafts and portfolio work. Students are expected to bring specific questions or excerpts to discuss.
Peer feedback (selected seminars)
In at least one seminar, students present aspects of their work-in-progress (e.g. an outline, argument structure, or sample materials) and receive oral feedback from peers and the course organiser. This supports rehearsal of communication and helps students to sense-check their approach ahead of submission.
Students can also seek additional informal feedback by arranging further office-hour consultations with their supervisor or course organiser, within staff workload constraints
Summative Feedback:
Summative feedback on the final independent project will normally be provided in written form by the first and second markers. Students will receive a brief narrative comment addressing each of the main assessment dimensions together with an overall course mark, delivered via Learn.
Where appropriate, the Course Organiser will provide an additional overview comment to the cohort (e.g. via Learn announcement or short recording) highlighting common strengths and recurring issues across projects, to help students interpret individual feedback.
As there is a single summative assessment component on this course, summative feedback does not feed directly into a later in-course assessment, but it is intended to support students' ongoing development in research, writing, creative practice and documentation (for example, in project planning, postgraduate study, professional practice, or future grant/proposal writing). Students seeking to discuss their feedback in more detail may arrange a meeting with their supervisor or the Course Organiser within a reasonable period after marks are released, subject to staff availability.
Summative feedback will be provided according to University regulations.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Formulate a well-defined research question as the motivation for a substantial independent research project in music.
- Situate the project within an appropriate context by critically reviewing and synthesising relevant literature, concepts, sources, and practices.
- Plan how you will gather and use evidence to support your aims and demonstrate that your approach is appropriate.
- Evaluate the project's outcomes and limitations, according to your research design.
- Communicate the project's aims, methods and outcomes clearly, coherently, and effectively using appropriate conventions, standards, and formats.
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Reading List
Nicholas Cook. 2018. Music As Creative Practice. Oxford University Press.
Zina O'Leary. 2021. The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. Fourth edition. SAGE Publications Ltd.
IAD, The University of Edinburgh. n.d. 'General Advice - Student Research Projects | The University of Edinburgh'. https://www.ed.ac.uk/institute-academic-development/study-hub/learning-resources/dissertations.
Lee, Sang-Hie, ed. 2022. Scholarly Research in Music : Shared and Disciplinary-Specific Practices . Second edition. Routledge.
Hazel Smith. 2022. Practice-Led Research, Research-Led Practice in the Creative Arts. Edinburgh University Press. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Independent learning and initiative. Designing and managing a substantial, year-long project (dissertation or portfolio) requires students to take ownership of their work, set realistic goals, and adapt plans in response to challenges. Regular supervision meetings are student led, encouraging them to decide what they need feedback on and to take the initiative in moving their project forward.
Critical and analytical thinking. Framing a research or creative question, selecting appropriate methods, and analysing musical materials, data or practice all help students to interrogate assumptions, evaluate evidence, and make well-reasoned judgements. Interim drafts and work in progress seminars require students to refine their arguments and respond constructively to critique.
Ethical and responsible practice. Seminars on ethics, research integrity and responsible use of digital tools and generative AI, alongside supervisor guidance on consent, representation and data management, help students to recognise the ethical dimensions of their work and make informed, responsible decisions in designing and carrying out their projects.
Communication and multimodal literacy. Writing an extended dissertation or a substantial critical commentary, and integrating scores, audio, video or other media, develops students' ability to explain complex musical ideas clearly to different audiences. Preparing a final submission that is well structured, accessible and professionally documented strengthens their confidence in communicating specialist knowledge in varied formats.
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| Keywords | Music dissertation,Capstone project,Practice-led,Creative practice,Independent |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Annette Davison
Tel: (0131 6)50 2426
Email: A.C.Davison@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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