MRes - Master in Research

Introduced in 2011, the MRes is a 90-credit programme lasting one calendar year (from late September through to the next September), or it may be taken part-time over two years. It is taught in association with various other Humanities subjects and the Graduate School of CACSSS (College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences). It consists of certain core modules (15 credits) that are requirements for all MRes students irrespective of their specialist research area, and two modules (75 credits) that are subject-specific. In this way the student receives training in research and career-orientated skills while at the same time embarking, under supervision, on a major research project, worth 70 credits, in his or her specialist field.

For a more complete overview of the programme with a list of participating subjects, see www.ucc.ie/en/study/postgrad/research/MRes. There, too, may be found details of the research-skills modules that are provided. Two are requirements for all MRes students: PG6004 (Getting Started with Graduate Research and Generic Skills) and PG6009 (Graduate Information Literacy Skills). In addition, each MRes student chooses of one of the following modules: PG6008 (Qualitative Data Analysis and Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software) or PG6010 (Editing Skills for Research Postgraduates in the Humanities and Social Sciences) or PG6011 (Digital Skills for Research Postgraduates in the Humanities and Social Sciences).

The Music-specific modules

All students take the 5-credit module PG6032, Research Journal & Dissertation Presentation: this involves attendance at and participation in the School’s research seminar series where all Music postgraduate students and staff interact, the keeping of a research journal, bibliography, etc., and, later in the year, making a presentation about the student’s own research project.

At the heart of the MRes degree is of course the student’s own research project, worth 70 credits (module PG6033). This is undertaken under supervision; work on it begins as soon as possible at the beginning of the programme and the project is submitted by the beginning of the following October. In Music, the research can take a wide variety of forms: it may be musicological or ethnomusicological research written up as a dissertation, or a creative project presented as a portfolio of compositions, or as performance-based research involving both public performance and written discourse. The subject area of the research must normally fall within the expertise of current staff of the Department of Music, but in general terms any research topic, as determined with the agreement of the supervisor, is possible.

NB: Applicants are encouraged to discuss their research ideas with us in advance of making the formal application, which requires the submission of a 1000-word research proposal. See How to apply.