MA Computing Science/Music

About this course

Computing science and music may seem to belong to entirely different worlds, but their combination opens up some of the most creative and technically sophisticated possibilities in contemporary practice. Computing science is a broad and rigorous discipline spanning programming, software engineering, algorithms, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, networks, and data systems. Music encompasses composition, performance, analysis, and the history and culture of musical traditions. Together they equip you to work at the intersection of technology and creativity, whether designing audio software, exploring computational approaches to composition, analysing music with data-driven tools, or building the platforms through which music is now distributed and consumed. At the University of Glasgow, you will study both disciplines as a joint programme, developing strong technical skills in programming and systems design alongside musical knowledge and critical engagement with musical practice and culture. The computing science strand covers the wide range of areas the discipline encompasses, from the theoretical foundations of algorithms to the design and evaluation of interactive systems. The music strand allows you to engage with musical history, theory, and practice in ways that complement rather than simply contrast with your technical studies. The programme is available part-time and includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution in a different country. Graduates from this combination are sought after in the music technology industry, in audio software development, in digital platform roles with music and media companies, and in research combining computational and musicological approaches. Games audio, sound design, music information retrieval, and interactive media are also common destinations. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in computing, music technology, or interdisciplinary fields at the intersection of the two disciplines.

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