M.Phil. in Music Top Colleges, Syllabus, Scope and Salary

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Note: As of December 2023, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has declared that MPhil will not be considered a valid degree in India. Learn More

M.Phil. in Music or Master of Philosophy in Music is a postgraduate research course in the field of music. The course can be called a mirror equivalent of Ph.D. but is different from it in some aspects. Many colleges offer this course in an integrated form with Ph.D. also. The course duration is generally 2 years but can be more if distance education is pursued. When the M.Phil-Ph.D. integrated course is pursued, the M.Phil. duration is supposed to be 1 year.

The eligibility criteria for admission to M.Phil in Music include a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music, vocational studies or instrumental music. The applicant should have obtained at least 50% marks in both the qualifying exams. The admissions are done through entrance tests.

The course teaches students about the deep details of music and related fields like Aesthetics of Indian Music, Music and Religion, Psychology of Music, Research Methodologies, Stage Performances, Foot Notes, Discs & Tapes, etc. The average course fee ranges from INR 10,000-60,000.

Those who complete this course can be recruited by companies like Doordarshan, FM Gold, AIR, Mojo Magazine, T-Series, Zee Music Company, etc. They get to work on profiles like Music Therapist, Composer, Music Librarian, Band Master, Artist, etc. The average starting salary ranges from INR 3-7 Lakhs.

Table of Content

M.Phil. in Music: Highlights Table
M.Phil. in Music: What is it about?
M.Phil. in Music: Admission Process

3.1 Eligibility Criteria

M.Phil. in Music: Top Institutes
M.Phil. in Music: Distance Education
M.Phil. in Music: Career Prospects

M.Phil. in Music: Highlights

Course Level	Postgraduate
Examination Type	Semester-wise
Eligibility for the program	Masters in music or any related subject from a recognized institute.
Duration of the program	1-2 years
Average Tuition Fee	INR 10,000-60,000
Average Salary (per annum)	INR 3-7 Lakhs
Job Profiles	Music Therapist, Composer, Music Librarian, Band Master, Artist, etc.

M.Phil. in Music: What is it about?

Music is a practical art and it requires special attention and continuous stress to achieve excellence in performance. The art of music has been developed into the paradigm of time and space. Therefore, research in the field of music has provided a new dimension to the way we perceive fine arts and music.

M.Phil. in Music introduces a broad range of current methodologies and approaches in music scholarship. It is designed for students wishing to attain a thorough grounding in musicology at an advanced level, either as a preparation for doctoral research or an autonomous qualification.

Those students who are interested in exploring the opportunity to acquire or develop research skills and expertise relevant to a specified area of music studies should go for this course. Also, individuals who like to research and are keen to explore the different aspects of performance studies can go for M.Phil. in Music.

The M.Phil. in music syllabus of the Mumbai University mainly involves 3 papers:

Research Methodology
History and Theory of Music
Contemporary Topics on Music

To get details about the syllabus, click here.

M.Phil. in Music: Admission Process

Admission to M.Phil. in Music program is through an entrance test. For Music, the entrance test is mostly practical in nature and a student is expected to prepare musical pieces to perform for their test. The test is based on the syllabus for MA Music and will include theoretical as well as practical aspects taught at the post-graduation level.

At Banasthali University, a candidate is expected to prepare one slow khayal and one first khayal with the accompany of tabla. Students must also possess theoretical knowledge of music.

Selection Criteria

Only those students who fulfill all the eligibility criteria are allowed to appear in the entrance tests. The final selection is based on performance in the practical test and marks scored in the qualifying examination. Generally, the weight accorded to each is 50%. However, this number may vary across universities. Students might also have to go through some round of personal interview.

M.Phil. in Music: Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for admission to M.Phil in Music include a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music, vocational studies or instrumental music. The applicant should have obtained at least 50% marks in both the qualifying exams. The degrees should have been obtained from recognized colleges affiliated to UGC. Preference is given to students who have obtained at least 50% marks in these courses.

M.Phil. in Music: Top Institutes

Institute Name	Location	Average Fees (per annum)
Queen Mary’s College	Chennai	INR 1,500
Annamalai University	Chidambaram	INR 22,500
Kurukshetra University	Kurukshetra	INR 19,000
Shivaji University	Kolhapur	INR 13,500
University of Madras	Chennai	INR 5,000
Panjab University	Chandigarh	INR 8,700
Punjabi University	Patiala	INR 15,000
University of Kerala	Thiruvananthapuram	INR 30,000
Banaras Hindu University	Varanasi	INR 3,500

M.Phil. in Music: Distance Education

This course is also offered in distance education mode (correspondence mode) by some institutes in India. While pursuing M.Phil. in Music distance education mode, the course duration can go up to 6 years.