- Year of study: Second year of study, two semesters.
- Final assessment: Artistic presentation, theoretical thesis and dialogue with the examination committee
- Prerequisites: Admission to Master in music performance.
- Language of instruction: Norwegian/English.
Course description
This course is for students enrolled in the Master of Music Performance programme in the concentration Performance and Research.
The Master’s Project is to be an independent project that reflects artistic and scholarly maturity. The performance and the theoretical parts of the Master’s Project comprise almost equal parts which elucidate each other and represent a cohesive whole.
Learning objectives
On completion of this course, the student is expected to
- demonstrate the ability to explore and reflect upon artistic and scientific issues and how these can be combined to represent a cohesive whole
- make use of relevant material from artistic development work and research and implements this in the master's thesis
- be able to initiate, develop, implement and manage an artistic project
- be able to articulate and discuss issues related to their own artistic project
- show artistic integrity and maturity in musical presentation of the master's project
The students will be assessed based on the same learning objectives in Master's Project I and Master's Project II. On completion of the course Master's Project II, the students will be assessed according to the learning objectives of the course.
Overview
In the Master’s Project, students will acquire advanced knowledge of a self-selected thematic area or repertoire. The project must link performance and musical expression with the documentation of music research or artistic research. The project must demonstrate the student’s ability to pursue in-depth study through independent insight and contribute to the reflective interpretation of the topic.
The repertoire may normally not be included as part of the courses Artistic Specialisation I or II.
Most of the work in the courses Master’s Project I and II is comprised of the student’s work with
- developing a project description for the Master’s Project
- implementing and managing his/her own Master's Project consisting of an artistic component and a research component.
- rehearsing and interpreting the repertoire for the Master’s Project (duration: 90 minutes)
- developing and preparing public presentations of his/her own Master’s Project
- relevant literature (including material from artistic development work and research)
- masterclasses, lectures/dialogues and interpretation classes
Structure
Each student is assigned a main supervisor and normally one or two assistant supervisors from among the college's permanent academic staff. The supervisor(s) must give the student advice and feedback in relation to artistic choices as well as objectives and issues for the master's work.
The students are themselves responsible for the progression, and must make sure to make regular agreements with the supervisor(s) so that the agreed progression is maintained. A large degree of independence is expected in the master's project.
For an overview of the indicative amount of teaching and organisation, see "Organisation" under the description of the individual study programme.
The student is automatically registered for teaching/guidance and assessment in the subject, according to the progression set out in the education plan.
Final assessment
The student will be assessed on the basis of the learning objectives of the course. Final assessment is expressed as pass/fail and is determined on the basis of a final artistic presentation, a theoretical thesis and discussion with the examination committee. The master's project is assessed as a whole, normally with equal emphasis on the final artistic presentation, theoretical thesis, however with emphasis on the performing part when there is doubt about determining the grade. The assessment is given collectively for all three components.
The Master's Project is normally assessed by three examiners, one of whom is external. The supervisor is normally one of the examiners. The examination board must give an oral statement about the master's thesis to the student.
Final artistic presentation
The Master's Project concludes with a final artistic presentation which is normally held as a concert in the fourth semester of the study. Upon application, the master's project can be presented in a different format. Any application must be submitted to the examination office by 1 December in the third semester of the course.
Duration: 45 minutes.
Theoretical thesis
The theoretical part of the Master's Project is documented through a written assignment, normally around 50 pages (20,000–25,000 words). If part of the theoretical thesis is suitable for presentation in an alternative format, it can form part of the documentation and be carried out in connection with the final artistic presentation.
Deadline: By 15 April in the study's fourth semester, the master's thesis must be submitted in NMH's digital examination system. Read more practical information and guidelines related to the master's thesis (nmh.no).
The assignment must be approved by the examination committee before the student can carry out the final artistic presentation and interview. Censorship of the theoretical thesis must be available three weeks after the submission deadline. Students who do not get the theoretical thesis approved must revise it and submit it within the specified deadlines.
Dialogue with the examination committee
Following the final artistic presentation, the candidate must conduct a conversation with the examination committee. Academic issues regarding the candidate's master's project, working methods, the inner connection in the Master's Project, the connection between the final artistic presentation and the candidate's theoretical thesis, literature the student has used and more will be included as part of the conversation.
Duration: 20–30 minutes.
New assessment
In the case of re-assessment, the same procedures apply.