This program responds to the growing need of Lebanese society, which is inherent in music-related professions.

It is, above all, about the Lebanese school education sector, which needs to recruit large number of music educators. This need arises from the implementation of a law-making music education mandatory at all school levels, as well as from the establishment within the CRDP of a comprehensive music education program for all pre-university education cycles. Teaching music at the secondary level in particular requires educators who have received university-level training in music education sciences at the master’s level.

It is also about music therapy, the adjunct care sector in neurology and psychiatry, using musical listening, and music practice. The profession of music therapist (as an allied healthcare worker collaborating with teams of neurological and psychiatric specialists) is in a promising emerging phase in Lebanon.

Furthermore, it addresses professionals in musical sound and music production, expert researchers in the integration and processing of music in media (including the press), through the use of digital technology and artificial intelligence, as well as qualified researchers in musicology and experts in the musical traditions of Western Asia and the Mediterranean. It also targets high-level professional musicians (specializing in Eastern musical traditions and baroque music) who possess an academic background in musicological research.

Graduates of this program are expected to become musical experts, and researchers in musicology – above all, music educators, music therapist (as allied healthcare workers collaborating with neurological and psychiatric specialist teams), professionals in musical sound and digital music technology, or cultivated, high-level professional musicians, notably in Western Asian and ancient European and Mediterranean musical traditions. They are expected to pursue these careers in higher education institutions, in public or private schools, as well as in technical schools and music schools, in healthcare centers (music therapy), in cultural and/or media production companies, or in professional music performance and training settings.

This master’s program, offered with six concentrations, enables students to develop and deepen their musical and general musicological skills, as well as those specific to each of the six concentrations, while introducing a strong component of scientific research training. As a fully professionalizing high-level degree, the successful completion of this master’s program (with a GPA above 3.3/4) also paves the way for doctoral enrollment. The Faculty of Music and Musicology offers its top graduates the opportunity to benefit from co-supervision agreements with Sorbonne University and the Institut de Recherche en Musicologie, while remaining affiliated with the Faculty’s Research Center on Musical Traditions.

These music-related professions require the articulation of several types of complementary skills. Some of these skills are general:
1. essential practical and theoretical musical competencies, in Levantine and European music;
2. scientific research skills, inherent in musicology and related disciplines of targeted concentration.
Others are specific :
3. pedagogical competencies (M_MM_SEM) ;
4. health care competencies (M_MM_MTP).
5. technological competencies (M_MM_MTM) ;
6. advanced oriental music competencies (M_MM_MSA) ;
7. advanced western music competencies (M_MM_MSE).
It is also about soft-skills :
8. verbal and musical, written and oral communication ;
9. critical thinking ;
10. scientific rigor ;
11. ethical correctness ;
12. friendliness in diversity.

Graduates of this program, while becoming school music educators, music therapists (allied healthcare professionals working in collaboration with neurological and psychiatric specialist teams), professional musicians, experts in digital music sound technology, or high-level music critics in the press and media, may also pursue doctoral studies to become university teacher-researchers.

The Master’s program in Music and Musicology (M-MM) is primarily intended for holders of a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Musicology in the same concentration (awarded by the FMM-UA or any other accredited higher education institution). When the bachelor’s degree was completed in a concentration different from the one targeted for the master’s, the candidate must complete required remedial courses, at the undergraduate level, in the chosen concentration during the first year of the master’s program. If the candidate has previously validated courses listed among these remedial requirements, they are, of course, exempt from taking them again.

Conditions of admission in Master
For all plans:
1. hold a Lebanese Baccalaureate, or its equivalent;
2. hold a BA in music and musicology, which the transcript is examined by the FMM Transfers and Equivalences Commission, with an average of more than 15/20 (in European system) or a GPA higher than 2.6 (in the American system);
3. pass on an orientation interview with the Dean.

Educational practices are classified into
1. Lectures in musicology, music education sciences, and music therapy, which follow the traditional lecture format while integrating complementary and diverse learning strategies, notably technopedagogy, group work, case studies, and the preparation of documentary syntheses and presentations by students;
2. Research seminars;
3. Courses in musical training (Levantine and Western) and harmony, which combine ear training through musical listening, memorization, group singing, collective and individual sight-reading, and musical dictation, while also using technopedagogy and group activities;
4. Supervised music therapy practice internships.

Assessment components
The system for assessing students’ achievement of course learning outcomes is based on the evaluation components as follows, depending on the types of courses taught:
1. Theoretical courses A of mainly lecture-based teaching leading to a cumulative assessment of four evaluative components, as follows:

• Component 1, with 20%: continuous evaluation (classroom activities, tests, assignments, oral presentations, etc.);
• Component 2, with 20%: Test 1 (Written test of 30 minutes);
• Component 3, with 20%: Test 2 (Written test of 30 minutes);
• Component 4, with 40%: Final exam (anonymous test taken at the end of the semester);

2. Theoretical courses B of mainly lecture-based teaching leading to a cumulative assessment of four evaluative components, as follows:

• Component 1, with 20%: continuous evaluation (classroom activities, tests, assignments, oral presentations, etc.);
• Component 2, with 20%: Test 1 (Written test of 30 minutes);
• Component 3, with 20%: Test 2 (Project presentation);
• Component 4, with 40%: Final exam (anonymous test taken at the end of the semester);

3. Courses of western musical training, Mashriq musical training, and harmony, leading to a cumulative evaluation consisting of six evaluative components, as follows:

• Component 1, with 10%;
• Component 2, with 10%;
• Component 3, summary, with 30%;
• Component 4, with 10%;
• Component 5 with 10%;
• Component 6, summary, with 30%.

4. The internships are evaluated by the supervising teacher as follows:

• Component 1, evaluation of internship participation, with 30%;
• Component 2, evaluation of placement learning outcomes, with 30%;
• Component 3, evaluation of the placement report with 40%.

5. Individual musical practice courses shall be evaluated by the teacher and a Board of Examiners as follows :

• Component 1, continuous assessment, with 60%;
• Component 2, assessment by the Board of Examiners, with 40%.

The passing grade for all courses in the graduate is set at 70/100.

Grading
The scoring of results and the conditions for graduation differs between

• The students under the academic regime without GPA (cohorts enrolled for the first time in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program before September 2019 and not concerned by the calculation of the GPA) and
• The students covered by the academic regime with GPA (cohorts enrolled for the first time in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program from September 2019 and concerned by the calculation of the GPA).

The main difference involves the taking into consideration of the calculation of the Grade Point Average or GPA for the graduation of students under the academic regime with GPA; the GPA does not consider the graduation of students under the academic regime without GPA.
For the grades and the calculation of the GPA, see section 7.a (graduate).

Common to the Master Program

At the end of the program of M_MM, the student will be able to

• analyze the structural grammar of a musical work used in scientific research, clearly describing its semiotic framework and the principles underlying its cognitive neuropsychological processing;
• design a musicological research project within a subdiscipline well mastered by the student, on a research topic within their reach, by appropriately formulating objectives, research questions, and hypotheses, in line with the epistemological standards of the chosen field;
• carry out musicological research on a subject familiar to the student, employing appropriate methodological tools, and adhering strictly to the epistemological standards of the selected subdiscipline as well as to the ethical principles of scientific research;
• adhere to the ethical standards governing research and musicological disciplines;
• communicate research findings effectively, both orally and in writing (in French, English, or Arabic), by constructing a clear, credible, and well-argued discourse that meets recognized methodological standards;
• produce a well-structured and thoroughly written research thesis (minimum 15,000 words) within the musicological subdiscipline of the chosen concentration, demonstrating originality and scholarly relevance;
• defend this research before an academic jury, presenting a coherent and well-argued synthesis of the work, clearly outlining the scientific approach, highlighting key findings, and responding convincingly to questions from jury members.

Specific to the Program

At the end of the Master in music and musicology, SEM option, the student is capable

• to develop a scientific research project in music education sciences, culturally contextualized concerning Lebanon and the Levant. This his research being original, relevant, ethically compliant with scientific research standards, and well written;
• to implement, in educational settings, the findings of advanced research in music education sciences.

Graduates of this program shall become researchers in musicology.