Course Summary
This is a career focused Masters degree, offering an exceptional opportunity for students to create a professional portfolio of original compositions for media and screen content and help expose their talent to audio-visual communities world-wide.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
- The standard minimum entry requirement is a 2.2 Honours Degree (NFQ Level 8) in Music or a cognate discipline. A portfolio of relevant digital audio-visual work is also required.
- Non-Standard Entry Requirements (Recognition of Prior Learning): Dundalk Institute of Technology recognises that knowledge, skills and competencies can be acquired from a range of learning experiences, including formal, non-formal and informal. Through the DkIT Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy, the Institute commits to giving value to all relevant learning, irrespective of mode or place of learning. Recognition of prior learning will provide opportunities for access, transfer and progression to education and training and for the achievement of an award. Processes and practices for the recognition of prior learning are detailed in the Institute's RPL Policy.
International (Non-EU) Students: In addition to having obtained the equivalent degree as per the standard entry requirements, international applicants must also provide evidence of proficiency in English. International applicants will be invited for interview. The English requirements are as follows:
- Grade B2 equivalent on CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
OR
- have achieved IELTS 6.5(or internationally recognised equivalent).
Application Details
How To Apply
Apply Directly to DkIT
Apply directly to DkIT using our online applications system (see "Application Weblink" above). Please remember to upload the required documentation (copies of your existing qualification(s), your CV, any other support documents etc) with your online application to expedite your application. To avoid disappointment early registration is recommended.
Start Date: September 2026.
Fees
EU Fees:
Full-time (EU): €19,900
Part-time (EU): n/a
Non-EU Fees:
Full-time (EU): €29,853
Part-time (EU): n/a
You may be eligible for financial support for this course through the Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) system.
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Creative
Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.
Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.
Realist
Realists are usually interested in 'things' - such as buildings, mechanics, equipment, tools, electronics etc. Their primary focus is dealing with these - as in building, fixing, operating or designing them. Involvement in these areas leads to high manual skills, or a fine aptitude for practical design - as found in the various forms of engineering.
Realists like to find practical solutions to problems using tools, technology and skilled work. Realists usually prefer to be active in their work environment, often do most of their work alone, and enjoy taking decisive action with a minimum amount of discussion and paperwork.
Career Progression
The Masters programme in Music for Screen prepares graduates for careers such as:
Film scoring
Game scoring
Music production for visual media
Music technology
Music editor
Music supervisor
Orchestration and arranging
Studio conducting and score supervision
Copyist
Project development
Sound design and editing
Audio asset content creation
Entrepreneurship
Education Progression
The MA in Music for Screen is a career focused degree. Graduates of the programme may wish to pursue their education further and would be qualified to do such in a range of areas relating to the music and audio-visual industries.
Most graduates will work within the Visual Media industries or lean toward further education and research within post-graduate training (PhD).
Graduates will be comprehensively equipped to progress, in most cases, directly into jobs in the Film, TV, Animation and Gaming industries, while others may gravitate towards more specialised fields such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) production, music for immersive and interactive media, sound design, and music production.
Duration
Course Delivery
The programme is full-time only, there is no part-time offering. The programme will be delivered January to January. This Masters degree is highly applied with a focus on ‘hands-on’ skills delivered through a blend of lectures, tutorials, practicals and online learning.