Music, Communication and Technology (master)
How can technology transform and innovate musical and artistic practice from a developer, scientist or researcher perspective? This master’s programme lets you shape the future of music tech.
A future oriented music technology profile
We are in the midst of a profound shift in how sound, music and interaction are created, experienced and understood. AI-based systems can now analyse and generate sound and music, motion sensing and embodied interfaces blur the line between instrument and performer, and powerful computational tools are available on everything from laptops to embedded devices. The Master’s programme in Music Technology (MCT) gives you the knowledge and skills to help shape this landscape – as a researcher, developer or technology oriented artist.
MCT is a two year, research oriented master’s programme that focuses on the design, analysis and creative use of music technology in an AI rich world. You will work with:
● computing and programming for sound and music
● machine learning and other types of AI for sound, music and motion
● motion capture and embodied interaction
● interactive music systems and AI-driven musical agents
This is a music technology program with a twist. The “C” in MCT covers several important topics you will be exposed to: Creativitye, Computing, Cognition, and Communication. All tap into different expertise in our department, and you may choose to specialise in one or more of them during your study.
Interdisciplinarity at the core
MCT is inherently interdisciplinary. The programme combines perspectives and methods from the arts and humanities, social and natural sciences, and design and engineering. At the core is the wish to better understand human musicality and to explore relationships between humans and machines.
Your studies are research, industry and art relevant
The programme has a clear research profile. Many courses are closely linked to ongoing research projects and centres at the Department of Musicology, including work on creative AI, motion capture, interactive music technologies, and sound and music computing. As a master’s student, you can:
● join an active research group early in the programme
● work on a thesis that contributes to ongoing research in areas such as creative AI, interactive music systems or motion related studies
● collaborate with external partners in the cultural sector, technology companies or the public sector
The emphasis on computing, AI and systematic research methods also makes the programme relevant for professional and development oriented careers, for example in:
● audio and media technology companies
● creative AI and interactive systems development
● UX, interaction design and prototyping in sound related domains
● data driven roles that require both technical and analytical skills
At the same time, the programme is also relevant for technology oriented artists who want to integrate advanced music technology and AI into their practice. You will have the opportunity to develop ambitious artistic projects — such as new instruments, performance systems or installations that are grounded in solid technical competence and informed by current research.
A technological and critical perspective
MCT educates music technologists who are able not only to build systems, but also to reflect on their implications. Music is at the core, but the scope is broader: you are trained as a technological humanist, combining technical, reflective, and aesthetic skills. Many of the topics you encounter could be taught from other perspectives, but in MCT they are consistently grounded in sound and music, one of the most demanding and nuanced application domains.
Throughout the programme you will encounter questions related to:
● authorship, agency and collaboration in creative AI and AI-driven musical agents
● how technical choices shape musical practice, creativity, embodiment and listening
● how music technology can be used to explore and address real world problems and societal
challenges
The combination of technical competence, musical sensibility, humanistic reflection, and a creative sense is increasingly important in both research and professional contexts, and MCT is designed to cultivate all these dimensions together.
Make use of modern facilities and work collaboratively
The Department of Musicology offers a rich learning environment with access to:
● specialised labs and studios for sound, music and motion
● makerspace facilities and tools for interactive systems and digital fabrication
● high performance computing resources and e infrastructures
● rehearsal rooms, several with access to specialised acoustic and digital instruments, video rooms, synth rooms and recording/production studios
Teaching is carried out in workshops, lab sessions and project based courses, often in small groups, and you will be encouraged to develop your own ideas into working prototypes and research projects. The broader University of Oslo environment, with its many student organisations and activities, offers additional social and academic arenas.
Your Master’s thesis and further opportunities
The master’s thesis is your opportunity to go in- depth on a topic of your choice within music technology, in close collaboration with a supervisor. You can choose between:
● 30 ECTS thesis – normally carried out over one semester
● 60 ECTS thesis – normally carried out over two semesters (one year)
Typical thesis projects may be:
● development and evaluation of new interactive music systems or AI-based musical agents
● applied machine learning and other AI methods for sound, music or motion data
● projects on rhythm, timing and movement in performance, including motion capture studies, analysis of bodily interaction, or design of rhythm sensitive instruments and interfaces
● projects on creative AI in music and the arts, such as generative models for sound and music, co creative tools for composers and performers, or studies of human–AI collaboration in artistic practice
● design, implementation and study of new instruments, installations or performance systems that combine sensing, interaction and AI
● collaborative projects with research groups, industry partners or organisations in the cultural and public sectors
Whether you choose a research oriented, development oriented or artistically-- driven path, the programme aims to prepare you for a future where AI, computing and creativity are tightly intertwined – in music technology and beyond