course-details-portlet

MUSV6005

Music psychology

New from the academic year 2025/2026

Assessments and mandatory activities may be changed until September 20th.

Credits 7.5
Level Further education, higher degree level
Course start Spring 2026
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction Norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Assignment

About

About the course

Course content

How can music evoke emotions? Are the emotions in the music or in the person? What is musicality? This is the type of questions that is dealt with in music psychology. In this course, we immerse ourselves in the understanding of what actually happens between the music and the person, which causes experiences to arise that can be positive, fun, overwhelming - but also at times troublesome and stressful. We start with the basics of sound waves that meet the ear and the musical development of the child, to a broader perspective also including adjacent perspectives such as music sociology and music philosophy. We look at how research can be designed to capture music experiences and what types of research methods are used in music psychology. Together we read and discuss both older texts which have become classics, and modern research.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

Candidates who successfully complete MUSV6005:

  • Have an understanding of which factors both in the music and in the person that influence the music experience,
  • Have knowledge on different theoretical perspectives on the interplay between music and human beings,
  • Have deepened their own emotional self-awareness

Skills:

Candidates who successfully complete this course can:

  • Theoretically explain and discuss how and why music affects human beings emotionally,
  • Design a music psychology experiment
  • Present their own thoughts and views around this topic in a coherent and convincing form, both orally and in writing.

Learning methods and activities

The course consists of lectures and seminars with compulsory attendance (at least 80%). Both lectures and seminars will be interactive with practical exercises and group work that combines theory and practice through listening to music, reading, discussion and independent reflection.

A large part of the course will center around active music listening, where we test, discuss and make ourselves conscious about different ways of listening.

A 7.5 credit course corresponds to approximately 650 pages of course literature. It is expected that students read the course literature and participate in discussions at lectures/seminar.

Compulsory assignments

  • Attendance at lectures and seminars (at least 80%)
  • Write a reflective diary from at least half of the seminars
  • Submission of one assignments between lectures, individually and in groups

Further on evaluation

One semester essay (4 000 - 6 000 words plus references).

If the course is not passed, the student must retake the whole assessment. If the candidate retakes the exam, there is no need to retake the compulsory assignments.

Specific conditions

Admission to a programme of study is required:
Musicology - Continuing Education (distance learning) (FJMUSIKK)

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
MUSV3145 7.5 sp Autumn 2025
This course has academic overlap with the course in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Health Science
  • Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture
  • Music Theory
  • Neuroscience
  • Dance Studies
  • Public Health
  • The Humanities
  • Musicology
  • Music Pedagogy Subjects
  • Psychology
  • Social Sciences and Psychology
  • Sociology

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Music

Department with administrative responsibility

Section for quality in education and learning environment

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Assignment
Grade: Letter grades

Ordinary examination - Spring 2026

Assignment
Weighting 100/100 Exam system Inspera Assessment