The Music Studies major builds on both theoretical and practical skills under the fantastic supervision of the School of Music staff. UWA's flexible course structure allowed me to take Chemistry and French as broadening units which means I can learn about so much more, and also meet people studying different majors.
Music Studies provides you with a broad grounding in music and allows you to focus on a chosen area of music study through option units, in addition to studying a range of core units. This major ensures you develop expertise and skills in the areas of performance and composition, harmony and aural, Western art music history and popular world music. The Music Studies major attracts students from across the University, at all levels, who are keen to develop their passion and skills in music. As a result you will have the experience of studying alongside students from diverse backgrounds, creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment. Students wishing to specialise in performance, composition or musicology should consider taking the Music Studies major concurrently with the Specialist Music Studies major.
Students are able to (1) demonstrate an established instrumental or vocal technique, an awareness of relevant historical and stylistic conventions, an experimental and creative orientation, and a high level of musicianship and presentation in solo, small and/or large ensemble settings, and/or demonstrate an established compositional technique, an awareness of relevant historical and stylistic conventions, an experimental and creative orientation, and a high level of presentation and attention to detail that enables effective musical realisation; (2) identify, describe and apply basic concepts and devices in music language (harmony, rhythm, melody, timbre, texture, dynamic) in aural and written analysis, and in compositional exercises; (3) critically engage with, and interpret key texts from, a range of music sub-disciplines (e.g. historical musicology, ethnomusicology, psychology of music, music sociology); (4) articulate broad historical perspectives on the nature and contexts of art music in Western culture from the Renaissance to the present day; (5) understand basic performance skills in one non-Western musical tradition; (6) demonstrate a sociocultural and musical understanding of various forms of world and popular musics from a global perspective; (7) demonstrate foundational knowledge of key music education issues, philosophies and practices; (8) develop transferable skills in research, critical thinking and communication which enable successful tertiary study, and facilitate postgraduate studies and patterns of lifelong learning; and (9) develop some specialised knowledge in particular areas through elective studies in music (e.g. Music, Mind and Medicine; Music, Identity and Place; Gong, Punks and Shadow Plays; Drama Through Music: Studies in Opera; Music in the Community; Soundscapes of Australia; Music, Aesthetics and Criticism).
Music Studies can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:
BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Music Studies is a degree-specific single major comprising:
| Key to availability of units: |
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2017 |
Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2018 or 2019.
| Take all units (12 points): | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S1 | MUSC1310 | Communication Skills in Music | None |
| S2 | MUSC1350 | Popular Music in Global Perspective | Incompatibility: MUSC3010 Popular Music and Culture |
| Take all complementary units (24 points): | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S1 | MUSC1321 | Music Language 1 | Prerequisites: ATAR MUS Music or WACE Music 3A/3B or Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) grade 5 practical and grade 5 theory or equivalent Incompatibility: MUSC1201 Techniques of Music 1 |
| S2 | MUSC1322 | Music Language 2 | Prerequisites: MUSC1321 Music Language 1 or MUSC1201 Techniques of Music 1 Incompatibility: MUSC1202 Techniques of Music 2 |
| S1, S2 | MUSC1341 | Practical Music 1 | Prerequisites: passed School of Music audition/composition portfolio Co-requisites: enrolled in the Music Studies major (degree-specific major) Incompatibility: MUSC1401 Practical Studies 1 |
| S1, S2 | MUSC1342 | Practical Music 2 | Prerequisites: MUSC1341 Practical Music 1 or MUSC1401 Practical Studies 1 Incompatibility: MUSC1402 Practical Studies 2 |
| Take all units (12 points): | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S1 | MUSC2331 | Western Art Music 1 (Renaissance and Baroque) | Prerequisites: any Level 1 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC1100 Western Art Music (Renaissance and Baroque) |
| S2 | MUSC2332 | Western Art Music 2 (Classical and Romantic) | Prerequisites: any Level 1 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC2110 Western Art Music (Classical and Romantic) |
| Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S2 | MUSC2350 | Music in World Cultures | Prerequisites: any Level 1 Music unit or ANTH1001 Being Human: Culture, Identity and Society or ANTH1101 Being Human: Culture, Identity and Society or ANTH1002 Being Human: Culture, Identity and Society or ANTH1102 Global Change, Local Responses Incompatibility: MUSC1010 Music in World Cultures |
| S1, S2 | MUSC2355 | Chamber Music | Prerequisites: MUSC1342 Practical Music 2 |
| Take the following unit: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S1 | MUSC3331 | Western Art Music 3 (Modernist and Postmodernist) | Prerequisites: MUSC2331 Western Art Music 1 (Renaissance and Baroque) or MUSC2332 Western Art Music 2 (Classic and Romantic) or MUSC2525 Music Language 4 Incompatibility: MUSC2120 Western Art Music (Post-romantic and Early Modernist) AND MUSC3100 Western Art Music (Contemporary) |
| Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S2 | MUSC3332 | Drama through Music: Studies in Opera | Prerequisites: any Level 2 MUSC unit Incompatibility: MUSC3110 Classical and Romantic Opera; MUSC3120 Twentieth-century Opera |
| N/A | MUSC3334 | Soundscapes of Australia | Prerequisites: any Level 2 MUSC unit Incompatibility: MUSC3130 Australian Art Music Since Federation |
| N/A | MUSC3351 | Gongs, Punks and Shadow Plays | Prerequisites: any Level 2 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC3070 Music of Southeast Asia |
| N/A | MUSC3352 | Music, Identity and Place | Prerequisites: any Level 2 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC3020 Music, Identity and Place |
| N/A | MUSC3353 | Music in the Community | Prerequisites: any Level 2 MUSC unit Incompatibility: MUSC2010 Music in the Community |
| N/A | MUSC3354 | Music, Mind and Medicine | Prerequisites: any Level 2 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC3040 Music, Mind and Medicine |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3543 | Advanced Ensemble | Prerequisites: Any Level 2 Music unit Co-requisites: enrolled in the Music Studies major (degree specific major) Incompatibility: MUSC3401 Practical Studies 5, MUSC3402 Practical Studies 6, MUSC4401 Practical Studies 7, MUSC4402 Practical Studies 8 |
You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.
To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .
To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.
The following example illustrates how the Music Studies degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Arts course.
There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .
You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design or Bachelor of Science course, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.
The following example illustrates how the Music Studies degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Arts course.
For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .
Music Studies can also be taken as a second major.
Music Studies can be taken as a second major in the following degree courses:
BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BP002 Bachelor of Commerce
BP003 Bachelor of Design
BP004 Bachelor of Science
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
The Music Studies second major is a single major comprising:
| Key to availability of units: |
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2017 |
Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2018 or 2019.
| Take all units (12 points): | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S1 | MUSC1310 | Communication Skills in Music | None |
| S2 | MUSC1350 | Popular Music in Global Perspective | Incompatibility: MUSC3010 Popular Music and Culture |
| Take all units (12 points): | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S1 | MUSC2331 | Western Art Music 1 (Renaissance and Baroque) | Prerequisites: any Level 1 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC1100 Western Art Music (Renaissance and Baroque) |
| S2 | MUSC2332 | Western Art Music 2 (Classical and Romantic) | Prerequisites: any Level 1 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC2110 Western Art Music (Classical and Romantic) |
| Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S2 | MUSC2350 | Music in World Cultures | Prerequisites: any Level 1 Music unit or ANTH1001 Being Human: Culture, Identity and Society or ANTH1101 Being Human: Culture, Identity and Society or ANTH1002 Being Human: Culture, Identity and Society or ANTH1102 Global Change, Local Responses Incompatibility: MUSC1010 Music in World Cultures |
| S1, S2 | MUSC2355 | Chamber Music | Prerequisites: MUSC1342 Practical Music 2 |
| Take the following unit: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S1 | MUSC3331 | Western Art Music 3 (Modernist and Postmodernist) | Prerequisites: MUSC2331 Western Art Music 1 (Renaissance and Baroque) or MUSC2332 Western Art Music 2 (Classic and Romantic) or MUSC2525 Music Language 4 Incompatibility: MUSC2120 Western Art Music (Post-romantic and Early Modernist) AND MUSC3100 Western Art Music (Contemporary) |
| Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | Unit rules |
| S2 | MUSC3332 | Drama through Music: Studies in Opera | Prerequisites: any Level 2 MUSC unit Incompatibility: MUSC3110 Classical and Romantic Opera; MUSC3120 Twentieth-century Opera |
| N/A | MUSC3334 | Soundscapes of Australia | Prerequisites: any Level 2 MUSC unit Incompatibility: MUSC3130 Australian Art Music Since Federation |
| N/A | MUSC3351 | Gongs, Punks and Shadow Plays | Prerequisites: any Level 2 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC3070 Music of Southeast Asia |
| N/A | MUSC3352 | Music, Identity and Place | Prerequisites: any Level 2 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC3020 Music, Identity and Place |
| N/A | MUSC3353 | Music in the Community | Prerequisites: any Level 2 MUSC unit Incompatibility: MUSC2010 Music in the Community |
| N/A | MUSC3354 | Music, Mind and Medicine | Prerequisites: any Level 2 Music unit Incompatibility: MUSC3040 Music, Mind and Medicine |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3543 | Advanced Ensemble | Prerequisites: Any Level 2 Music unit Co-requisites: enrolled in the Music Studies major (degree specific major) Incompatibility: MUSC3401 Practical Studies 5, MUSC3402 Practical Studies 6, MUSC4401 Practical Studies 7, MUSC4402 Practical Studies 8 |
The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you the option of including a second major. You have the choice to either nominate your second major when you first enrol in the course or delay it until your second year. For a major to be recorded on your academic record it must be nominated before the requirements of the course are completed.
To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.
The following example illustrates how Music Studies can be included as a second major in an undergraduate degree course.
For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .
Music Studies can also be taken as a degree-specific major.
CRICOS Code: 00126G
