Extended Major Overview
- Description
The Bachelor of Music is an advanced, practical degree offering specialisations for composers, electronic musicians, musicologists, and performers.
The degree enables students to significantly expand their thinking about music and sound art; to hone their practical skills and technique to an international standard; to work with experts in the field and collaborate with visiting artists and scholars; and to establish lifelong skills in communication and critical thinking. The degree provides a firm foundation for postgraduate study in music, as well as for a variety of careers within the music profession, such as performer, composer, academic, educator, administrator, and a range of other professions in the Arts and beyond.
- Outcomes
Students are able to:
- integrate transferable skills in critical thinking and communication suitable for professional and academic contexts at a national and international level
- demonstrate an experimental and creative orientation in the production and presentation of music and sound artworks
- produce work/s that incorporate specialised knowledge within a stream of composition, music technology, musicology, performance, or music education
- integrate a command of technique within either composition, musicological research, music technology, or instrumental/vocal performance
- apply a high level of musicianship and expression within solo, small ensemble, large ensemble, and project settings
- develop advanced concepts and devices in music language (harmony, rhythm, melody, timbre, texture, dynamic) in aural and written analysis OR in relation to physical properties of sound
- evaluate in-depth concepts of music, taking into account historical, cultural and aesthetic aspects, across a range of genres and time periods, and a global perspective
- interpret key texts from, a range of music sub-disciplines (e.g. historical musicology, ethnomusicology, psychology of music, music sociology, key musical works from various genres and time periods).
- Broadening guidelines
All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.
- Prerequisites
Successful audition with the Conservatorium of Music
- Corequisite
Enrolment in the Bachelor of Music
- Incompatibilities
MJD-MUSST Music Studies (ID 1146)
MJS-SPMST Music Specialist Studies
MJD-MSTGM Music General Studies (ID 4813)
MJD-MEMSD Music: Electronic Music and Sound Design (ID 4812)
- Courses
Music can only be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:
Example Study Plans
- MJD-MUSDM - Bachelor of Music (Creative Music Technology Stream) [docx]
- MJD-MUSDM - Bachelor of Music (Western Art Stream) 2025 [docx]
See study plans for more information.
Units
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- N/A
- not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027
The Music Major consists of two streams (specialisations): the Creative Music Technology Stream and the Western Art Stream. Students should choose which stream to follow in their first year. Students must then take units from within their stream as per the unit instructions listed below.
Level 1
Degree-specific major units
Creative Music Technology stream—creative Music Technology (unavailable in 2024):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | MUSC1055 | Electronic Music: Methods and Means | None |
| S1 | MUSC1321 | Music Language 1 |
|
| S2 | MUSC1322 | Music Language 2 |
|
| S1 | MUSC1340 | Musical Revolutions |
|
| N/A | MUSC1345 | Keyboard and Performance Technologies 1 |
|
| S2 | MUSC1350 | Popular Music in Global Perspective |
|
| S1, S2 | MUSC1591 | Music Large Ensemble 1 |
Degree-specific major units
Western Art Stream—for students in the Western Art stream, take all units (36 points) from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | MUSC1321 | Music Language 1 |
|
| S2 | MUSC1322 | Music Language 2 |
|
| S1 | MUSC1340 | Musical Revolutions |
|
| S1, S2 | MUSC1341 | Principal Studies 1 | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC1342 | Principal Studies 2 | |
| S2 | MUSC1350 | Popular Music in Global Perspective |
|
| S1, S2 | MUSC1591 | Music Large Ensemble 1 | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC1592 | Music Large Ensemble 2 |
Level 2
Degree-specific major units
Creative Music Technology Stream—creative Music Technology (unavailable in 2024):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | MUSC1592 | Music Large Ensemble 2 | |
| S1 | MUSC2273 | Electronic Music: Generative Processes | |
| S1 | MUSC2274 | Electronic Music: Sampling and Synthesis | |
| S2 | MUSC2276 | Sound, Image and Space |
|
| S2 | MUSC2277 | Electronic Music: Interactive Systems |
|
| N/A | MUSC2455 | Keyboard and Performance Technologies 2 | |
| S1 | MUSC2520 | Music Language 3 |
|
Degree-specific major units
Western Art Stream—for students in the Western Art stream, take all units (36 points) from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | MUSC2341 | Music and Practices of Listening |
|
| S2 | MUSC2342 | Music in Action |
|
| S1 | MUSC2520 | Music Language 3 |
|
| S2 | MUSC2525 | Music Language 4 |
|
| S1, S2 | MUSC2541 | Principal Studies 3 | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC2542 | Principal Studies 4 | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC2591 | Music Large Ensemble 3 | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC2592 | Music Large Ensemble 4 |
Level 3
Degree-specific major units
Creative Music Technology Stream—creative Music Technology (unavailable in 2024):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | MUSC3336 | Music in Film, TV and Video Games |
|
| S1 | MUSC3571 | Sound Art: Advanced Studio | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3572 | Sound Art: Major Project |
|
Degree-specific major units
Creative Music Technology stream—creative Music Technology (unavailable in 2024):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | MUSC3335 | Music in the Sixties |
|
| S2 | MUSC3341 | Music, Society, and Ideas |
|
| S1 | MUSC3538 | Professional Skills: Music Industry and Artist | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3543 | Conducting |
|
| S1 | MUSC3544 | Topics in Performance Practice |
|
| N/A | MUSC3603 | Music Wild Card |
|
Degree-specific major units
Western Art Capstone Specialisation—for students in the Western Art stream, take units to the value of 12 points from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | MUSC3581 | Principal Studies 5: Composition | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3582 | Principal Studies 6: Composition | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3583 | Principal Studies 5: Musicology |
|
| S1, S2 | MUSC3584 | Principal Studies 6: Musicology | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3585 | Principal Studies 5: Performance |
|
| S1, S2 | MUSC3586 | Principal Studies 6: Performance |
|
| S1, S2 | MUSC3587 | Studio Teaching 1 | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3588 | Studio Teaching 2 |
|
Degree-specific major units
Western Art stream—for students in the Western Art stream, take all units (12 points) from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | MUSC3341 | Music, Society, and Ideas |
|
| S1 | MUSC3538 | Professional Skills: Music Industry and Artist | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3591 | Music Large Ensemble 5 | |
| S1, S2 | MUSC3592 | Music Large Ensemble 6 |
|
Degree-specific major units
Western Art stream—for students in the Western Art stream, take units to the value of at least 12 points from this group.
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | MUSC3335 | Music in the Sixties |
|
| S2 | MUSC3336 | Music in Film, TV and Video Games |
|
| S1, S2 | MUSC3543 | Conducting |
|
| S1 | MUSC3544 | Topics in Performance Practice |
|
| S1 | MUSC3561 | Practical Pedagogy in the Music Studio | |
| N/A | MUSC3603 | Music Wild Card |
|