UWA Handbook 2025

Major Overview

Description

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.

Outcomes

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
9. develop some specialised knowledge in particular areas through elective studies in music.

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

Passed Conservatorium of Music audition/composition portfolio.

Incompatibilities

Music General Studies

Courses

Music Studies can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

• BP001 Bachelor of Arts
• BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Units