Music Studies major

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; and (9) develop some specialised knowledge in particular areas through elective studies in music.

Degree-specific major

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

BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Overview of unit sequence

Music Studies is a degree-specific single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • three Level 2 units
  • three Level 3 units
  • four Level 1 complementary units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2020

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2021 or 2022.

Pre-2019 students re-enrolling, refer to the 2018 Handbook for course sequence.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 MUSC1340 Musical Revolutions
Incompatibility:
MUSC1310 Communication Skills in Music
S2 MUSC1350 Popular Music in Global Perspective
Incompatibility:
MUSC3010 Popular Music and Culture
Complementary units
Take all complementary units (24 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
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 Principal Studies 1
Prerequisites:
passed School of Music audition/composition portfolio
Co-requisites:
MUSC1591 Music Large Ensemble 1 enrolled in the Music Studies major (degree-specific major)
Incompatibility:
MUSC1401 Practical Studies 1 MUSC1741 Practical Studies A
S1, S2 MUSC1342 Principal Studies 2
Prerequisites:
MUSC1341 Principal Studies 1
or
MUSC1401 Practical Studies 1
Co-requisites:
MUSC1592 Music Large Ensemble 2 and enrolled in Music Studies Major
Incompatibility:
MUSC1402 Practical Studies 2

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 MUSC2341 Music and Practices of Listening
Incompatibility:
MUSC2331 Western Art Music 1 (Renaissance and Baroque) MUSC2332 Western Art Music 2 (Classical and Romantic) MUSC3331 Western Art Music 3 (Modernist and Postmodernist)
S2 MUSC2342 Music in Action
Incompatibility:
MUSC2331 Western Art Music 1 (Renaissance and Baroque) MUSC2332 Western Art Music 2 (Classical and Romantic) MUSC3331 Western Art Music 3 (Modernist and Postmodernist)
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
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 Global Change, Local Responses
or
ANTH1102 Global Change, Local Responses
Incompatibility:
MUSC1010 Music in World Cultures

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A MUSC3341 Music, Society, and Ideas
Prerequisites:
MUSC2342 Music in Action
Incompatibility:
MUSC3331 Western Art Music 3 (Modernist and Postmodernist)
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
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
S2 MUSC3335 Music in the Sixties
Prerequisites:
any level 2 unit (this unit does not require any technical music literacy)
S2 MUSC3336 Music in Film, TV and Video Games
Prerequisites:
any level 2 unit (this unit does not require any technical music literacy)
S1 MUSC3353 Music in the Community
Prerequisites:
any Level 2 MUSC unit
Incompatibility:
MUSC2010 Music in the Community
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

Choosing your degree-specific major

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.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-MUSST

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. 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.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-MUSST-Generic

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .

Music Studies can also be taken as a second major.

Second major

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

Overview of unit sequence

The Music Studies second major is a single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • three Level 2 units
  • three Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2020

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2021 or 2022.

Pre-2019 students re-enrolling, refer to the 2018 Handbook for course sequence.

Level 1

Second major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 MUSC1340 Musical Revolutions
Incompatibility:
MUSC1310 Communication Skills in Music
S2 MUSC1350 Popular Music in Global Perspective
Incompatibility:
MUSC3010 Popular Music and Culture

Level 2

Second major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 MUSC2341 Music and Practices of Listening
Incompatibility:
MUSC2331 Western Art Music 1 (Renaissance and Baroque) MUSC2332 Western Art Music 2 (Classical and Romantic) MUSC3331 Western Art Music 3 (Modernist and Postmodernist)
S2 MUSC2342 Music in Action
Incompatibility:
MUSC2331 Western Art Music 1 (Renaissance and Baroque) MUSC2332 Western Art Music 2 (Classical and Romantic) MUSC3331 Western Art Music 3 (Modernist and Postmodernist)
Second major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
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 Global Change, Local Responses
or
ANTH1102 Global Change, Local Responses
Incompatibility:
MUSC1010 Music in World Cultures

Level 3

Second major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A MUSC3341 Music, Society, and Ideas
Prerequisites:
MUSC2342 Music in Action
Incompatibility:
MUSC3331 Western Art Music 3 (Modernist and Postmodernist)
Second major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
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
S2 MUSC3335 Music in the Sixties
Prerequisites:
any level 2 unit (this unit does not require any technical music literacy)
S2 MUSC3336 Music in Film, TV and Video Games
Prerequisites:
any level 2 unit (this unit does not require any technical music literacy)
S1 MUSC3353 Music in the Community
Prerequisites:
any Level 2 MUSC unit
Incompatibility:
MUSC2010 Music in the Community
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

Choosing a second major

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.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSPGeneric-DSMGeneric-MUSST

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .

Music Studies can also be taken as a degree-specific major.