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.

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 if taken as a first major. No audition required if taken as a second 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:

  • eight Level 1 units
  • two Level 2 units
  • three Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2021

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2022 or 2023.

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

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (36 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
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
MUSC1201 Techniques of Music 1
S2 MUSC1322 Music Language 2
Prerequisites:
MUSC1321 Music Language 1
or
MUSC1201 Techniques of Music 1
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
MUSC1202 Techniques of Music 2
S1 MUSC1340 Musical Revolutions
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
MUSC1310 Communication Skills in Music
S1, S2 MUSC1341 Principal Studies 1
Prerequisites:
passed Conservatorium of Music audition/composition portfolio
Co-requisites:
MUSC1591 Music Large Ensemble 1 AND MJD-MUSST Music Studies Major
OR
MJD-MUSDM Music Double Major
Incompatibility:
MUSC1741 Practical Studies A MUSC1742 Practical Studies B MUSC2741 Practical Studies C MUSC3741 Practical Studies D
S1, S2 MUSC1342 Principal Studies 2
Prerequisites:
MUSC1341 Principal Studies 1 AND MJD-MUSST Music Studies Major
OR
MJD-MUSDM Music Double Major
Co-requisites:
MUSC1592 Music Large Ensemble 2 and enrolled in the Music Studies Major
or
Music Double Major
Incompatibility:
MUSC1741 Practical Studies A MUSC1742 Practical Studies B MUSC2741 Practical Studies C MUSC3741 Practical Studies D
S2 MUSC1350 Popular Music in Global Perspective
Prerequisites:
Nil.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
MUSC3010 Popular Music and Culture
S1, S2 MUSC1591 Music Large Ensemble 1
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
MUSC1341 Principal Studies 1
OR
MUSC1741 Practical Studies A
OR
MUSC1345 Keyboard and Performance Technologies 1
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1, S2 MUSC1592 Music Large Ensemble 2
Prerequisites:
MUSC1341 Principal Studies 1
OR
MUSC1741 Practical Studies A
OR
MUSC1345 Keyboard and Performance Technologies 1
Co-requisites:
MUSC1342 Principal Studies 2
OR
MUSC1742 Practical Studies B
OR
MUSC2455 Keyboard and Performance Technologies 2
Incompatibility:
Nil

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
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
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
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
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)

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 MUSC3341 Music, Society, and Ideas
Prerequisites:
any level 2 unit
Co-requisites:
Nil
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
N/A MUSC3334 Soundscapes of Australia
Prerequisites:
any Level 2 MUSC unit
Co-requisites:
Nil.
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)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 MUSC3336 Music in Film, TV and Video Games
Prerequisites:
any level 2 unit (this unit does not require any technical music literacy)
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 MUSC3353 Music in the Community
Prerequisites:
any Level 2 MUSC unit
Co-requisites:
Nil.
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

General degrees

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 .

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.

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. and Bachelor of Science courses, 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 .