Music Specialist Studies major

Music Specialist Studies is a stepping stone to a variety of careers in the music profession. This major provides you with a rigorous, high-quality tertiary music education and an intensive concentration in a chosen area of specialisation: performance, composition or musicology. These studies enable you, as an emerging musician or composer, to pursue postgraduate training at national and international centres of music excellence, postgraduate study to become an accredited music teacher, or advanced research training in various music sub-disciplines. This major must be taken in conjunction with the Music Studies major.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate a commanding 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 a commanding 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 advanced concepts and devices in music language (harmony, rhythm, melody, timbre, texture, dynamic) in aural and written analysis, and in compositional exercises; (3) demonstrate foundational knowledge of key issues relating to music and music education that include music psychology; musical memory; practice strategies; and music and communication; and (4) demonstrate specialised knowledge in a particular area through elective studies in music.

Second major

Specialist Music Studies can be taken as a second major, only in conjunction with the co-requisite Music Studies degree-specific major, in the following degrees:

Overview of unit sequence

The Music Specialist Studies second major is a single major comprising:

  • four Level 2 units
  • four Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; NS = non-standard teaching period

Level 2

Second major units
Take all units (24 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 MUSC2520 Music Language 3
Prerequisites:
MUSC1322 Music Language 2
or
MUSC1202 Techniques of Music 2
Incompatibility:
MUSC2201 Techniques of Music 3
S2 MUSC2525 Music Language 4
Prerequisites:
MUSC2520 Music Language 3
or
MUSC2201 Techniques of Music 3
Incompatibility:
MUSC2202 Techniques of Music 4
S1, S2 MUSC2541 Principal Studies 3
Prerequisites:
MUSC1342 Principal Studies 2
or
MUSC1402 Practical Studies 2 and enrolment in the Specialist Music Studies major
Co-requisites:
MUSC2591 Music Large Ensemble 3
Incompatibility:
MUSC2401 Practical Studies 3
S1, S2 MUSC2542 Principal Studies 4
Prerequisites:
MUSC2541 Principal Studies 3
or
MUSC2401 Practical Studies 3
Co-requisites:
MUSC2592 Music Large Ensemble 4
Incompatibility:
MUSC2402 Practical Studies 4

Level 3

Second major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1, S2 MUSC3541 Principal Studies 5
Prerequisites:
MUSC2542 Principal Studies 4
OR
MUSC2402 Practical Studies 4 AND for Musicology stream at least one level 2 Music History unit (MUSC2341, MUSC2342, MUSC2331, MUSC2332)
or
by permission of the unit coordinator.
Co-requisites:
MUSC3591 Music Large Ensemble 5
Incompatibility:
MUSC3401 Practical Studies 5
S1 MUSC3560 Music Education in Research and Practice
Prerequisites:
any Level 2 Music unit
Incompatibility:
MUSC2610 Introduction to Music Teaching
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
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)
NS, S1, S2 MUSC3542 Principal Studies 6
Prerequisites:
an average of 60 per cent for MUSC3541 Principal Studies 5
or
MUSC3401 Practical Studies 5
Co-requisites:
MUSC3592 Music Large Ensemble 6
Incompatibility:
MUSC3402 Practical Studies 6
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
S2 MUSC3544 Topics in Performance Practice
Prerequisites:
MUSC2542 Practical Music 4
or
MUSC2402 Practical Studies 4
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 Specialist Studies (taken in conjunction with the Music Studies major) can be included as second major in the Bachelor of Arts course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-MUSST-SPMST

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