UWA Handbook 2025

Second Major Overview

Description

Note: this major is only available to re-enrolling students.

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.

Students should be aware that this major does not provide a pathway to an Honours.

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
4. demonstrate specialised knowledge in a particular area 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

Incompatibilities

Music General Studies Major and Electronic Music Major

Courses

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

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

Units