Degree Overview

This page provides students and potential applicants with an overview of the degree. Each year consists of a number of compulsory and optional modules, each with a specific credit load. To progress to the next year, students must gain a particular number of credits.

year one

The Year One programme is designed to draw on students' existing musical, social and intellectual skills and to encourage them to reflect on their own strengths and weaknesses. Students are encouraged to explore their creativity, their performance skills, and the broader musical and cultural context of music. They will begin to develop the high level of expertise in music technology demanded by all sectors of the music industry. They will explore and develop important skills in managing and organising their own learning, develop their cooperative and social skills, and develop critical, analytical and reflective skills.

All students in Year One will take classes worth 120 credits. All students will be required to take the following modules;

- CA103: Solo Performance 1 (20 credits)

- CA101: Creative Skills 1 (20 credits)

- CA106: Music Foundations 1 (10 credits)

- CA105: Music Technology 1 (20 credits)

- CA102: Music in its Social, Historical and Cultural Context 1 (20 credits)

- CA104: Ensemble Work 1 (20 credits)

In addition, all students will select one elective class, subject to the approval of the Course Director, from within the university.

Students who successfully pass the six compulsory courses in Year One will be permitted to proceed to Year Two .

year two

The core programme for Year Two is similar in structure to that for Year One. Module content is designed to encourage students to maximise their skills and knowledge in a broad range of musical contexts, including performance, technology, composition, and in scholarly approaches to music.

All students in Year Two will take classes worth 120 credits. All students will be required to take the following modules;

- CA203: Solo Performance 2 (20 credits)

- CA201: Creative Skills 2 (20 credits)

- CA206: Music Foundations 2 (10 credits)

- CA205: Music Technology 2 (20 credits)

- CA202: Music in its Social, Historical and Cultural Context 2 (20 credits)

- CA204: Ensemble Work 2 (20 credits)

In addition, all students will select one elective class, subject to the approval of the Course Director, from within the university. Students who have passed all compulsory courses at the end of Year Two may proceed to Year Three .

year three

Students who progress to Year Three are encouraged to develop a more specialised interest in particular areas of musical study. All students must take classes worth 120 credits, including the modules;

- CA302: Research Methods in Musicology, Music Education and Psychology of Music (10 credits)

- CA344: Music in Community and Educational Contexts (1) (10 credits);

- CA304: Personal and Professional Development Profile (10 credits)

- ZI301: Entrepreneurship in the Music Industry (10 credits)

This translates to a compulsory credit total of 40.  Students must also take 80 credits of which at least 40 must be chosen from each of lists A and B;

LIST A:

- CA307: Solo Performance 3 (20 credits)

- CA306: Music in its Social, Historical & Cultural Context 3 (20 credits)

- CA308: Advanced Sound Engineering and Production (10 credits)

- CA305: Creative Skills 3 (20 credits)

- CA324: Music and Computers 3 (10 credits)

LIST B:

- CA310: Ensemble Work 3 (20 credits)

- CA314: Jazz Studies 1 (20 credits)

- CA309: Orchestration 1 (20 credits)

- CA312: The Structure of the Music Industry (10 credits)

- SC333: Music and Film (10 credits)

- CA313: Live Sound (10 credits)

- CA314: Jazz Studies 1 (20 credits)

Students who, at the end of Year Three, have attained at least 340 credits, may proceed to the Fourth Year . Students who have attained at least 360 credits, including 120 credits from the Level 3 curriculum, may opt to graduate with the BA Applied Music Pass degree at the end of Year Three.

year four

In the Final Honours Year, students specialise in significant depth in one of four areas. Each area has at least two compulsory classes that make up a significant part of the 120 credit total required. Entrance to a particular area is restricted to those who have achieved the pre-requisites for the compulsory classes in that area, as defined in the module descriptors (Appendix 1).

Aspect One: Performance Studies

Students will take the following compulsory classes;

- CA404: Solo Performance 4A (50 credits)

- CA405: Ensemble 4 (20 credits)

Aspect Two: Compositional Studies

Students will take the following compulsory classes;

- CA406: Composition Portfolio (50 credits)

- CA412: Orchestration 2 (20 credits)

Aspect Three: Musicology

Students will take the following compulsory classes;

- CA402: Dissertation (50 credits)

- CA403: Music in its Social, Historical and Cultural Context 4 (20 credits)

Aspect Four: Technological Studies

Students will take the following compulsory classes;

- CA407: Album Project (50 credits)

- CA408: Surround Sound and Mastering (20 credits)

In addition, all students in Year Four will take the module CA401: Music in Community and Educational Contexts (2) , which includes a placement experience and is worth 20 credits.

The remaining 30 credits will be taken from List A and List B, of which at least 20 must be chosen from List A.

LIST A

- CA403: Music in its Social, Historical and Cultural Context 4 (20 credits)

- CA405: Ensemble Work 4 (20 credits)

- CA409: Jazz Studies 2 (20 credits)

- CA410: Solo Performance 4B (20 credits)

- CA408: Surround Sound and Mastering (20 credits)

- CA412: Orchestration 2 (20 credits)

- CA411: Creative Skills 4 (20 credits)

LIST B:

- CA306: Music in its Social, Historical and Cultural Context 3 (20 credits)

- CA309: Orchestration 1 (20 credits)

- CA312: The Structure of the Music Industry (10 credits)

- CA313: Live Sound (10 credits)

Students who have attained 480 credits will qualify for the award of BA in Applied Music (Honours).