Master of Music (Composition) (652CO)
Masters (Research)Year: 2022 Delivered: On Campus
About this course
Contact
Currently enrolled students:
- General information: Graduate Research Hub
Future students:
- Further information: MCM website
- Email: vcamcm-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au
- Email: vcamcm-research@unimelb.edu.au
Coordinator
Professor Stuart Greenbaum
Overview
| Award title | Master of Music (Composition) |
|---|---|
| Year & campus | 2022 |
| Fees information | Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date |
| Study level & type | Graduate Research |
| AQF level | 9 |
| Duration | 2 years full-time, or equivalent part-time |
The Master of Music (Composition) is now offered in the consolidated Master of Music (Research) course.
Information on the Master of Music (Research) can be found in the Handbook here.
If you wish to apply for entry to the Master of Music (Research), information on admissions is on the Study Hub here.
You can find details of our discipline areas and all the courses offered by the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music here.
The Master of Music is a professional research degree that prepares students for specialist careers in musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, performance, conducting, music therapy, jazz & improvisation, music psychology and performance science or interactive composition.
The MMus (composition) involves completion of a folio of works (50–60 minutes in duration). There is no dissertation requirement for this degree.
Links to further information
Currently enrolled students
- General information: Graduate Research Hub
- Faculty Specific Information: Fine Arts and Music Current Research Students
Future students
- Further information: Faculty of Fine Arts and Music or Study Hub
- Email: vcamcm-enquiries@unimelb.edu.au
- Email: vcamcm-research@unimelb.edu.au
Entry requirements
1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
- a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree, or equivalent, with at least an H2A (75%) weighted average; and for
-
- Music Performance (including conducting), and Jazz & Improvisation: a satisfactory audition;
- Composition: a satisfactory composition folio;
- Musicology/Ethnomusicology, Music Psychology & Performance Science, and Music Therapy: a satisfactory piece of scholarly writing;
- Interactive Composition: a satisfactory interactive composition folio.
and
- Submit a Research Proposal (except for Music Performance and Composition)
Exceptional applicants, with substantial professional experience, can be considered for entry into Master of Music (Jazz & Improvisation) and the Master of Music (Interactive Composition) without meeting the requirement of completion of an honours degree or equivalent.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.
2. In ranking applications, the selection committee will consider:
- prior academic performance; and
- the composition folio, audition, or piece of scholarly writing.
3. The selection committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.
4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance Band 6.5 is required.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
Communication: Students must be able to participate in and produce performances and exhibitions as required; they will also need to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written forms. Communication with fellow students, professional and academic staff, and the wider public about their knowledge and application of practising Arts disciplines is essential.
Creative, Intellectual and Organisational Abilities: Students require the capacity for high-level creative performance or production. They are also expected to have the ability to develop problem-solving skills and to comprehend disciplinary and crossdisciplinary information. Students must have the ability to establish study plans and prioritise training objectives and outcomes.
Behavioural and Social Attributes: Students must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. They must take full responsibility for their own participation and learning. Students also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative environments and must therefore demonstrate a wide range of interpersonal skills which consider the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.
Disability: For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Overview, Objectives and Generic Skills sections of this entry.
It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/
Seminars: Students enroled in the Master of Music (Composition) are required to attend the MCM Postgraduate Seminar at least 27 times during their candidature. Composition students are also required to attend Composition Seminar. Each student must present, to the satisfaction of the course coordinator, at least one paper related to their field of study. The presentation should be of 40 minutes followed by 20 minutes of discussion led by the student. Students must fulfil these requirements prior to submission of their folio for examination.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this course students should be able to:
- Apply the best practices of local, national and international standards in their professional performance in their chosen specialisation;
- Pursue an informed program of independent further study in their chosen area of specialisation in music;
- Provide leadership in the profession in their chosen area of specialisation in music;
- Use current technologies and assimilate the potential of emerging technologies to facilitate and heighten the dissemination of skills, knowledge and information;
- Value and participate in projects requiring team-work.
On completion of the Composition stream, students will have:
- Developed compositional skills and techniques to a professional level;
- Clarified a personal stylistic and philosophical rationale;
- Developed a greater understanding and knowledge of the professional world of composition.
Generic skills
The University expects its research masters graduates to have the following qualities and skills:
- An ability to initiate research projects and to formulate viable research questions;
- A demonstrated capacity to design, conduct and report independent and original research on a closely-defined project;
- An ability to manage time to maximise the quality of research;
- An understanding of the major contours of international research in the research area;
- A capacity for critical evaluation of relevant scholarly literature;
- Well-developed and flexible problem-solving abilities appropriate to the discipline
- The ability to analyse research data within a changing disciplinary environment;
- The capacity to communicate effectively the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication;
- An understanding of and facility with scholarly conventions in the discipline area;
- A profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of research and scholarship;
- A capacity to co-operate with other researchers;
- An ability to manage information effectively, including the application of computer systems and software where appropriate to the student's field of study.
Graduate attributes
Research Masters degrees at the University of Melbourne seek to develop graduates who have a capacity for defining and managing a research project characterised by originality and independence. Their training equips them for more sustained and original work at the doctoral level or for applied research positions in a wider variety of contexts.
Course structure
Full-time and Part-time study options are available.
Subject options
Candidates are enroled in the following subject:
| Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUSI90066 |
Application Procedure
Detailed information for prospective Master of Music students regarding the application process, including application deadlines and the application form is available at mcm.unimelb.edu.au/study/degrees
Last updated: 21 February 2025