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Master of Music (Music Performance) (652MP)

Masters (Research)Year: 2022 Delivered: On Campus

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Overview

Award titleMaster of Music (Music Performance)
Year & campus2022
CRICOS code006671A
Fees informationSubject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & typeGraduate Research
AQF level 9
Duration2 years full-time, or equivalent part-time

The Master of Music (Music Performance) 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 & performance science or interactive composition.

Instrumental and vocal candidates present two major public recitals and conducting candidates prepare and conduct an ensemble in two major performances. Performances are normally presented at the 12 and 18 month points of candidature. Candidates will receive regular individual tuition and participate in the weekly Performance Class and Postgraduate Seminar.

Further performance opportunities are available through ensemble electives, including chamber music and ensemble activities. Students can also undertake a minor thesis .

Students enroled in the Master of Music (Music Performance) may apply to convert to PhD, see the degree structure section on our web page for details: http://mcm.unimelb.edu.au/study/degrees/master-of-music-mmus-music-performance/degree-structure

Links to further information

Currently enrolled students

Future students

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.

Music Performance Auditions

Applicants for the Performance stream who meet the academic requirements for entry are required to provide a recorded audition. Auditions for the Master of Music (Music Performance) are fifty (50) minutes in length.

Applicants currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the University of Melbourne and who are enroled in Recital are permitted to use their final recital examination as their audition. If you intend to use your honours recital as a Masters audition please contact MCM technical services to ensure your honours recital is recorded and contact the VCA and MCM Academic Services Office informing them that you intend to use your honours recital as an audition for Masters entry.

For more details see the entry requirements.

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 (Music Performance) are required to attend the MCM Postgraduate Seminar at least 27 times during their candidature. 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.

Performance Class: Students enroled in the Master of Music (Music Performance) are required to attend MCM Performance Class at least 27 times during their candidature. Each student must perform at least 12 times in the MCM Performance Class during their candidature.

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 career 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 Music Performance stream, students will have:


  • Developed instrumental or vocal skills to the level expected for entry into the performance profession;
  • Expanded their knowledge of repertory and style.

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, however the Conducting specialisation can only be undertaken on a full-time basis.

Recital 1 is undertaken over the first two semesters of candidature, culminating in a recital at the end of the second semester. Recital 2 is undertaken over the final semester of candidature.

Students are required to undertake Postgraduate Seminar and Performance Class throughout the three semesters of their candidature; this includes attending a minimum of 27 classes for each subject. Attendance and participation requirements in seminar and performance class must be completed before presenting for the second recital, see Core Participation Requirements below.

Electives are usually undertaken in the first two semesters of candidature.

Subject options

Candidates enroling in the Master of Music (Music Performance) are enroled as follows:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MUSI90100 Recital 1
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 25
MUSI70014 Recital 2 No longer available

Candidates undertake TWO electives from the following list of options, or the minor thesis:

Code Name Study period Credit Points
MUSI90093 Ensemble A
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
MUSI90094 Ensemble B
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
MUSI90018 Studies in Musicology 1 No longer available
MUSI90019 Studies in Musicology 2 No longer available
MUSI90006 Studies in Ethnomusicology 1 No longer available
MUSI90026 Studies in Ethnomusicology 2 No longer available
MUSI90137 Minor Thesis No longer available
MUSI90185 Research Essay No longer available
MUSI90191 The Research Process For Musicians (RHD)
Semester 1 (Dual-Delivery - Southbank)
Semester 2 (Dual-Delivery - Southbank)
 12.5

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: 30 January 2024