Bachelor of Music (B-MUS)

You’re currently viewing the 2023 version of this course

Overview

Award title	Bachelor of Music
Year & campus	2023 — Southbank
CRICOS code	058837J
Fees information	Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & type	Undergraduate Coursework
AQF level	7
Credit points	300 credit points
Duration	36 months full-time or 72 months part-time

The Bachelor of Music provides advanced training across a variety of musical disciplines. Students major in Composition, Interactive Composition, Jazz & Improvisation, Musicology & Ethnomusicology, Music Studies, Performance, or Performance (ANAM).

The program develops technically advanced and experienced musicians through an immersive and practical curriculum with music core studies, music electives and complementary breadth subjects.

Students will:

develop skills, knowledge and understanding of the practical, theoretical and conceptual aspects of music;
broaden their musical knowledge across a range of styles and repertoire;
develop advanced critical thinking and creative problem-solving through regular practical activities and theoretical studies;
participate in performance and academic activities;
opportunities for solo and ensemble performances;
have access to a wide range of invaluable career experiences at a local or international context.

For students who commenced prior to 2022

For students who commenced the Bachelor of Music prior to 2022, please go to the 2021 Handbook to view your course structure and subject options.

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed one of:

(a) the Victorian Certificate of Education, including VCE Units 3 and 4 – either a study score of at least 25 in one of English, English Language or Literature, or a study score of at least 30 in English as an Additional Language;

(b) the International Baccalaureate Diploma, including at least Grade 4 in English or English B (Standard Level or Higher Level); or

(c) a senior secondary program, foundation studies program, or equivalent approved by the Academic Board, including appropriate English language studies.

Applicants are also required to complete an audition, test, interview, workshop, portfolio or folio presentation, as prescribed by the Academic Board for the Major to which entry is sought.

Composition Major

folio audition; and
prior academic performance

Interactive Composition Major

folio audition; and

set creative task; and
performance audition; and
prior academic performance

Jazz and Improvisation Major

performance audition; and
prior academic performance

Musicology & Ethnomusicology Major

performance audition; and
prior academic performance

Music Studies Major

performance audition; and
prior academic performance

Performance Major

performance audition; and
prior academic performance

Performance (ANAM) Major

admission to the Australian National Academy of Music, and
performance audition; and
prior academic performance

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

performance in an audition; and/or
performance in folio audition; and
prior academic performance, and

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. For applicants who have not completed the Victorian Certificate of Education or the International Baccalaureate Diploma, the undergraduate English language requirements must be met.

Notes

For applications through the Victorian Tertiary Admission Centre, “middle-band” selection adjustments are made only on the basis of eligibility for Access Melbourne.
Details for the performance audition and folio audition requirements can be found on the Fine Arts and Music Study website https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/study-with-us

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The Melbourne Conservatorium of Music welcomes applications from Students with disabilities. It is University and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music policy to take reasonable steps to make adjustments so as to enable the student’s participation in the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music’s programs, especially the Bachelor of Music.

The Music degree involves acquisition and refinement of musical knowledge and practice. All Students of Music must possess intellectual, ethical, physical and emotional capabilities required to participate in the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required by the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

Students in the Bachelor of Music must have abilities and skills that include the following:

Well-developed proficiency in at least one musical instrument (or voice) or composition

This instrumental or vocal proficiency is initially measured at the application stage by audition into the Bachelor of Music and requires satisfactory demonstration of a well-developed level of physical control of the instrument or voice.

Well-developed music literacy

Students must be capable of reading music notation fluently either in standard musical notation or Braille musical notation.

Aural discrimination skills

Students needs to have well developed-hearing skills to ensure that the aural requirements essential to the study of Music can be met.

The ability to comprehend complex music information and material independently

Students needs to possess an appropriate level of cognition to deal with required material relating to the theory and history of Music; this material may be in written, aural or schematised forms.

The capacity to communicate clearly a knowledge and application of music principles and practice in assessment activities and the ability to function as part of a musical team

Students must possess the emotional health required for full use of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, and the prompt completion of all responsibilities required by the course.
Students need to be aware of their personal limitations and when and where to seek professional advice or supervision.
Students must be able to tolerate physically taxing musical practice and to function effectively under stress and isolation in musical preparation.
Students must also be able to function effectively as part of a musical ensemble, to adapt to changing environments, and to display flexibility.

Behavioural and Social Attributes

Students must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment.
Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning.
Students also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of others.
Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other Students.

Students who feel their disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact Student Equity and Disability Support.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this course, graduates should be able to:

situate their activity as musicians within the best practices of local, national and international contexts;
integrate a holistic view of music from different times and traditions into their working and intellectual lives;
make critical, informed and sophisticated responses to new musical ideas, methodologies and theoretical frameworks;
demonstrate thorough knowledge, technical skill and expressive accomplishment within their discipline;
work competently and productively in a musical setting, both individually and in groups;
pursue musical knowledge and skills independently, with intellectual honesty and rigorous methods of inquiry;
communicate musical ideas effectively in performance, speech and writing, and through fluent and creative use of technology;
apply critical intelligence, self-reflection and creative problem-solving to their development as musicians.

Generic skills

On completion of this course, graduates should be able to:

communicate effectively, in oral and written forms and on digital platforms;
develop and implement innovative and creative ideas;
respond openly and imaginatively to new ideas from others;
engage in rigorous and respectful debate;
work as part of a team to achieve a common goal;
demonstrate appropriate leadership in group settings;
apply critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills to unfamiliar challenges;
sustain medium and long-term work strategies in pursuit of personal goals.

Graduate attributes

Graduates of the Bachelor of Music will have developed the following skills and attributes.

Academically excellent as a result of:

participation in a diversity of teaching and learning modes, including individual tuition, tutorials, masterclasses, performance and concert classes, on-line learning, seminars, large lectures and ensemble experiences;
assessment practices that demand independent thinking, critical analysis and an openness to new ideas;
articulate and authoritatively informed in musical discourse;
familiar and competent with research protocols, written and spoken communication skills, and the ethics of scholarship through a program of core and elective academic subjects over three years;
artistically sophisticated with a high level of understanding of the aesthetic of their discipline;

Competent across disciplines as a result of:

participation in a variety of "ways of knowing" within the discipline of music - solo, chamber and orchestral competency; theoretical knowledge of music; historical and contextual knowledge of music; aural acuity;
participation in up to 75 points of breadth subjects;
able to use the interaction of music and other disciplines with creativity and insight;

Community leaders through:

undertaking and developing new initiatives in community awareness and understanding of the place of music in society;
leadership roles in University and community-based public performances, workshops and outreach programs;
high-level development of teamwork and group dynamic skills through participation in music ensembles;

Attuned to cultural diversity through:

a raft of academic elective and ensemble opportunities that involve thinking about differences in ways of being musical as well as participating in music from other times and places;
familiarity with culturally diverse ways of conceptualising and talking about music;
hands-on experiences of culturally diverse styles of music making and musical pedagogy;

Global citizens through:

experiences gained through Study Abroad;
participation throughout the course in the inherently international nature of music in all its manifestations;
awareness as ambassadors for Australia through promotion of its cultural richness;
facilitators and communicators between diverse cultural communities.

Course structure

The Bachelor of Music requires the successful completion of 300 credit points.

12.5 credit points of Level 1 Compulsory subjects
Completion of one prescribed major (consisting of 225 credit points of subjects)
50 credit points of Breadth subjects including
- A minimum of 12.5 credit points of Level 2 or Level 3 breadth subjects
12.5 credit points of free points (either music elective or breadth)

Progression Rules

Students must have completed the compulsory subject Musical Perspectives before commencing Level 2 core subjects.
Students must have completed all Level 1 core subjects before taking Level 3 core subjects.
Note: Compulsory subjects in this program have prerequisites. Refer to individual subject entries.

Subject Options

Compulsory Level 1 subject

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI10230	Musical Perspectives	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Note: Students must have completed the compulsory subject Musical Perspectives before taking Level 2 core subjects.

Music Ensemble Electives

Please refer to the following page for information on ensembles available and the rules relating to them:

Link

Music Electives

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
		Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank) Semester 2 (Online) Semester 1 (Online) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank) Not available in 2023 Summer Term (Online) Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
MUSI20122	Composition Studies	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30031	Electro-Acoustic Music	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30047	Music Analysis	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI10179	Making Music For Film And Animation 1	Semester 2 (Online)	12.5
MUSI10184	Pop Song Writing 1	Semester 1 (Online) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20167	Creating Music For Advertising	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI20173	The Art of Game Music	Semester 1 (Online)	12.5
MUSI20174	The Laptop Recording Studio	Semester 1 (Online) Semester 2 (Online)	12.5
MUSI20190	Advanced Recording Studio Techniques	Semester 2 (Online)	12.5
MUSI20208	Electronic Dance Music Technique	Semester 2 (Online)	12.5
MUSI30236	The Music Producer: From Brass to Beats	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI10202	Jazz: The Improvisatory Spirit	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI10222	The Wellbeing Orchestra	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20149	Music Psychology	Summer Term (Online) Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
MUSI20150	Music and Health	Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
MUSI20203	Peak Performance Under Pressure	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20204	Music and Politics	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI20222	Creativity, Genius, Expertise and Talent	Semester 2 (Online)	12.5
MUSI20223	Music Performance Science	Semester 1 (Online)	12.5
MUSI10237	Music and Health	Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
MUSI20206	The Business of Music	Semester 1 (Online) Semester 2 (Online)	12.5
MUSI10219	Rock Music: From Roots to Retro	Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
MUSI10227	Musics of the World	Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)	12.5
MUSI20120	Paris! Berlioz to the Ballets Russes	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20217	Topics in Ethnomusicology	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI20218	Area Studies in Ethnomusicology	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI20219	Global Pop	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI20224	Music and Gender	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20227	Popular Music Studies	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI20231	Indigenous Music and Musicians	Semester 1 (Online)	12.5
MUSI20232	Indigenous Musical Instruments	Semester 2 (Online)	12.5
MUSI30004	Music and Film since 1900	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI30011	Music in the Culture of the Renaissance	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI30015	Sex, Death and the Ecstatic in Music	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI30030	The Music Of Spain	Semester 1 (Online)	12.5
MUSI30116	Historical Performance Practice	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30256	The Romantic Piano	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI30269	Music in Australia	Semester 2 (Online)	12.5
MUSI30270	Topics in Musicology	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30271	Topics in Popular Music Studies	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI30045	Studies In Opera	Not available in 2023	12.5
MUSI30246	Music as Noise: Making Sound Art	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30257	Figured Bass Realisation 1	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Breadth requirements

50 points of breadth, including at least 12.5 points at Level 2 or 3

Find breadth subjects

Use the Handbook Search function to find subjects that can be used as breadth studies in the Bachelor of Music

Majors, minors & specialisations

Students may apply to transfer between Performance, Composition, Musicology & Ethnomusicology, and Music Studies, subject to meeting entry requirements for the major.

Name	Credit Points

Composition	225
Interactive Composition	225
Jazz & Improvisation	225
Music Studies	225
Musicology & Ethnomusicology	225
Performance	225
Performance (ANAM)	225

Reassessment is available in this course

Reassessment is a second attempt at passing a compulsory subject if a borderline failure in a single subject has a significant impact on the student's progression through their course. A borderline failure is usually a mark of 45% or more. Reassessment is not available if failure in the subject is a result of a finding of student academic misconduct; or a student was awarded a NH grade due to failure to participate in a component of assessment that was a hurdle requirement or failure to attend or participate in the subject as required.

Refer to Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326): https://policy.unimelb.edu.au/MPF1326

Last updated: 14 March 2025