Music Studies (B-MUS_MAJOR_5)

Overview

The Music Studies program focuses on understanding music’s place and purpose in the wider world, and on building a diverse range of knowledge and collaborative skills with practical career applications.

Students may transfer from Performance or Composition after the first or second year, and from Musicology and Ethnomusicology after the second year.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this major, students should be able to:

describe the roles of music, and the structures supporting it, in contemporary society;
contextualise a broad range of musics with historical and cultural awareness;
engage critically and productively with current musical creation, performance and scholarship;
design and realise projects in music performance, education and outreach;
work expertly and collegially with musicians and non-musicians for mutual benefit;
uphold rigorous intellectual and ethical standards in project planning, preparation and documentation;
advocate persuasively for music to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
apply critical intelligence, self-reflection and creative problem-solving to their development as musicians.

Last updated: 15 February 2024

Structure

225 credit points

To obtain a major in Music Studies students will need to complete:

150 credit points of core subjects including
- 50 credit points of Level 1 subjects including
  - 25 credit points of Level 1 Music Studies core subjects
  - 25 credit points of Level 1 Composition stream subjects or 25 credit points of Level 1 Practical Music stream subjects
- 50 credit points of Level 2 Music Studies core subjects
- 50 credit points of Level 3 Music Studies core subjects
75 credit points of Music elective subjects including
- A maximum of 25 credit points of Level 1 Music elective subjects

Transfer Major Rules:

Students may apply to transfer into the Music Studies Major from the Performance Major, Composition Major OR Musicology & Ethnomusicology Major.
To transfer to Music Studies Major Year 2 students must:
- complete all Level 1 core subjects in the Performance Major OR Composition Major; and
- have permission of the coordinator.
To transfer to Music Studies Major Year 3 students must:
- have permission of the coordinator.

Subject lists

Level 1 core subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI10047	Music History 1: 17th & 18th Centuries	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI10023	Music Language 1: the Diatonic World	Summer Term (Online) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Level 1 Composition Stream subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI10231	Composition 1	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI10232	Composition 2	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Level 1 Practical Music Stream subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI10220	Practical Music 1	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI10221	Practical Music 2	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Level 2 core subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI20198	Music History 2: The Long 19th Century	Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20061	Music Language 2: Chromaticism & Beyond	Summer Term (Online) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI20206	The Business of Music	Semester 1 (Online) Semester 2 (Online)	12.5
MUSI20225	Music, Mind & Wellbeing	Semester 2 (Online)	12.5

Level 3 core subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUSI30249	Music History 3: 20th & 21st Centuries	Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30025	Orchestration	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30046	Music Language 3: Modern Directions	Summer Term (On Campus - Parkville) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUSI30274	Collaborative Music Capstone	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5

Please refer to the following pages for all available music elective subjects:

Music Electives

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/components/b-mus-infspc-4

Music Ensemble Electives

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/components/b-mus-infspc-6