Graduate Diploma in Music (GD-MUS)

Overview

Award title	Graduate Diploma in Music
Year & campus	2025 — Southbank
CRICOS code	056297D
Fees information	Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & type	Graduate Coursework
AQF level	8
Credit points	100 credit points
Duration	12 months full-time or 24 months part-time

The Graduate Diploma in Music is designed for university graduates in any field who wish to undertake university-level study in music. The program draws together subjects from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music's existing degree programs, and may be taken part-time or full-time.

Specialisations are offered in Practical Music, Composition, Musicology and Ethnomusicology. A Tailored Program is also available.

Entry requirements

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

an undergraduate degree with a weighted average mark of at least H3 (65%) or equivalent; or
at least five years of documented professional experience relevant to the specialisation.

2. Applicants for Practical Music, Musicology, Ethnomusicology and Composition specialisations must also successfully complete an audition, composition folio or piece of academic writing as appropriate for the specialisation that the applicant seeks to enter. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

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

prior academic performance; and, as appropriate to the specialisation,
the audition, composition folio or piece of academic writing

4. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

5. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate 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)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to providingsupport to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website. http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Intended learning outcomes

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

demonstrate a strong knowledge and understanding of their discipline;
pursue musical knowledge and skills independently, with intellectual honesty and rigorous methods of inquiry;
use and assimilate the potential of technologies to facilitate the dissemination of musical skills, knowledge and information;
make critical, informed and sophisticated responses to new musical ideas, methodologies and theoretical frameworks;
show empathy, self-reflection and critical intelligence in the dissemination of skills and knowledge in their specialisation;
work competently and productively in a musical setting, both alone and in groups;
integrate a holistic view of music from different times and places into their working and intellectual lives;
participate with integrity, discrimination, sound knowledge and understanding in national and international debates, dialogues and discussions in their area of specialisation and in the discipline as a whole;
communicate effectively;
have a lifelong commitment to learning.

Generic skills

Graduates should also have developed the following skills:

a sound attitude towards undertaking life-long learning in music;
a well-developed capacity to understand and participate as an individual and in collaborative teams as a leader or as a team member;
a sophisticated level of written, verbal and musical communication skills;
an ability to think critically and analytically about the musical experience in all its facets: as performance, as composition, and as historical-sociocultural document.

Graduate attributes

University of Melbourne postgraduate coursework degrees seek to develop graduates who demonstrate a capacity for contemporary professional practice and/or specialist knowledge and theory. Postgraduate coursework degrees have multiple purposes. They are designed to provide students with the opportunity for advanced knowledge and understanding in a specialist area; to enhance professional knowledge and skills; and to engage with new and emerging fields of study.

Course structure

100-point program

The Graduate Diploma in Music requires the successful completion of 100 credit points of Music subjects.

Majors, minors & specialisations

Name	Credit Points
Tailored Program	100
Practical Music	100
Musicology	100
Ethnomusicology	100
Composition	100

Elective Subjects

Name	Credit Points
Graduate Diploma in Music Electives

Further study

Graduates may progress to a range of other graduate coursework programs, as well as research higher degree programs including the Doctor of Philosophy.

Last updated: 6 April 2025