Bachelor of Music with Honours

Year

View in 2021+ Handbook

Course Overview
Further Information
Course Rules & Plans
Course Outcomes

Why study the Bachelor of Music with Honours at UNE?

The Bachelor of Music with Honours program is designed to allow well qualified graduates in Music or Music/Teaching to extend their studies by pursuing specialist Music research and creative portfolio projects. Students will work with a supervisor to pursue guided research in ethnomusicology, musicology, performance studies, popular music studies, or in the study of creative music making principles and techniques in the areas of composition or music technology. Students complete their studies by presenting a dissertation, or research informed exegesis and creative portfolio in their area of specialisation. The course prepares students for postgraduate study and establishes a sound basis for a successful future career.

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Degree Snapshot

DURATION

1 Year Full-time
2 Years Part-time

FEES

CSP
International

2018 STUDY OPTIONS

Armidale

Trimester 1, Online
Trimester 1, On Campus

Official Abbreviation

BMus(Hons)

Course Type

Bachelor Honours

CRICOS Code

093388E

Commencing

Location	Admission Period	Mode of Study
Armidale	Trimester 1	Online
Armidale	Trimester 1	On Campus

Course Duration

1 Year Full-time
2 Years Part-time

Fees

CSP / International

Total Credit Points

Intensive Schools

Mandatory intensive schools may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. See Unit Catalogue for specific requirements.

Entry Requirements

1. An applicant for admission to candidature shall have:

(a) satisfied all of the requirements for admission to an AQF Level 7 Bachelor of Music at a recognised University, or satisfied all of the requirements for admission to the Combined Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Teaching course of The University of New England, having completed at least 96 credit points in Music units; and

(b) attained the equivalent of at least Distinction standard in at least 18 credit points at 300 level in Music.

2. With the approval of the school on the recommendation of the course coordinator a person who has:

(a) fulfilled the requirements of an AQF Level 7 qualification of a university or other institution; and

(b) passed units to the value of at least 60 credit points in Music, except that with the approval of the relevant head of school, up to 12 credit points in another subject may be substituted; and

(c) attained at least Distinction standard in 18 credit points at 300 level in the subject in which the candidate wishes to proceed;

may be admitted to the final honours course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Music with Honours.

Advanced Standing

Candidates are referred to the University Policy on Advanced Standing.

Advanced standing shall not be granted for MUSI402H.

Academic Colours

Spectrum Green (BCC 100)

Further Information

You can find instant answers to many of your questions or contact UNE directly via AskUNE

These course rules & plans are ONLY to be used if you commenced, transferred or changed versions in the Bachelor of Music with Honours in 2018.

Admission to Candidature

1. An applicant for admission to candidature shall have:
(a) satisfied all of the requirements for admission to AQF Level 7 Bachelor of Music at a recognised University, or satisfied all of the requirements for admission to the Combined Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Teaching course of The University of New England, having completed at least 96 credit points in Music units; and
(b) attained the equivalent of at least Distinction standard in at least 18 credit points at 300 level in Music.

2. With the approval of the school on the recommendation of the course coordinator a person who has:
(a) fulfilled the requirements of an AQF Level 7 qualification of a university or other institution; and
(b) passed units to the value of at least 60 credit points in Music, except that with the approval of the relevant head of school, up to 12 credit points in another subject may be substituted; and
(c) attained at least Distinction standard in 18 credit points at 300 level in the subject in which the candidate wishes to proceed;
may be admitted to the final honours course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Music with Honours.

Advanced Standing

Candidates are referred to the University Policy on Advanced Standing.
Advanced standing shall not be granted for MUSI402H.

Period of Candidature

The period of candidature shall be:
(a) one year as a full-time candidate;
(b) up to two years as a part-time candidate.

Course Requirements

1. To qualify for the award a candidate must pass units to the value of 48 credit points comprising:
(i) an advanced course work component to the value of 24 credit points in ethnomusicology or musicology or composition; and
(ii) a dissertation component to the value of 24 credit points in either ethnomusicology or musicology, or a portfolio of compositions with a written exegesis.

2. A candidate shall complete the Honours course and pass the examinations in their chosen field of musical endeavour. Enrolment and approval of Honours topics is subject to approval by the course coordinator.

3. Each Bachelor of Music (Honours) candidate is required to spend periods in 'face-to-face' consultation with his or her supervisor(s). The nature and extent of such consultation will be determined by the supervisors and Head of School after consultation with the candidate prior to commencement of each year of candidature.

Program of Study

Candidates shall complete an approved program of study as outlined in the Course Schedule comprising:

Course Structure	Credit Points
Core Units	48 cps
Total	48 cps

To view complete Program of Study click here

Classes of Honours

There shall be three classes of Honours, namely First Class Honours (H1), Second Class Honours, Division 1 (H2.1), Second Class Honours, Division 2 (H2.2) and Third Class Honours (H3). Class II shall have two divisions. The final class of honours will be determined on the basis of marks awarded for both dissertation and course work.
An exceptionally distinguished candidate who has been awarded First Class Honours may be awarded a University Medal.

Calculation of Honours Result

The ratio of assessment components should equal the ratio of marks within the final grade. For example, if the coursework is worth 50% and the dissertation 50% then the final mark will be the coursework mark multiplied by 0.50 plus the dissertation mark multiplied by 0.50.

Dissertation

1. A candidate who satisfies the research project entry requirements shall submit a dissertation embodying an original investigation of a topic within their chosen specialisation.
2. Depending on the topic under investigation, the approval of the relevant Ethics Committee must be sought if required.
3. The School will appoint a supervisor who shall be a member of the teaching or research staff of the University or an associate of the University and on the UNE register of supervisors. The supervisor shall advise and supervise the candidate during the period of candidature.
4. Except with the permission of the School, on the recommendation of the supervisor, the dissertation shall not exceed 15,000 words of text, excluding appendices.

Submission of Dissertation

1. Electronic submission of the dissertation is highly recommended. Alternatively two soft bound and one unbound copy of the dissertation together with a certificate from the supervisor certifying that the dissertation is in a form suitable for examination can be submitted to the School following liaison with the course coordinator.
2. At least one month prior to the date of submission candidates shall inform the School of their intention to submit a dissertation.
3. Submission of the dissertation will be 39 weeks from the commencement of the trimester for which a candidate is enrolled and will not be tied to trimester dates.

Examination of Dissertation

1. The Teaching and Learning Committee of the relevant School shall, on the recommendation of the supervisor, appoint two examiners. Normally, at least one examiner shall be external to the University.

2. Each examiner shall be informed of the name of the other examiner. The examiners may consult. They shall inform the Teaching and Learning Committee of the relevant School if, before submitting their reports, they have consulted.

3. (a) Normally within one month of receipt of the dissertation the examiners shall decide whether to recommend that the dissertation be given the grade of Fail, Pass, Credit, Distinction or High Distinction, with the corresponding mark.
(b) The examiners may consult with the supervisor prior to preparing their reports, but a dissertation will not be examined by a candidate’s supervisor.
(c) The examiners shall submit to the School of Arts Honours Coordinator their report(s) on the dissertation, along with their recommendation(s) on the grade and mark.

4. (a) In the event of a disagreement between the examiners, they may be asked to consult and report to the Teaching and Learning Committee of the School of Arts.
(b) If the examiners are unable to reach an agreement, the School of Arts Teaching and Learning Committee shall refer their reports to a sub-committee appointed by the Chair for a recommendation.

5. (a) After considering the examiner's recommendation(s) and report(s), any comments from the supervisor and any recommendations from the appointed sub-committee, the School of Arts Teaching and Learning Committee may recommend that the dissertation be awarded the grade of Fail, Pass, Credit, Distinction or High Distinction.
(b) The candidate, the supervisor and examiners shall be informed of the decision and the candidate shall be provided with a copy of the examiners’ report(s).

6. After the School of Arts Teaching and Learning Committee has awarded the grade of Pass or higher, the course coordinator shall be contacted for advice on archival processes for the completed dissertation.

Re-enrolment

1. A full time candidate may be granted special leave by the Head of School to re-enrol in a subsequent year if he or she withdraws from candidature by the census date of the teaching period in which they commenced.

2. A part time candidate may withdraw from candidature up to the census date of the teaching period in which they commenced in the first year of enrolment without prejudice to the right to re-enrol in a succeeding year.

3. A part time candidate who withdraws later than the census date in the second year of enrolment but prior to two months before the submission of the dissertation as required by the Head of School may re-enrol in the same subject for the degree, provided that:
(a) two years will have elapsed before such re-enrolment;
(b) the topic of study undertaken within the dissertation is different from that of the original enrolment.

4. A candidate who withdraws later than two months prior to the date on which the dissertation is required shall be deemed to have failed.

5. Unless a candidate shows good cause why such action should not be taken, the school may, on the recommendation of the course coordinator, withdraw a candidate on the ground of his or her having failed to meet the requirements of the course and deem him or her to have failed in it.

6. A candidate who is deemed to have failed may, after a lapse of three years, be permitted to apply for re-admission to the course, provided the proposed work is in a different topic of study from that of the original enrolment.

Suspensions and Extensions to Candidature

The school may grant an extension or suspension of candidature, or a combination of both, to full-time candidates for up to six months or to part-time candidates for up to 12 months as follows:
(a) to compensate by way of extension of candidature, a candidate for time lost by ill-health or unforeseeable and unavoidable difficulties; or
(b) to compensate by way of suspension of candidature, a candidate who produces evidence that he/she shall not be in a position to pursue work towards the Bachelor of Music (Honours).

Course Aims	The Bachelor of Music with Honours develops a student's ability to undertake increasingly independent research in music and critically apply approaches to methodology and/or practice to large projects. Students are able to synthesise and critique current knowledge in the discipline and apply this knowledge to a project under specialised supervision.
Learning Outcomes	Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: independently apply a coherent and advanced knowledge of the underlying principles and concepts in one or more music specialisations and knowledge of research principles and methods; demonstrate a high level of research skills and the ability to write critically; conduct and report independent research that contributes knowledge to a particular musical specialisation; demonstrate enhanced communication proficiency within a discipline specific context; and demonstrate an understanding of the social and ethical issues in relation to various musical contexts with intellectual independence.
Graduate Attributes	Knowledge of a Discipline Graduates will have coherent and advanced knowledge of the underlying principles and concepts in one or more musical specialisations as well as highly developed knowledge of research principles and methods and an advanced comprehension of one particular area of study that the student has selected to research. Supervisors will guide students to identify important resources that will be used as the basis for their dissertation or exegesis and creative portfolio. This knowledge will then be assessed throughout the degree through a range of assessment tasks, including the dissertation or exegesis and creative portfolio. Graduates will gain a global musical perspective in one or more specialised areas through discussion, presentation, research and critical evaluation activities guided by their supervisor and pertaining to their primary research topic. Communication Skills Graduates will have high-level communication skills, oral and written, and be able to present a clear and coherent exposition of knowledge and ideas to a variety of audiences. Guided by their supervisor, these communication skills will be developed by students when completing, for example, ethics applications, contacting potential research participants, conducting empirical and other research, communicating their ideas orally, and in the writing of the dissertation or in the development, documentation and presentation of musical work. The honing of these skills will stand students in good stead for the workplace. Problem Solving Graduates will have cognitive skills to review, analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge to identify and provide solutions to complex problems with intellectual independence. With initiative and judgement these skills will enable students to adapt knowledge and skills in diverse contexts. During the course of their studies, students will need to locate, evaluate and apply information from a variety of sources throughout their degree. Students will be taught how to evaluate and interpret information in a useful manner and will be assessed on their ability to deconstruct relevant literature and to integrate theoretical and critical approaches into their work. Information Literacy Graduates will be able to recognise pertinent information and will have the advanced cognitive skills to use appropriate media, tools and methodologies to locate, access, critically analyse and interpret information. They will have the cognitive skills to exercise critical and creative thinking and judgement in developing new understanding of a subject. Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility Graduates will be aware of their professional responsibilities as a researcher to act ethically by providing balanced and accurate research and data. In addition, students will be taught that they have a social responsibility to question and challenge some 'facts'. Lifelong Learning Graduates will have the research and critical thinking skills as well as intellectual capacity to enable them to continually further their learning. These attributes will be fostered throughout the honours program. Through completing the coursework, dissertation, or exegesis and creative portfolio, students will be provided with the necessary lifelong skills to be able to independently research, write about and discuss critical issues. These skills can be transferred to any discipline, will be useful in any career positions and are essentially lifelong competences. Independence and Collaboration Graduates will be able to exercise responsibility and accountability for their own learning and professional practice as well as the ability to work collaboratively with others within broad parameters. Students will be required to participate in professional, respectful and ethical discussions with their supervisor, and with other students, on issues associated with their area of study.