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Postgraduate and Honours Study

 

 

 

The Degrees

Which Degree Should You Take?

UNE Music offers the following awards at Honours and Higher Research Degree levels:

  • Honours
    • B.A. (Hons) in Composition, Ethnomusicology or Musicology. In two parts - course work and thesis/composition.
    • B.Mus (Hons) in Composition, Community Music, Ethnomusicology, Musicology or Performance. In two parts - course work and "thesis". For this degree the "thesis" will consist of major and minor components.
  • Higher Research Degrees
    • M.A.(Hons) in either Ethnomusicology or Musicology and by thesis only.
    • M.Mus (Hons) in either Composition (2/3rds composition, 1/3rd dissertation) or Performance Practice Research (1/3rd performance, 2/3rds thesis).
    • Ph.D. in either Ethnomusicology or Musicology and by thesis only.

The following diagram illustrates the available degree programs and the usual method of progression from one to the other:

Honours Degrees - BA (Hons) and BMus (Hons)
BA (Hons) - This degree is taken on a full-time basis (one year), internally, or on a part-time basis (two years), externally. The work involves the writing of a thesis (25,000 - 30,000 words), or a portfolio of compositions as well as attendance at seminars and postgraduate schools/presentation of papers. All work is done under the direction of a supervisor, or two co-supervisors. The two 24 cp units required for the BA (Hons) are: HMUS 401 and HMUS 402 - both must be passed.

BMus (Hons) - This degree can be taken on a full-time basis (one year), internally, or on a part-time basis (two years), externally. The award entails study in the candidate's principle area of musical endeavour chosen from Composition, Community Music, Ethnomusicology, Musicology or Performance, and usually combines practical work with a written project. The two 24 cp units required for the BMus (Hons) are: HMUS 401 and HMUS 403 - both must be passed.

 
MA (Hons)
This degree is built on the BA (Hons) and is essentially a research degree, and the candidate writes a major thesis (Max. 80,000 words). It is possible to take the degree internally or externally. All work is done under the direction of a supervisor, or co-supervisors. To qualify for entry to the degree, a high level of work in the Honours course is required.

Admission to candidature shall be determined by the Faculty of Arts on the recommendation of the Convenor of Music.

Preliminary Course - Candidates must complete a course of study sufficient to enable them to meet the normal requirements for entry to the course. The program for the preliminary course shall be determined by the Faculty on the recommendation of the Convenor of Music. The general rules of the Faculty shall apply to the preliminary program.

MMus (Hons)
This degree is built on the BMus (Hons) degree, which must be passed at a high level, and is available in an area of study in Music approved by the Convenor of Music. This degree combines practical work with a written thesis. It is possible to take this degree in the external mode.
PhD

By research work built on an Honours degree or M.Litt, either passed with very high results, or a Masters degree which shows potential for advanced research. The candidate writes a major thesis - Max.100,000 words in length.

D.Litt

The degree of Doctor of Letters may be awarded for an original contribution of distinguished merit which adds substantially to knowledge and understanding of any branch of learning with which the Faculty is concerned.

 

Postgraduate Schools

The main three or four day compulsory postgraduate school is held each year. The school may combine a variety of activities: papers by both staff and postgrad students on their research, recitals/concerts, sessions on research methodology, and sessions on word processing, thesis editing, music graphics etc. Some sessions will be plenary, but discipline-specific sessions may also feature in order to give students in the same research area the opportunity to meet and discuss common issues and problems with the relevant staff. Residential schools are, of course, the main time for consultation/supervision for many external students (and fulfilling compulsory residence periods at UNE as outlined below), and time will be allocated for this purpose during schools. Students should also be prepared to give short verbal reports (in plenary context) on their proposed thesis topics and/or the progress of their research at these schools. B.Mus (Hons) and M.Mus (Hons) recitals may be presented at the school for formal assessment.

The postgraduate school will be held in August in 2007.

External students are reminded of the compulsory residence periods:

  • BA or BMus Honours - 10 days per year
  • MMus - 10 days per year
  • MA - at least 10 days per year
  • PhD - not less than 84 days over the period of candidature.

Supervision from Academic Staff

All academic staff of Music are active researchers in their particular areas of interest/expertise. Each staff member has certain areas of primary research expertise, and it is within these areas that most postgraduate activity is encouraged/concentrated. The primary research areas of staff are:

 

20th/21st Century Music

Associate Professor Ann Ghandar

15th century music / Modality / Medieval / Early Renaissance Theory / Editions

Dr Rex Eakins

Indonesian and Pacific Music

Dr David Goldsworthy

South Asian(Indian) Music

Dr Andew Alter

Staff are also equipped to supervise topics of postgraduates which fall outside the specific areas listed above. These include:

 

Nineteenth century/Middle Eastern music

Associate Professor Ann Ghandar

Structure/Form in 18th/19th Century Music, 18th Century Baroque Harmonic Processes

Dr Rex Eakins

Southeast Asian music systems/Popular music/African music

Dr David Goldsworthy

Cross-cultural Modal, Polyphonic and Harmonic Studies

Dr Andew Alter