Master of Music Studies

The Master of Music Studies (Intensive Mode) program is designed for music professionals in educational, community and other vocational settings in music who wish to enhance their expertise in ways directly relevant to their work. The program is designed to fill a need for a specialist qualification at the advanced level for those who hold school or other professional music positions and seek further advancement. It should be useful to graduates who work in school, vocational, adult and further education settings.

The program is a coursework degree and is modular. Its subjects may be taken separately as free-standing short courses, or else credited towards the MMusStuds degree. The subjects aim to provide a blend of practical skill, theoretical knowledge, and to be informed by current research. It is offered on a fee-paying basis only.

On completion of this course, students should:

• Have acquired a high standard and an advanced level of competency, skills and expertise relevant to their professional need;
• Have acquired appropriate ancillary skills in research and writing;
• Have expanded their knowledge of scholarship in music in a range of specialisations;
• Value and participate in projects requiring team-work;
• Recognise and respect the highest international standards in their chosen area of specialisation in music;
• Pursue an informed program of independent further study in their chosen area of specialisation in music;
• Have developed the capacity to apply the knowledge and experience gained in their training to the musical needs of society;
• Provide leadership in the profession in their chosen area of specialisation in music.

Full-time and Part-time study options are available.

Candidates undertake the subjects listed below.

Students complete the course according to either of the following structures:

• Five 12.5-point subjects normally chosen in any order from the pool of subjects listed below, plus 740-554 Approaches to Research in Music Education and 740-555 Professional Research Project; or
• Eight 12.5-point subjects normally chosen in any order from the pool of subjects listed below.

To be accepted into the Master of Music Studies (Intensive Mode), students should normally have :

• completed an approved four-year degree in music; or
• achieved a record of professional experience and training, recognised by the Faculty as equivalent to a four-year degree in music.

Application Procedure

Subjects can be taken individually via the Community Access Program, or for credit towards the Master of Music Studies degree. For full details on application requirements, and processes, go to http://conservatorium.unimelb.edu.au/mmusstud_int

Please note that applications for the Master of Music Studies (Intensive) must be accompanied by a supplementary form.

Students are encouraged to provide as much detailed information as possible, including a full Curriculum Vitae if applicable, in support of their application.

Certified transcripts of academic records at any tertiary institution other than The University of Melbourne must be forwarded with the application. If the transcription is not in English, a certified translation must be provided.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit.

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.

The University expects its postgraduate coursework graduates to have the following qualities and skills:

• An advanced understanding of the changing knowledge base in the specialist area;
• An ability to evaluate and synthesise the research and professional literature in the discipline
• Advanced skills and techniques applicable to the discipline;
• Well-developed problem-solving abilities in the discipline area, characterised by flexibility of approach;
• Advanced competencies in areas of professional expertise and/or scholarship;
• A capacity to articulate their knowledge and understanding in oral and written presentations;
• An advanced understanding of the international context and sensitivities of the specialist area;
• An appreciation of the design, conduct and reporting of original research;
• A capacity to manage competing demands on time, including self-directed project work;
• A profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of scholarship;
• An appreciation of the ways in which advanced knowledge equips the student to offer leadership in the specialist area;
• The capacity to value and participate in projects which require team-work;
• An understanding of the significance and value of their knowledge to the wider community (including business and industry);
• A capacity to engage where appropriate with issues in contemporary society; and
• Where appropriate, advanced working skills in the application of computer systems and software and a receptiveness to the opportunities offered by new technologies.