Master of Music (Jazz & Improvisation)

The Master of Music is a professional research degree that prepares students for specialist careers in musicology, ethnomusicology, composition, performance, conducting, music therapy, jazz & improvisation, music psychology & performance science or interactive composition.

Jazz & Improvisation candidates present a live performance and submit a dissertation that together should investigate issues and questions that are core to contemporary music making.

On completion of this course students should be able to:

• Apply the best practices of local, national and international standards in their professional performance in their chosen specialisation;
• Pursue an informed program of independent further study in their chosen area of specialisation in music;
• Provide leadership in the profession in their chosen area of specialisation in music;
• Use current technologies and assimilate the potential of emerging technologies to facilitate and heighten the dissemination of skills, knowledge and information;
• Value and participate in projects requiring team-work.

Full and Part Time study options are available

Candidates undertake the following subjects:

Candidates also complete a Research Methods subject in their first semester and attend seminars specific to their area of research in their second semester:

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

• a Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree, or equivalent, with at least an H2A (75%) weighted average; and for
• Music Performance (including conducting), and Jazz & Improvisation: a satisfactory audition;
• Composition: a satisfactory composition folio;
• Musicology/Ethnomusicology, Music Psychology & Performance Science, and Music Therapy: a satisfactory piece of scholarly writing;
• Interactive Composition: a satisfactory interactive composition folio.

and

• Submit a Research Proposal (except for Music Performance and Composition)

Exceptional applicants, with substantial professional experience, can be considered for entry into Master of Music (Jazz & Improvisation) and the Master of Music (Interactive Composition) without meeting the requirement of completion of an honours degree or equivalent.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the selection committee will consider:

• prior academic performance; and
• the composition folio, audition, or piece of scholarly writing.

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

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate 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.

Behavioural and Social Attributes: Students must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. They must take full responsibility for their own participation and learning. Students also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative environments and must therefore demonstrate a wide range of interpersonal skills which consider the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Disability: For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Overview, Objectives and Generic Skills sections of this entry.
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 may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Research Masters degrees at the University of Melbourne seek to develop graduates who have a capacity for defining and managing a research project characterised by originality and independence. Their training equips them for more sustained and original work at the doctoral level or for applied research positions in a wider variety of contexts.

The University expects its research masters graduates to have the following qualities and skills:

• An ability to initiate research projects and to formulate viable research questions;
• A demonstrated capacity to design, conduct and report independent and original research on a closely-defined project;
• An ability to manage time to maximise the quality of research;
• An understanding of the major contours of international research in the research area;
• A capacity for critical evaluation of relevant scholarly literature;
• Well-developed and flexible problem-solving abilities appropriate to the discipline
• The ability to analyse research data within a changing disciplinary environment;
• The capacity to communicate effectively the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication;
• An understanding of and facility with scholarly conventions in the discipline area;
• A profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of research and scholarship;
• A capacity to co-operate with other researchers;
• An ability to manage information effectively, including the application of computer systems and software where appropriate to the student's field of study.

Application Procedure
Detailed information for prospective Master of Music students regarding the application process, including application deadlines and the application form is available at mcm.unimelb.edu.au/study/degrees