Program overview

Why choose this program?

This highly innovative program is ideal if you wish to study music within a broad framework. You’ll need a good musical background and a desire to explore studies in one or more of the following fields:

• music and cultural industries
• music and media (music technology)
• music with other disciplines

• musicology
• world and community music
• music education

The program’s purpose is to enable you to become highly musically literate, to develop a broad understanding of music and its place in the community and have appropriate skills for a career in the music industry.

You’ll receive practical training in instrumental or vocal study and ensembles (but at a less intensive level than in the Bachelor of Music) and can choose from a wide range of core courses and electives in music including theoretical and historical studies, world music, popular music, music in the community, music technology, composition, pedagogy as well as courses in other subject areas offered by other faculties of the university.

The program’s first two years are concentrated in three areas:

• Performance studies involve individual practical lessons in your principal instrument, voice or composition. Ensembles are also available subject to audition.
• Concentration studies are specialist studies in each of the degree majors including courses relevant to musicology, world music, community arts and cultural development.
• Core Music studies will develop your music literacy, knowledge of repertoires and styles, and communication skills. Courses include music theory and music literature studies.

Electives in each year allow you to broaden your music experience or to explore courses in other areas. All electives available to Bachelor of Music students are also available to students in this program.

In years two and three, as well as continuing core studies in music, you’ll have the opportunity to specialise in one of the study areas listed above. If you have an interest in another discipline (e.g. humanities or language) you may be able to include a major from these areas. If you’re planning to proceed into a Graduate Diploma of Education - Secondary program to qualify for teacher registration you can take a major in a second teaching area to complement your first teaching area which is music. Both classroom teaching and instrumental teaching options are available.

At the end of three years, you may graduate, proceed to a fourth honours year (subject to meeting specific criteria) or choose to apply to undertake a one-year Graduate Diploma of Education - Secondary program if you have completed an Education preparation major.

Attendance

The Bachelor of Music Studies is offered full-time on campus at the South Bank campus. You may choose to study courses at other campuses if or where the program structure allows.

As a full-time student you will generally attend 10-15 hours of scheduled classes per week throughout the semester. Classes may be scheduled during the day and evening throughout the week.

The first year must normally be taken full-time. After that, students may take a reduced study load. You will be classed as a part-time student if you enrol in less than 30 credit points per semester. This may affect entitlement to Centrelink benefits. International students must maintain a full-time study load.

Work-integrated learning: These activities integrate theoretical learning with its application in the workplace. The inclusion of work-integrated learning activities in the degree program demonstrates Griffith 's commitment to preparing its graduates for success in their working life. In this program you may be required to spend 40-60 hours in a work/professional environment, through an Industry Practicum. In Semester 5, you are required to undertake an unpaid Industry Practicum which requires part-time attendance at an approved arts organisation on multiple occasions.

Career opportunities

This program is your entrée into a wide range of professional pathways. Depending on your interests and specialisations, these might include working in arts organisations or on arts projects, performing in or managing community music organisations or projects, music journalism and communication, composition, performance and recording or progressing towards an academic career in teaching and research.

If you’ve included pedagogy electives in your studies, you may be equipped to undertake instrumental or vocal teaching. If you complete a Graduate Diploma in Education - Secondary program following completion of this program, you’ll be eligible to apply for registration as a teacher in Queensland.

Study pathways

Bachelor of Music Studies/Graduate Diploma of Education - Secondary

From 2008, students who complete this Music Studies program can then undertake the Graduate Diploma of Education - Secondary program at the Mt Gravatt campus.

In the first three years, students undertake the Music Studies program. In the fourth year, students can continue to study for the Graduate Diploma of Education - Secondary where they will be required to select the Music teaching area in the middle and senior school and a second teaching area from either Instrumental Teaching or another classroom subject (English, Social Science, Drama or Computing).

The Graduate Diploma program covers the theory and practice of teaching, concentrating on the characteristics of learners and teachers and the social and educational contexts of education. This program includes education studies, curriculum studies in nominated teaching areas and professional experience in Years 6 to 9 (middle years) and senior secondary school settings.

The combination of both programs provides professional preparation for teaching in middle (Years 6 to 9) and senior (Years 10 to 12) years in school settings.