Degrees

Undergraduate Degrees

The four-year BMus degree is intended for students who wish to pursue music as a profession. In order to be recognised as a teaching qualification it must be combined with the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) offered by the Faculty of Education. Except as provided in Rules 14 and 15 of the General Rules, candidates shall not be admitted to the degree unless they have attended approved courses subsequent to their first registration as a matriculated student for at least four years. Students who wish to take more than the minimum number of BMus courses in any one year may do so, subject to the approval of the Dean of Humanities.

CURRICULUM FOR BMUS DEGREE

FIRST YEAR

Instrumental Music Studies 1

Music Culture and History 1

Music Theory and Analysis 101 and 102

Sound Technology 1 OR one Bachelor of Arts or Science course

SECOND YEAR

Instrumental Music Studies 2

Music Culture and History

Music Theory and Analysis 2

Sound Technology 1 or 2 OR one Bachelor of Arts or Science course

THIRD YEAR

Instrumental Music Studies 3

Students choose two of the following courses: IMS 3,MCH 3 and MTA 3

FOURTH YEAR

Students must do FIVE papers or their equivalent in credit points (5). All choices are subject to the approval of the Head of Department.

Compulsory: At least one of the following:

Paper 1: Extended essay (2) or

Paper 2: Full Recital (2) or

Paper 3: Full Composition Portfolio (2)

Options: Remaining credit points are acquired from the following courses. If Paper 1 has not been chosen, the options must include Musicology 4, or Analysis 4, or Ethnomusicology 4. All options are not necessarily offered every year.

Paper 4: Analysis 4 (1)

Paper 5: Musicology 4 (1)

Paper 6: Ethnomusicology 4 (1)

Paper 7: Sound Technology (1)

Paper 8: Short composition portfolio (1)

Paper 9: Short public performance (1)

*Paper 10: Instrumental Music Studies 4 (1)

Paper 11: Conducting (1)

Paper 12: Chamber Music Recital (1)

Paper 13: Concerto Performance (1)

Paper 14: Music Education (1)

Paper 15: Arts Management (1)

Normally not more than FIVE music subjects may be taken in the BA or FOUR in a BSc degree (see the relevant Faculty Rules).

FIRST YEAR COURSES Students may choose from the following courses:

Instrumental Music Studies 1

Music Theory and Analysis 101 and 102

Music Culture and History 1 (one or more of MCH 1WAM, MCH 1WM, MCH 1MHB, MCH 1JZ);

Sound Technology 1

SECOND YEAR COURSES Students may choose from the following courses:

Instrumental Music Studies 2

Music Culture and History 2

Music Theory and Analysis 2 (one or more of MCH 2WAM, MCH 2WM, MCH 2MHB, MCH 2JZ not already taken at 1st year level)

Sound Technology 2

THIRD YEAR COURSES Students may choose one of the following:

Instrumental Music Studies 3

Music Culture and History 3

Music Theory and Analysis 3

MUSIC HONOURS (BA or BSc)

Curriculum and syllabi are identical to BMus Fourth Year

Postgraduate Degrees

JOINT HONOURS Full-year (120 credits at NQF level 8) Entrance requirements: A completed degree with one music major. Course description: See BMus 4 INTERDISCIPLINARY HONOURS DEGREE Full-year (120 credits at NQF level 8) Entrance requirements: A completed degree with one music major. Course description: See BMus 4

180 credits at NQF level 9

Entrance requirements: BMus or a completed BA or BSc degree.

Course description: A Master’s Degree may be awarded by submission of a thesis,

a portfolio of compositions*, two public recitals*(60%) and mini-thesis (40%), two public recitals (60%) and short composition portfolio (40%).

*Any culture or style may be included.

a) Thesis

The research proposal and title of the thesis must be approved by the Humanities Higher Degrees Committee within four months of registration for the degree.

b) Composition

The nature and scope of the compositions must receive the prior approval of Senate on the recommendation of the Head of Department, before submission. Candidates must also submit an explanatory commentary on important structural, textural and stylistic aspects of the work submitted, including its contextualisation within contemporary South Africa. A candidate who submits a set of compositions shall be required to submit 3 copies of the compositions together with suitable recordings.

c) Performance and Mini-Thesis and/or Short Composition Portfolio

The nature and scope of public recitals (60%) and mini-thesis (40%) and/or Short Composition  Portfolio (40%) must receive prior approval of Senate on the recommendation of the Head of Department, and a departmental subcommittee. The research proposal and title of the mini-thesis must also be approved by the Departmental Postgraduate Research Committee within four months of registration for the degree.

Options available for the recitals are as follows:

(a) performance in two separate public solo recitals or

(b) one public solo recital and one full chamber recital or

(c) one public solo recital, one short chamber recital and one concerto, where the genres are applicable to the culture or style of the chosen instrument.

*Any culture or style may be included.

360 credits at NQF level 10

Entrance requirements: A completed Masters degree in Music or equivalent.

Course description: a PhD may be awarded by the submission of:

  1. a thesis (90 000 words)
  2. a set of compositions consisting of at least three substantial original compositions (not less than 70 minutes in duration. The candidate must also submit an explanatory statement (not less than 25 000 words) referring to important aspects of the scores, including in particular a description of the form or forms employed and of any contrapuntal, harmonic and orchestration devices used. This document should detail the portfolio’s theme or contextualising thread. Recordings of compositions are required.
  3.  three performances (60 – 70 min duration) and a mini- thesis (50 000 words) (examined as an integrated project).

DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MUSIC (SENIOR DOCTORATE)

 

360 credits at NQF level 10

Entrance requirements: A completed Masters degree in Music or equivalent.

Course description:  A candidate for the degree of DMus is required to submit for the approval of Senate a published work or a set of compositions.

The published work must be of historical or theoretical or analytical research in music, and must open new aspects of the subject discussed.

A set of compositions must consist of three original compositions, the character and form of which must receive the prior approval of the Senate on the recommendation of the Head of the Department and the Departmental Postgraduate Research Committee.