Yearbooks

Programme: BMus

Kindly take note of the disclaimer regarding qualifications and degree names.
Code Faculty
01132003 Faculty of Humanities
Credits Duration
Minimum duration of study: 4 years Total credits: 480
Contact:
Prof AF Johnson
[email protected]
+27 (0)124202316

Programme information

This programme is aimed at the acquisition of specialist music skills and knowledge. The programme can be compiled in such a way that, on its completion, students are qualified for a wide variety of music-related occupations, including the following: solo performer, orchestral or chamber musician, music teacher at all levels (for individual and group tuition), musicologist, music technologist, entrepreneur and impressario.

Closing date for applications: 30 June (late applications on request).

Admission requirements

  • The following candidates will be considered for admission:
  1. A candidate who is in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required Grade 12 certificate with university endorsement; a candidate who is a graduate from another recognised tertiary institution or has been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution; and a candidate who is a graduate of another faculty at the University of Pretoria
  2. Candidates who have completed the National Senior Certificate with admission to degree studies or a certificate of conditional exemption on the basis of a candidate’s non-South African (“foreign”) qualifications, the so-called “Immigrant” or “Foreign Conditional Exemption”. The only condition for the “Foreign Conditional Exemption” that is accepted is: ‘completion of the degree course’. The exemption certificate is obtainable from Universities South Africa (USAf). Detailed information is available on the website at mb.usaf.ac.za.
  • Candidates who comply with the minimum subject requirements and achievement levels as well as the APS requirements of these programmes will be granted placement in the programmes, subject to the availability of space. The above-mentioned is not applicable to selection programmes.
  • To retain admission, learners will be expected to obtain an APS of at least 28 in Grade 12, except BA (Speech-Language Pathology), BA (Audiology) and BSocSci (Philosophy, Politics and Economics). The required APS for these three programmes is 32 in order to retain admission. Prospective students who have already been granted conditional admission in these programmes, but obtained at least an APS of 26 or 27 in Grade 12, will be considered by the Admissions Committee should space be available. The Admissions Committee  of the Faculty of Humanities will consider these students once the results of the National Benchmark Test (NBT) are available and depending on the availability of space. The NBT is not applicable to selection programmes. Candidates who apply for selection programmes or BA (Law) are required to meet the minimum admission requirements.
  • Applicants who meet the minimum APS requirement, but who do not comply with the subject requirements must write the NBT.
  • The Faculty will assess satisfactory performance in the NBT in the light of its commitment to ensure that an appropriate proportion of the applicants will be drawn from the disadvantaged category of the population.
  • Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS.
  • The language of communication and correspondence is English only.
  • For more information, please consult the Faculty yearbook on the UP website.
  • Note: The A and IB HL levels are not included in the APS Conversion Table. Faculty requirements for admission based on these equivalent international qualifications are a D for the A level and 4 for the IB HL level.
  • Non-NSC candidates who have already completed the equivalent of Grade 12, are advised to submit their Exemption certificates obtained from USAf (www.usaf.ac.za) along with their applications.
  • Non-NSC candidates who do not have English Language in Grade 12 are advised to write the NBT or submit their SAT results. Please note that English Literature is not considered as a substitute for English language.

Minimum requirements

Achievement level

English Home Language or English First Additional Language

 

APS

NSC/IEB

AS Level

 

5

 

C

 

30

Should you be selected, you will be expected to achieve an APS of at least 28 in Grade 12 to retain admission.

The NBT is not applicable to this programme.

*  Cambridge A level candidates who obtained at least a D in the required subjects, will be considered for admission. International Baccalaureate (IB) HL candidates who obtained at least a 4 in the required subjects, will be considered for admission.

Additional requirements

Departemental selection is required for this programme.

Admission is subject to tests in the first instrument, music theory and harmony. Level 4 in Music as a Grade 12 subject or Grade VII Practical and Grade V Theory (Unisa, Royal Schools, Trinity) serves as a guideline of the expected standard.

Other programme-specific information

  • Students who are deemed NOT to be at risk of their level of academic literacy, are exempted from ALL 110 and ALL 125.
  • MME 400 can only be taken if the first instrument is piano, violin, jazz or classical voice.
  • MEI 403 is performing art, with a public concert of 1 hour in the second semester.
  • The choice of instrument is based on the availability of an appropriate teacher. The University does not accept responsibility for providing a lecturer of these instruments where teaching costs exceed the normal.
  • In order to be admitted to MTI 100 (Second instrument) in any instrument other than percussion, organ, harpsichord or singing, a student should have reached at least Unisa Grade V or a comparable standard in that instrument; in the case of organ, harpsichord, percussion and singing, admission is at the discretion of the head of the department.

Practical music
Students choose a first and a second instrument from the following: Voice, piano, keyboard, organ, harpsichord, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion, harp, guitar, recorder, saxophone and ensemble. Jazz and/or classical streams are allowed, according to availability.

Attendance modules

  1. In addition to the modules mentioned in the learning programme, students are obliged to attend the weekly recital classes and  seminars.
  2. It is compulsory for all music students to be a member of a departmental ensemble, choir and/or the UP Symphony Orchestra and UP Symphonic Wind Orchestra.
  3. Unsatisfactory attendance at the performance classes, seminars and compulsory ensembles and choirs as stipulated under (i) and (ii) may, at the discretion of the head of the department, lead to a lowering of the student’s practical or any one academic module’s year mark.

Promotion to next study year

Admission to the second year of study

Must obtain at least 108 credits for music modules at year level 1.

Admission to the third year of study

Obtain all credits at level 1 (142 credits), as well as at least 130 credits for music modules at yr level 2.

Admission to the fourth year of study

Must obtain all credits at level 2 (155 credits), as well as at least 110 credits for music modules at yr level 3.

Pass with distinction

In order to be awarded the degree with distinction, a student has to obtain a weighted average of at least 75% for the final-year modules.

Minimum credits: 120

Select two elective modules at  year level 1 

Elective module

 

Elective module (Optional-not part of the prescribed credits)

Fundamental modules

Core modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

    All major-, minor-, chromatic scales, modes, intervals, 3 and 4 part chords in all inversions, primary and secondary chord progressions, basic modulations, rhythmic and melodic sight-singing/dictation, based on the movable doh system, in Western and African music.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    This module is intended to equip students with a) language and research skills, academic writing, assignment writing, plagiarism, referencing, and an introduction to Musicology, and b) providing music students with knowledge and skills for optimal development as performing artists. Specific strategies for health promotion as well as the prevention of injury will be focused on. A variety of health-related topics will include: the role of nutrition and rest, dealing with stress, music performance anxiety, musculoskeletal health and hearing health.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection. Technical work, recital pieces, sight reading.
    In all instruments: Technical work, sight reading, performance skills, recital pieces of contrasting styles.
    In Jazz: Students enrolled for MEI 100 (jazz), must take MME 100 (jazz) & MTI 100 (jazz ensemble).

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    *Requires knowledge of music notation.
    Baroque, Classical and Introduction to Jazz: A historical musicological approach to the development and contexts of Western art music during the Baroque and Classical era, and an introduction to the history of jazz, through in-depth critical listening and reading of representative major composers, musical genres, styles and forms.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

    Classical and jazz: Melody, harmonic concepts, diatonic triads, cadences, diatonic quartads, secondary dominants, contrapuntal techniques in a two-part texture, phrase structures, one-part, binary, ternary forms; inventions and variation forms.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Classical and jazz: Melody, harmonic concepts, diatonic triads, cadences, diatonic quartads, secondary dominants, contrapuntal techniques in a two-part texture, phrase structures, one-part, binary, ternary forms; inventions and variation forms. This module is available for students who get less than 65% for the entrance theory test. Students with as pass mark of 75% and above may continue to MKT 200.
     

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Piano: The methodology of basic elements of piano tuition as well as relevant repertoire up to grade 3 level of all recognised examination boards. Evaluation of beginner and technical books for beginner tuition.
    Jazz: Technical skills and methods relevant to jazz improvisation, common forms and chord sequences, elements of style and repertoire. (Compulsory with MEI 100 (jazz))
    Classical voice: International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for Italian; Italian diction for singers; physiology and anatomy of the vocal mechanism; vocal hygiene; methodological concepts such as posture, breathing and phonation for singing; a brief introduction to voice classification and repertoire studies
    Music education: A wide range of topics are covered, relevant to teaching music effectively. Opportunities are provided for you to grow your potential as musician and as music educator.

    View more

Elective modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    In all instruments: Technical work, sight reading, recital pieces of contrasting styles.
    In Jazz: Repertoire, stylistic considerations, instrumental technique and performance demands for successful participation in a jazz ensemble. 

    View more

Minimum credits: 120

Select one elective music modules at year level 2

Core modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

    All major-, minor-, chromatic-, whole tone-, pentatonic scales, modes, intervals, 3 and 4 part chords in all inversions, recognition of chromatic chord progressions and improvisation, modulations, rhythmic and melodic sight-singing/dictation based on the movable doh system, in Western and African music.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection. Technical work, recital pieces, sight reading.
    In all instruments: Technical work, sight reading, performance skills, recital pieces of contrasting styles.
    In Jazz: Students enrolled for MEI 200 (jazz), must take MME 200 (jazz) & MTI 200 (jazz ensemble).
    Prerequisite is MEI 100 (jazz).

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    *Requires knowledge of music notation.
    The Romantic era, Twentieth century Art music, Jazz: A historical musicological approach to the development and contexts of Western art music that spans the Romantic era, twentieth century, and jazz, through in-depth critical listening and reading of representative major composers, musical genres, styles and forms.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Modulation with any key relationship, general chromatic chords, complex chord structures, contrapuntal techniques in a three-part texture, rondo form, sonata form, canon, fugue.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

    Piano: The methodology of basic elements of piano tuition as well as relevant repertoire up to grade 3 level of all recognised examination boards. Evaluation of beginner and technical books for beginner tuition.
    Jazz: Technical skills and methods relevant to jazz improvisation, common forms and chord sequences, elements of style and repertoire. (Compulsory with MEI 100 (jazz)
    Classical voice: International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for German; German diction for singers; methodological concepts such as resonance, vibrato and reducing tension; common operatic themes found in opera plots; the German Lied and repertoire studies.
    Music education: This module will direct you to develop your own musical understanding, enabling you to create inspiring music experiences in a teaching and learning environment. Opportunities for honing your teaching skills will be provided through community music engagement


     

    View more

Elective modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Composition and orchestration
    Digital notation and introduction to orchestration techniques.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection.

    This module is the start of a series of modules that form part of an elective programme aiming to prepare, equip and train the student with music-technology related skills and specialisations. It is designed to provide a thorough introductory audio-related engineering and programming skillset for the candidate. The student enrolled in the elective programme does so with the intention to be trained as an expert in the music-technology field and related disciplines.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Specialisation in either Western, African or jazz ensemble music – the history, general repertoire knowledge, collaborative performance skills, recital pieces of contrasting styles.
    In Jazz: Jazz styles, analysis and improvisation concepts through practice and performance of relevant jazz repertoire.
     

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    In all instruments: Technical work, sight reading, and recital pieces of contrasting styles.
    In Jazz: Repertoire, stylistic considerations, instrumental technique and performance demands for successful participation in a jazz ensemble.

    View more

Minimum credits: 120

Select  3  elective modules at year level 3 

Core modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection. Technical work, recital pieces, sight reading.
    In all instruments: Technical work, sight reading, performance skills, recital pieces of contrasting styles.
    In Jazz: Prerequisite is MEI 200 (jazz).

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    *Requires knowledge of music notation.
    The twentieth-century. A historical musicological approach to the development and contexts of music in the 20th century, including Western Art music, Indigenous Art music, Pop and Jazz, through in-depth critical listening and reading of representative major composers, musical genres, styles and forms.

    View more

Elective modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

    Introduction to acoustic and electroacoustic compositional practices, advanced notation, film scoring and vocal writing.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Specialisation in either Western, African or jazz ensemble music – the history, general repertoire knowledge, collaborative performance skills, recital pieces of contrasting styles.
    In Jazz: Jazz styles, analysis and improvisation concepts through practice and performance of relevant jazz repertoire. Prerequisite is MME 200 (jazz) and MEI 200 (jazz).

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection.

    This module is the second in a series of modules that form part of an elective programme aiming to prepare, equip and train the student with music-technology related skills and specialisations. It is designed to provide a thorough, post-introductory audio-related engineering and programming skillset for the candidate. The student enrolled in the elective programme does so with the intention to be trained as an expert in the music-technology field and related disciplines.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Procedures of Romanticism. 

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

    An overview of music entrepreneurship by exploring concepts such as entrepreneurship, macro-and micro economic environments, how to create a business venture, project management, marketing, writing a business plan, basic accounting and financial management. It aims to prepare students for a portfolio career approach by managing the many facets of being a musician.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Piano: Advanced elements of tuition. The schools of technique, rubato and agogics, practice methods, memory function, study of the repertoire of all style periods up to Teachers’ Licentiate level of all recognised examination boards.
    Classical voice: International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) for French; French diction for singers; voice classification; the interpretation of style elements of various classical vocal style periods from the Baroque to the 20th Century. Introductory concepts of singing pedagogy.
    Music education: This module provides guidelines and opportunities so that you can become a successful music educator, leading you to choose appropriate content, teaching strategies and skills in order to teach in a variety of milieus, communities and contexts.
     

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

    In all instruments: Technical work, sight reading and recital pieces of contrasting styles.

    View more

Minimum credits: 120

Select 2 elective modules to the value of 80 credits

Core modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed - requires departmental selection

    Development of research methodology knowledge and skills in order to compile a research proposal. A supervisor will be allocated under whose guidance the student should conduct the proposed research, culminating in a research report on a music topic of 7 500 to 9 000 words.

    View more

Elective modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection.

    Portfolio of acoustic or electroacoustic compositions.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    In Chamber Music: Specialisation in either Western, African or jazz ensemble music – historic background, collaborative instrumental performance skills, recital pieces of contrasting styles.
    In Jazz: Jazz styles, analysis and advanced improvisation concepts through practice and performance of relevant jazz repertoire. Jazz performance students must take MEI 403.
    Prerequisite is MSC 300 (jazz).
    In Music Therapy: An introduction to music therapy theory and practice.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection.

    Aspects of music technology: This module is the third and final in a series of modules that form part of an elective programme aiming to prepare, equip and train the student with music-technology related skills and specialisations. It is designed to provide an advanced and thorough, audio-related engineering and programming skillset for the candidate. The student enrolled in the elective programme does so with the intention to be trained as an expert in the music-technology field and related disciplines.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection. Technical work, recital pieces, sight reading.
    In all instruments: Performance skills, recital pieces of contrasting styles.
    In Jazz: Note: Prerequisite is MSC 300 (jazz) and MEI 300.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection. Public recital of a concert programme.
    In all instruments: Performance and stage deportment skills, memorisation techniques, June – 30 min. test recital, November – 60 min. public recital comprising contrasting works of an advanced technical standard.
    In Jazz: Prerequisite is MSC 300 (jazz) and MEI 300. Jazz performance students must take MCS 401.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Philosophy of Music: An historical and systematic musicological approach to the Philosophy of Music through in-depth critical reading of representative major philosophers over time, from the Ancient Greeks to the present, as well as critical scrutiny of concurrent musical development.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Capita selecta. Procedures of the twentieth century.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection 
    *Compulsory membership of UP concert choir or Tuks Camerata
    Practical and theoretical aspects of choir conducting.

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

    Piano: Advanced elements of tuition. The interpretation of style elements from the Baroque period to contemporary repertoire with focus on the Baroque and Classical tuition, study of Classical and Baroque repertoire Gr 7 and 8 level of all recognised examination boards.
    Classical voice: Advanced elements of tuition (continuance of MME 100, 200 & 300). Philosophy of teaching voice; practicing and self-regulation; teaching young voices; teaching breath management, resonance,registration, jaw and tongue position; expressive singing through use of the text.
    Music education: Philosophical grounding and didactics of music education. Themodule is designed for subject specialists to think critically and deeply about music teaching and learning. Your knowledge and practical skills will be enhanced and linked to artistic citizenship, choral conducting and African music to facilitate teaching and learning for musical understanding.
     

    View more

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

    An overview of the field of Music Psychology which aims to explore how psychological research data, models and theories have been used to explain a range of musical behaviours including the development of musical ability and expertise, musical performance, emotional responses to music, and music listening behaviours.

    View more


The information published here is subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information. The General Regulations (G Regulations) apply to all faculties of the University of Pretoria. It is expected of students to familiarise themselves well with these regulations as well as with the information contained in the General Rules section. Ignorance concerning these regulations and rules will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression.

Copyright © University of Pretoria 2024. All rights reserved.

FAQ's Email Us Virtual Campus Share Cookie Preferences