Yearbooks

Programme: BMus Extended programme

Kindly take note of the disclaimer regarding qualifications and degree names.
Code Faculty
01132004 Faculty of Humanities
Credits Duration
Minimum duration of study: 5 years Total credits: 536

Programme information

This BMus degree is a five-year programme (extended curriculum programme) and consists of the existing number of regular courses for the standard four-year degree in addition to four foundational courses in the first year of study. The first year of the programme offers foundational support in Academic and Quantitative Literacy and Academic Information Management and competence in music performance and music (theory and aural) literacies which are critical and unique skills required in music studies.

Admission requirements

A National Senior Certificate with bachelor’s degree exemption and an Admission Point Score (APS) of between 26 and 29.

English Home Language or English First Additional Language at least 50%.

Music competency skills: Gr 5 practical (UNISA, ABRSM) or comparable standard (and an audition), and Gr 3 theory (UNISA, ABRSM) or comparable standard (and an entrance test).

The BMus five-year programme is a closed programme and requires departmental selection.

A limited number of places are available.

Minimum requirements

Achievement level

English Home Language or English First Additional Language

 

APS

NSC/IEB

AS Level

 

4

 

D

 

26 - 29

 

Other programme-specific information

Alternative option for completion
Students who have passed all the modules in the first year of the five-year BMus programme may apply for transfer to the second year of study in the BEd programme, provided the requirements for this programme, as stipulated in the yearbook, are met.
Please note the following:

  • 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.

Foundation in 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. Students who play in the UP Symphony Orchestra can receive credits for a second instrument in the first, second and third year. In this case, students are expected to attend at least 80% of the orchestra rehearsals, must be available for the concerts, and play an examination of orchestral excerpts (at the discretion of the head of the department) in the Music Department in the first and second semester.
  3. Unsatisfactory attendance at the performance classes, seminars and compulsory concerts may, at the discretion of the head of the department, lead to a lowering of the student’s MEI/MPM year mark.

Promotion to next study year

Students selected for the BMus five-year degree must pass all the modules at the end of the first year of study. The registration of students who do not comply with this requirement, will be suspended and no readmission will be considered, in which case a foundation certificate of attendance might be a possibility. Students will only be promoted to the second year of study, or be eligible for admission to the second year of the BEd programme, after successful completion of all the first-year modules.

Minimum credits: 56

Elective module

Select one module.

Core modules

Elective modules

Minimum credits: 120

Elective modules

Select two modules at yeal level 1 from the following

Fundamental modules

  • Module content:

    Find, evaluate, process, manage and present information resources for academic purposes using appropriate technology. Apply effective search strategies in different technological environments. Demonstrate the ethical and fair use of information resources. Integrate 21st-century communications into the management of academic information.

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  • Module content:

    This module intends to equip students to cope more confidently and competently with the reading and understanding of a variety of texts, to apply these skills in a variety of contexts and to follow the conventions of academic writing.

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  • Module content:

    This module equips students to understand and use a range of discipline-specific terminology; apply the strategies of critical and comprehensive reading to their own academic literacy; apply the conventions of academic writing to their own writing, using the process approach, to produce intelligible academic texts and use the correct referencing technique as required by the faculty.

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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.

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  • 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).

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  • 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.

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Elective modules

  • 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.

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  • 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. 

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Minimum credits: 120

Elective module

Select two music modules from the following:.

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.

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  • 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).

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  • 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.

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Elective modules

  • Module content:

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

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  • 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


     

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  • 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.

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Minimum credits: 120

Elective modules

Select three 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).

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Elective modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

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

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  • 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).

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  • 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.

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  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection
    Procedures of Romanticism. 

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  • 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.
     

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  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection

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

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Minimum credits: 120

Elective modules

Select 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.

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Elective modules

  • Module content:

    *Closed – requires departmental selection.

    Portfolio of acoustic or electroacoustic compositions.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • Module content:

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

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  • Module content:

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

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  • 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.
     

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  • 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.

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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.

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