Music and Philosophy (BA)

at Cardiff University

Course structure

 

We are currently working with our students to update and improve the content of this course. The information shown below reflects the current curriculum and is likely to change. The review of the course is expected to be completed by August 2022 and this page will be updated by end of October 2022 to reflect the changes.

 

This is a three-year full-time degree, consisting of 120 credits a year, split between the two Schools. Most modules are worth 20 credits.

 

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2022/2023 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2022.

 

Year one

You will take 60 credits in Music and 60 credits in Philosophy.

 

In Music,year one provides the foundation for you to take advantage of the creative and intellectual benefits of higher education. You will receive instruction in analysis, harmony and counterpoint, history of music, composition and practical musicianship.

 

In the first year the School of Music offers core instruction in analysis, harmony and counterpoint, history of music, composition and practical musicianship. As a BA student you will take a free choice from these subjects.

 

Note that some modules are‘prerequisites’, providing essential preparation for more advanced modules if you wish to pursue them in later years.

 

To complement your academic study, you are actively encouraged to join the University Choir or Orchestra and other ensembles.

 

In Philosophy year one is a foundation year designed to equip you with the skills for advanced study and to give you an overview of the subject. You will take three core modules: Mind, Thought and Reality; Moral and Political Philosophy; and Critical Thinking.

 

Year two

You will take 60 credits in Music and 60 credits in Philosophy.

 

In Music, courses are more advanced and you will focus on more specialist topics, choosing from four groups: Composition and Electroacoustic Studies, Written and Practical Musicianship, Analytical and Critical Skills, and Historical Studies.

 

Our year two modules on the Business of Music I/II are designed to help you better understand different branches of the music profession and give an opportunity for a short placement in an area related to music or the arts, either in one block or as a series of regular workplace visits.

 

In Philosophy you will develop a solid understanding of core areas such as aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, language, metaphysics, mind, moral psychology and political philosophy.

 

Year three

You will take 60 credits in Music and 60 credits in Philosophy.

 

You choose again from the four subject groups in Music, and can pursue one of the three major academic projects: Dissertation, Project in Ethnomusicology, or Project in Music Analysis.

 

You may complete a short composition portfolio (Composition IV) and/or a ‘open’ recital in front of examiners and an invited audience (Practical Musicianship IV).

 

In Philosophy specialised modules are on topics such as the problem of consciousness, moral psychology, metaethics, feminism and aesthetics let you pursue your interests and engage with current issues in research and scholarship, enabling you to develop analytical and presentational skills that employers will value, as well as equipping you for postgraduate study.

 

The option in both subjects to write a dissertation lets you choose a topic that draws on both disciplines, if you wish.

GCSE
Grade C or grade 4 in GCSE English Language.

 

IELTS (academic)
At least 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subskill.

 

TOEFL iBT
At least 90 overall with minimum scores of 17 for writing, 17 for listening, 18 for reading and 20 for speaking.

 

PTE Academic
At least 62 overall with a minimum of 59 in all communicative skills.

 

Trinity ISE II/III
II: at least two Distinctions and two Merits.
III: at least a Pass in all components.

Tuition fees for 2022 entry

Fees for home status

• £9,000    

 

Fees for overseas status

• £19,200

In 2015/16, 95% of the School of Music’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduation.

 

The skills developed within a music degree help our students to progress to a wide range of careers, both within and beyond the music profession.

 

Employability skills are embedded in modules at the School of Music so that you will learn both music-specific and academic skills that are transferable to other domains, especially the workplace. Our second-year modules on the Business of Music are designed to help you better understand different branches of the music profession and provide an opportunity to undertake a short placement in a music-related or arts-related area.

 

Our annual series of talks on Careers in Music offer a great chance to meet professionals active in a range of fields such as performance, music education, music journalism, arts and artist management, production and licensing, and composing for media.

 

In 2015/16, 95% of the School of English, Communication and Philosophy’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduation.