Welsh and Music (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 2023 and this page will be updated by end of October 2023 to reflect the changes.

 

This is a three-year full-time degree, consisting of 120 credits a year, equally split between 60 credits in Welsh and 60 credits in Music.

 

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2023/2024 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2023.

 

Year one

You will take 120 credits in all - 60 credits in Welsh and 60 in Music.

 

The emphasis in year one is on developing key skills (linguistic, analytical, creative and employability) in the fields of language and literature, and all students follow a set number of modules with an appropriate number of contact hours. The School will also provide additional arrangements for second language students to develop and practise their language skills.

 

For the first-language route the core modules are:

• Iaith ac Ystyr [Language and Meaning]
• Awdur, Testun a Darllenydd [Author, Text and Reader]
• Y Gymraeg yn y Gymru Gyfoes [The Welsh Language in Contemporary Wales]

 

For the second-language route the core modules are:

• Sgiliau Iaith [Language Skills]
• Sgiliau Astudio Llenyddiaeth [Studying Literature Skills]
• Y Gymraeg Heddiw [The Welsh Language Today]

 

The first year in Music prepartes you to take advantage of the creative and intellectual benefits of higher education. It offers 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, subject to availability.

 

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

 

 Optional modules for year one

 

Module title	Module code	Credits
Sgiliau Astudio Llenyddiaeth	CY1513	20 credits
Sgiliau Iaith	CY1515	20 credits
Y Gymraeg Heddiw	CY1516	20 credits
Iaith ac Ystyr	CY1600	20 credits
Awdur, Testun a Darllenydd	CY1601	20 credits
Y Gymraeg yn y Gymru Gyfoes	CY1602	20 credits
Composition 1A	MU1107	10 credits
Elements of Tonal Music 1	MU1125	20 credits
The Full Works	MU1128	20 credits
From Page to Stage: Dramaturgy in Musical Theatre	MU1129	10 credits
Composition 1B	MU1208	10 credits
Elements of Tonal Music 2	MU1227	20 credits
Ethnomusicology 1: Music in Human Life	MU1233	10 credits
Rewinding Pop	MU1234	10 credits
Practical Musicianship 1	MU1314	10 credits
Repertoire Studies	MU1317	20 credits
Practical Portfolio I	MU1319	10 credits

 

Year two

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

 

In year two Welsh, you will build on the skills and knowledge acquired in year one. The core linguistic elements of the course focus on language skills within both an academic and a vocational context, and include a period of work experience in a workplace in which Welsh is used on a daily basis.

 

Alongside these core elements, the Welsh course offers optional modules in years two and three in Welsh language, literature and culture, including several with direct relevance to specific fields of employment, such as language planning, scriptwriting and translation.

 

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.

 

 Core modules for year two

 

Module title	Module code	Credits
Yr Iaith ar Waith	CY2205	20 credits

 

 Optional modules for year two

 

Module title	Module code	Credits
Dafydd ap Gwilym	CY2105	20 credits
Sgiliau Academaidd Uwch	CY2210	20 credits
Rhyddiaith Ddiweddar	CY2410	20 credits
Cynllunio Ieithyddol a Pholisi Iaith	CY2610	20 credits
Sgriptio	CY2700	20 credits
Canu'r Gymru Newydd: Barddoniaeth er 1990	CY2810	20 credits
Caffael Iaith	CY2910	20 credits
Opera Worlds	MU2112	20 credits
The Business of Music 1	MU2141	20 credits
Composition 2A	MU2142	20 credits
Ethnomusicology 2: Music in Cross-Cultural Perspective	MU2143	20 credits
Orchestration	MU2161	20 credits
Performance Practice and Organology: the Long Eighteenth Century, 1700-1830	MU2168	20 credits
Reading Film Sound	MU2181	20 credits
Music in France Since 1900	MU2212	20 credits
Tonal Common Practice: Styles and Techniques	MU2214	20 credits
Music Sounded Out	MU2215	20 credits
Studio Techniques 1: Midi and Synthesisers	MU2231	20 credits
Formal Functions in the Classical Tradition	MU2232	20 credits
Composition 2B	MU2233	20 credits
The Business of Music 2	MU2272	20 credits
Analysing 20th Century Music	MU2291	20 credits
Practical Portfolio 2	MU2301	20 credits
Practical Musicianship 2	MU2361	20 credits

 

Year three

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

 

In Welsh, it is compulsory to choose one of the following modules:

• Blas ar Ymchwil [Research Taster]
• Ymchwilio Estynedig [Extended Research]

 

You will have a choice of an essay or project of 5,000 words (20 credits) or 9,000 words (40 credits), to be completed under the direction of a member of staff who is an expert in the relevant field. This may lead to further research or provide an effective showcase for potential employers. You will also choose more optional modules.

 

In Music, you choose again from the four subject groups, 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 an ‘open’ recital in front of examiners and an invited audience (Practical Musicianship IV).

 

 Optional modules for year three

 

Module title	Module code	Credits
Dafydd ap Gwilym	CY3105	20 credits
Rhyddiaith Ddiweddar	CY3410	20 credits
Cynllunio Ieithyddol a Pholisi Iaith	CY3610	20 credits
Yr Ystafell Ddosbarth	CY3660	20 credits
Sgriptio	CY3700	20 credits
Cyfieithu Proffesiynol	CY3705	20 credits
Canu'r Gymru Newydd: Barddoniaeth er 1990	CY3810	20 credits
Blas ar Ymchwil	CY3900	20 credits
Ymchwilio Estynedig	CY3905	40 credits
Caffael Iaith	CY3910	20 credits
Women in 19th Century Music	MU3117	20 credits
Challenging Tradition: Counterpoint from Bartok to Bartsch	MU3120	20 credits
Ensemble	MU3138	20 credits
Studio Techniques 2: Audio and Hard Disk Recording	MU3163	20 credits
Nineteenth Century Italian Opera	MU3214	20 credits
Performance Practice and Organology the Long Seventeenth Century, 1550-1700	MU3285	20 credits
Jazz, Culture and Politics	MU3287	20 credits
Practical Portfolio 3	MU3301	20 credits
Practical Musicianship 3	MU3302	20 credits
Dissertation	MU3351	40 credits
Composition 3	MU3353	40 credits
Project in Music Analysis	MU3357	40 credits
Project in Ethnomusicology	MU3358	40 credits

A level

BBB-BBC. Must include grade B in Welsh First Language.

Extended/International Project Qualification: Applicants with grade A in the EPQ/IPQ will typically receive an offer one grade lower than the standard A level offer. Please note that any subject specific requirements must still be met.

 

International Baccalaureate

31-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects. You must also have a Welsh First Language qualification equivalent to grade B at A-level.

 

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 2023 entry

Your tuition fees and how you pay them will depend on your fee status. Your fee status could be home, island or overseas.

Career prospects
The degree is especially suited to those seeking a career in teaching or academia, arts, but it can just as effectively lead on to other types of graduate employment or provide the foundation for postgraduate study.

 

The demand for Welsh speakers means that a degree in Welsh can be highly valuable for jobs and roles that require bilingual speakers. Many of our graduates are now following careers in areas such as law, politics, media, performing arts, administration and education, or engaged in postgraduate study.In 2015/16, 100% of the School’s graduates who were available for work reported they were in employment and/or further study within six months of graduation.

 

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. 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.

 

Graduates have gone on to careers with the BBC, Arts Councils, Glyndebourne Opera, English National Opera, universities, Oxford University Press, the National Trust, and London Symphony Orchestra, along with a range of other industrial, commercial, and charitable organisations.

 

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