The Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Science (BMusBSc) combined program enables students to complete a major sequence from those available in Science while studying for a specialist music degree involving instrumental performance and/or composition.

Admission to the program is subject to a satisfactory music audition / interview and an acceptable level of attainment in year 12 music studies or equivalent. Assumed knowledge is HSC Music 2 or Extension or equivalent qualification. Applicants must also satisfy the entry requirements to Science as well as to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

The Bachelor of Music (BMus) enables students to develop their instrumental technique and performance; musicianship and composition skills; and to gain a contextual understanding of music in preparation for professional work in music areas such as solo and/or orchestral performance, studio teaching and coaching, composing, broadcasting, and recording, to mention only some of the common careers.

At the completion of the music program, students will have broad expertise in at least one of the sub-disciplines of musicology, a high level of practical skills in music cognition, analysis, and performance, and high level generic graduate skills in the gathering, synthesis, criticism and presentation of information. The flexibility of the program allows for emphasis on: performance or composition; scholarly examination of musical repertoires, utilising both traditional and innovative methodologies; technologically based musicology, including the study of electronic music and psycho-acoustics; music aesthetics and criticism, both in historical overview and contemporary application; music as social and cultural practice, through both historiographically and ethnographically informed study. Students will have a broad contextual knowledge that links to wider fields of historical, philosophical, cultural and social study.

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) enables students to gain in depth understanding of scientific principles and practices, and to develop expertise in specific disciplinary areas such as physics, mathematics, computer science and psychology.

At the completion of the science program, students will have developed a working knowledge of scientific methods of investigation; an appreciation of scientific criteria and a concern for objectivity and precision; confidence and skill in formulating problems and in treating both qualitative and quantitative data; an ability and disposition to think logically and to read critically; and a habit of seeking and recognising relationships between phenomena, principles, theories, conceptual frameworks and problems.

The combined degree will therefore enable students to either choose between a career in science and a career in music, or to seek highly specialised fields where such a combination is essential or provides them with a market advantage. At the innovative end of industry and research interdisciplinary knowledge is becoming increasingly desirable.

There are many areas where training in psychology and music, or acoustics (or psychoacoustics) and music, or mathematics and music, etc. are essential. These students will be well equipped for such posts or to do further interdisciplinary study (or research) at the graduate level.

The program requires the succesful completion of a total of 192 units of credit (UOC) in an approved sequence of study.

The Music component of the combined degree consists of Professional Practice courses (36 UOC) and Musicianship / Musicology courses (48 UOC), including the capstone course, MUSC3101.

The Science component of the combined degree requires 84 UOC in Science courses, including a major sequence of at least 42 UOC at Level 2 and 3.

The Elective component requires students to complete another 24 UOC from courses offered by either the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Students enrolled in the Combined BMus BSc program are exempt from General Education requirements

Pass Degree

To qualify for the award of the degree at Pass level, a student must obtain, normally over four years of study, a minimum of 192 units of credit in approved courses including:

1. 84 units of credit from both the Music and Science components;
2. 24 units of credit from either Arts and Social Sciences or Science, excluding Music courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences;
3. the approved Music sequences in Professional Practice courses (36 units of credit) and Musicianship/Musicology courses (48 units of credit);
4. a major sequence in Science of at least 42 units of credit at Level 2 and 3 courses, including at least 18 units of credit at Level 3;
5. enrol in at least 24 Level 1 units of credit and no more than 36 Level 1 units of credit in each of the Music and Science components;
6. no more than 18 units of credit at Level 1 can be taken in any one school for the Science component. Students must declare their Science major before enrolling in Level 2 courses;
7. the Pass degree of Bachelor of Music may be awarded with Distinction where a candidate has achieved a weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 75% in all courses completed since enrolment at UNSW which are credited towards the degree.

Honours Degree

To qualify for the award of the degree at Honours level, a student must:

8. have obtained 192 units of credit in accordance with 1.-7. above and satisfied the appropriate prerequisites for entry to the Honours level program;
9. obtain a further 48 units of credit in an approved Honours program.

The Honours degree is awarded in three classes (Class 1, Class 2 in two Divisions and Class 3). Students who fail to obtain one of these classes may proceed to graduate with the Pass degree.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

For information on available Science majors, please refer to the program entry 3970 Bachelor of Science and Table A in the Undergraduate Handbook or contact the Science Student Centre.

Progression to Stage 4 Honours in Music is subject to academic performance. Students seeking to enrol into honours have to have completed all requirements for award of the BMusBSc and to have satisfied specified prerequisites, and have obtained a credit average in music courses. Completion of Honours in the Music component will require an extra year of study.

Progression to Stage 4 Honours in Science is subject to academic performance. Students seeking to enrol into honours have to have completed all requirements for award of the BMusBSc and to have satisfied specified prerequisites, and have permission of the Head of School. Completion of Honours in the Science component will require any extra year of study.

All BMus students must take part in at least two of the performance ensembles offered by the School, one of which must be a major performing ensemble such as the orchestra.

The Academic Rules for the University's Undergraduate programs and the online enrolment facility provide students with a wide range of course choices. The online enrolment facility checks that students meet the enrolment requirements for individual courses but not that a course complies with Program Rules. Students are responsible for ensuring they are enrolling in accordance with the Academic Rules outlined above. Students should not assume that because they have enrolled in a course online that the course is automatically credited to their degree program.