Bachelor of Creative Arts - Music Composition

Course Description

The Faculty of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong offers sequential subjects leading to a major in Music Composition. For outstanding students, a fourth year is available at honours level.

Although the emphasis is on the acquisition of compositional skills (including notation skills, familiarity with computer applications, contemporary techniques etc) a wide range of practical musical activities are also undertaken. In addition, students in Music Composition are required to take subjects in the history and theory of Western art music.

Students work with a Composition lecturer and attend specialist seminars. In the first year a great deal of teaching is done in the electronic music studio where students develop skills in desktop music publishing and digital synthesis. Later years focus on the development of an individual portfolio of work.

Composition students often take subjects in performance or other arts activities concurrently with their composition studies. The major is designed with sufficient flexibility to allow individuals to pursue their own interests.

Application Requirements

1. HSC Music or equivalent: Minimum of 2 unit level Music or equivalent, preferably 3 unit level Music or equivalent.


Students enrolling in the Bachelor of Creative Arts (BCA) and BCA double degrees are required to complete:

1. A Major Area of Study in the BCA
The major study is comprised of compulsory subjects which focus on practice and includes compulsory history and theory subjects.

and for students enrolled in a BCA double degree only:

A major area of study in the second degree (for information, please refer to the other Faculty from which the second degree will be taken).

2. Elective Subjects
In addition to subjects required for their major study area/s, students choose elective subjects which make up the total credit point requirement for the degree/s. A limited range of electives are offered by the Faculty of Creative Arts. However, students are encouraged to take advantage of the full range of subjects offered within the University. Please note that elective subjects may be limited in double degree programs.


Degree Structure

Each subject is allocated a credit point value. Generally, subjects that take a full year to complete (annual subjects) are valued at 12 credit points, while subjects undertaken for one session (sessional subjects) are, on average, valued at 6 credit points. Normally a full-time student undertakes 48 credit points per year. Thus a degree requiring 144 credit points, such as the BCA, will normally take three years to complete (3 x 48 credit points).

Compulsory subjects (totalling 108 credit points) for a major study in Music Composition are: