MUS 795A/B : Composition Research Portfolio

Creative Arts and Industries

2021 Semester One (1213) / Semester Two (1215) (120 POINTS)

Course Prescription

No prescription

Course Overview

This course is aimed at candidates who have recently completed an Honours degree in Composition and who wish to deepen their practice in highly specialised ways. It is also aimed at established professionals who seek to embed research models as a foundation for ongoing practice. It prepares all candidates for future research careers including doctoral-level work. A folio or original compositions is complemented by a written thesis.


Course Requirements

Prerequisite: MUS 710 or MUSIC 710 To complete this course students must enrol in MUS 795 A and B

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Master of Music

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop and demonstrate the ability to compose music to a professional standard for a variety of media and contexts. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
  2. Develop and demonstrate research and writing skills in and around compositional practice. (Capability 1, 2 and 5)
  3. Prepare a diverse folio of compositions for various ensembles of instruments and voices, and/or sonic arts. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
  4. Maintain a high level of self-motivated research and study( (Capability 1, 2 and 5)
  5. Demonstrate the ability to create notated, instructional, and/or media-based compositions at the highest professional level. (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Portfolio 100% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Portfolio

All Masters research work must be submitted in accordance with the general regulations for Masters degrees. Note that work is not submitted on Canvas for this course, but rather to the Student Centre. The Student Centre can offer clarification.

Teaching & Learning Methods

As work at this level consists of supervision by a highly experience and qualified practitioner, much of the students’ progress is determined by their ability to apply principles and to work independently between supervisions. The student should expect access to his/her supervisor on a regular basis, with a total of approximately 50 hours of contact time throughout the year. Note that this 25 hours includes prep time for the supervisor. Joint supervision is possible, and should be arranged so that the total supervision time is approximately 25 hours. Supervision should involve both the composition portfolio and the written thesis.

Workload Expectations

This course is a 120 point course and students are expected to spend 1200 hours over the course of their enrolment.

For this course, you can expect 50 hours of  supervision 400 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 750 hours of work on the final portfolio. Students should attend the weekly composition workshops and other activities as recommended by the supervisor.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at supervisions and at the weekly composition workshops, as advised by the supervisor.

Health & Safety

Students should contact the University of Auckland’s student support systems for help, such as counselling, student health, and disability services.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

In the event of unexpected disruption

We undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions, the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. In the event of a disruption, the University and your course coordinators will make every effort to provide you with up to date information via Canvas and the University website.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 11/12/2020 04:07 p.m.