Unit information: Extended Studies in 2026/27

Unit name	Extended Studies
Unit code	MUSI30157
Credit points	40
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Heldt
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	Department of Music
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

This unit is the capstone unit of the final year of the BA in Music and of the BA programme as a whole. It allows you to pursue a major programme of work over the course of the academic year in your chosen specialism: performance, composition, studio or musicology (and in exceptional cases and with agreement of the unit director and supervisors projects that combine two pathways).

How does this unit fit into your programme of study?

The unit is mandatory for students on the single-honours BA in Music and caps the programme as a whole with a major project in your chosen specialism (or a combination of two) that sums up your learning in that field over your degree programme and shows that you can do work in the relevant area that is of professional standard. (If you also do MUSI30156 Individual Project, the pathway you choose for your MUSI30157 Extended Studies project and that for your MUSI30156 Individual Project must be different.)

Your learning on this unit

An overview of content

The unit starts with a block on methods of music studies in different areas to set up your work in your specialism. Most subsequent teaching happens in tutorials and lessons, supported by seminars/workshops.

• The performance pathway aims to develop technical and interpretive abilities sufficient for a half-hour public solo recital. Challenging repertoire will be examined alongside stylistic considerations for its presentation (including historically-informed performance); attention will be given to programme building.
• The composition pathway aims to immerse students in recent musical developments through detailed technical and analytical study; application of techniques in exercises and workshop compositions; and reflection and constructive comment on the work of peers.
• The studio pathway offers an opportunity for a creative project involving hands-on use of studio technologies. Such a project might focus on (but not be limited to): electroacoustic composition; music for screen; recording and production techniques; development of tools for sound transformation or interactivity; musical acoustics/psychoacoustics.
• The musicology pathway allows students to write an extended dissertation on a defined topic. The dissertation will be presented according to professional scholarly conventions. It will involve independent study, supported by group seminars and individual tutorial supervision.

(In exceptional cases, you may be able to combine two pathways in a coherent project; details in the assessment section below.)

How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit

The unit offers the opportunity to to produce a major piece of work in your chosen pathway and show professional accomplishment, be it performance, composition, studio work or musicology.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to

• 1. Devise and bring to fruition a major, coherent independent project in their chosen field (performance, composition, studio or musicology);
• 2. articulate music and/or ideas about music in the relevant form (performance, studio work, compositions or musicology dissertation) with a high degree of awareness of relevant structural and contextual aspects;
• 3. respond constructively to feedback from lecturers and peers and build it into the development of the project;
• 4. present and communicate the results of their project in a professional manner.

Additionally for students on the performance pathway:

• 5. Perform a 30-minute solo public recital that shows knowledge of repertoire and associated technical/musical requirements (including historically-informed performance styles where relevant), technical fluency and interpretive insight and is presented with confidence and professionalism.

Additionally for students on the composition pathway:

• 6. Apply a high degree of technical competence and imaginative quality in response to given compositional tasks and in suitable works for small ensembles as well as for larger forces (such as orchestra, choir or mixed ensemble) in a way that shows knowledge of key 20th- and 21st-century compositions and a coherent musical voice.

Additionally for students on the studio pathway:

• 7. Make creative use of a range of technical and creative skills in electroacoustic composition, recording engineering, or related applications of music technology in a complex practical project that shows critical awareness of the relationship between creative activity and appropriate contexts and/or genres and is documented in a professional manner.

Additionally for students on the musicology pathway:

• 8. Synthesise existing knowledge effectively, discuss it critically, expand it through original research (where relevant) and present the results of the research effectively in writing and in front of peers.

How you will learn

The majority of learning will take place in individual tutorials or (for performers) instrumental or singing lessons. These will be complemented by workshops and seminars specific to the different pathways.

Participation of all students at the Music Department’s Creative Performance and Musicianship classes and at the Research Seminars is strongly recommended, as is participation in ensembles run by the Music Department.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)

Performance pathway: Attendance at workshops at which compositions are performed (0%, required for credit) [ILOs 2 and 3]

Composition pathway: A portfolio of prescribed miniatures addressing specific musical problems (0%, required for credit [ILOs 2 and 6]

Studio pathway: A portfolio of prose commentary, visual material and electronic media, as appropriate to the agreed topic (0%, required for credit) [ILOs 3, 4 and 7]

Musicology pathway: An oral presentation of ca. 10 minutes (0%, required for credit) [ILOs 3, 4 and 8]

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)

Performance pathway: A solo recital (30 mins) examined at the end of semester 2 (100%) [ILOs 1-5].

Composition pathway: An extended portfolio of final edited scores comprising (i) work for agreed ensembles of ca. 20 minutes duration and (ii) ‘commissioned works’ (100%) [ILOs 1-4 and 6]

Studio pathway: An extended Portfolio of creative work, with programme notes / a short contextualising statement (100%) [ILOs 1-4 and 7]

Musicology pathway: A dissertation of 10,000 words (100%) [ILOs 1-4 and 8].

In exceptional cases, students may be allowed to devise a project that combines two pathways. Such projects need to integrate the work on the different pathways into a closely integrated, coherent whole. Such proposal require the agreement of the unit director and the intended supervisors of the relevant pathways. The unit director, with approval from the Director of Exams, decides on the exact proportion of items of assessment and their length (overall, the assessment should be equivalent to the assessment for a student taking a single pathway).

When assessment does not go to plan

When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MUSI30157).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.