Changes to Semester Two 2020 Course Offerings
The School of Music has had to cancel some courses for next semester because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mode of teaching delivery and on expected course enrolments. We’d like to let you know which courses have been cancelled and the reasons why.
Cancellations Because of Mode of Teaching Delivery
Firstly, we have cancelled all Ensemble Studies courses.
- MUSC2110 Large Ensembles D
- MUSC2755 Ensemble Studies 4
- MUSC3190 Advanced Large Ensembles B
- MUSC3290 Advanced Large Ensembles D
- MUSC3755 Ensemble Studies 6
- MUSC4755 Ensemble Studies 8
We seriously considered cancelling the Ensemble Studies courses for Semester One in March, when we were grappling with the implications of switching to online teaching for the rest of the semester. In the end, we decided we could build on the ensemble experiences that you had in the first three weeks with online content for the rest of Semester One.
Looking forward to Semester Two, we’re having to prepare to teach online for the whole semester. While we hope to be able to teach face-to-face if conditions continue to improve, it’s likely that social distancing requirements will vary throughout the semester in unpredictable ways. At this point in time, we can’t guarantee that students can have any live ensemble experiences next semester, and we consider those live experiences essential to a meaningful ensembles course experience. Instead, we plan to look for opportunities to run intensive, short-burst extension activities and other projects that don't need to be linked to a course.
Pre-2020 Bachelor of Music (Honours) students completing the Music Performance major or extended major should request a variation to take another music course instead of their ensemble studies course. The course should be relevant to your music performance studies, and can be a relevant elective course you completed in a previous year, such as MUSC2145 Chamber Music Performance. Please follow the process at applying for a variation to my major or program to request a variation.
Diploma in Music Performance students who still want to take a music course in Semester Two can request a variation to their program to take another music performance course, such as MUSC1150 Introduction to Guitar or MUSC3160 Choral Conducting, instead of their large ensemble course. Please follow the process at applying for a variation to my major or program to request a variation.
We have also cancelled three music technology courses.
- MUSC2010 Music Technology for Live Performance
- MUSC3020 Sound Recording Practice
- MUSC7010 Applications of Music Technology
Two (MUSC2010 and MUSC7010) require students to participate in Touch Ensemble, and thus face the same challenges as the Ensemble Studies courses, while the third (MUSC3020) requires students to work in close proximity in a small recording studio for extended periods of time. We can’t deliver comparable learning activities online or guarantee that these learning activities can take place.
Looking forward to 2021, we plan to offer both MUSC2010 and MUSC3010 in Semester One 2021 so that students completing the Popular Music and Technology major can still finish the major at the end of 2021.
Cancellations Because of Low Enrolments
In addition to the cancellations caused by the challenges of remote learning and social distancing, the fall in student numbers at UQ mean we have also had to cancel courses with low enrolments.
Firstly, we have cancelled the repeat offerings of our research methods courses.
- MUSC4410 Artistic and Musicological Research Methods
- MUSC4430 Music Education and Psychology Research Methods
Both courses are usually only offered in Semester One. We scheduled repeats of these courses in February so that MMus students who were not able to travel to Australia for Semester One could drop their course enrolment for that semester and enrol in Semester Two instead. However, following the transition to online teaching in March, almost all MMus students remained enrolled in the Semester One offerings of these courses.
Secondly, we have cancelled teach-out courses earlier than previously planned.
- MUSC3540 Music Communication, Writing and Critique
- MUSC3850 Multi-Instrumental Pedagogy B
We’ve updated the “what course changes happen when” section at 2020 Bachelor of Music (Honours) curriculum changes with information about replacement courses for students who were required by their pre-2020 course list to complete any of the teach-out courses.
Thirdly, we’ve cancelled the music-specific EDUC teacher training courses in Part A of the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) course list.
- EDUC1601 Learning and Development for Music Educators
- EDUC2602 Music Teachers as Educational Innovators and Agents of Change
Students can take the alternate teacher training courses (EDUC1650 Learning and Development for Educators and EDUC2604 Teachers as Educational Innovators and Agents of Change) instead of these courses.
Finally, we’ve cancelled some low enrolment elective courses.
- MUSC3730 Songwriting
- MUSC7370 Psychology for Musicians: Performing, Teaching and Wellbeing
Students can take other elective courses instead.
Courses Scheduled for Semester Two 2020
The following courses are being offered next semester.
- MUSC1010 Introduction to Music Technology
- MUSC1150 Introduction to Guitar
- MUSC1260 Performance Studies 2
- MUSC1600 Musicianship 1
- MUSC1700 Introduction to Popular Music Studies: The Rock Era
- MUSC2260 Performance Studies 4
- MUSC2300 Music and Human Behaviour
- MUSC2630 Advanced Musicianship 2
- MUSC2700 Music in the Digital Age
- MUSC2810 Indigenous Australian Music
- MUSC3160 Choral Conducting
- MUSC3240 Music Adjunct Study
- MUSC3265 Performance Studies 6
- MUSC3340 Music, Cognition and Development
- MUSC4265 Performance Studies 8
- MUSC4500 Music Thesis (part B)
- MUSC4550 Portfolio of Artistic Research (part B)
- MUSC4630 Music Thesis (part B)
- MUSC7180 Contemporary Perspectives in Music Education
- MUSC7260 Performance Studies 10
- MUSC7460 Advanced Music Theory and Techniques
- MUSC7630 Instrumental and Vocal Studio Pedagogy
- MUSC7880 Composing Music: Techniques and Strategies for Creating Music
- MUSC7900 Research Project
- MUSC7930 Thesis (part A)
How Can I Get Specific Advice About My Study Plan?
If you aren’t sure how the general advice given above applies to you and your specific situation, please contact us at music@uq.edu.au so that we can answer your questions and, if necessary, help you with a customised study plan for completing your degree.
We’ve also scheduled a Zoom meeting at https://uqz.zoom.us/j/91080175285 from 10am to 12pm on Tuesday 12 May so that you can ask us any questions you have about the changes.