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MU50EP: EXTENDED PROJECT (2024-2025)

Last modified: 26 Jul 2024 11:46


Course Overview

This course enables students to be creative in developing their own independent and individual ideas through an extended research project in musicology and/or composition and/or performance resulting in a substantial piece of original work. They will acquire a range of skills, techniques and understanding enabling them to become effective researchers. The project outcome will be a dissertation and/or portfolio of compositions and/or a performance recital demonstrating original research. The exact nature of the project is the result of negotiation between supervisor (or supervisory team) and student, subject to the approval of the programme coordinator. 

Course Details

Study Type Postgraduate Level 5
Term Full Year Credit Points 120 credits (60 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr John De Simone

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Postgraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Master of Music (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

The project outcome will be a dissertation and/or portfolio of compositions and/or a performance recital demonstrating original research. The exact nature of the project is the result of negotiation between supervisor (or supervisory team) and student, subject to the approval of the programme coordinator. As a guide, the word limit for assessment by dissertation only is 25,000 - 30,000; musicology students may also include other material, such as scholarly editions of music and analytical graphs. Assessment by composition portfolio can include music of any genre or stylee provided that the student can demonstrate its research value; the music can be instrumental/vocal and/or electroacoustic. The content of the portfolio will depend on length and complexity; it might consist of a single large-scale work or a number of smaller pieces but as a general guide, the total duration of the music might be around 35-40 minutes. Assessment of performance as research may involve a recital or collection of audio recordings totalling around 40-45 minutes duration; the latter is suited to projects involving, for example, performance on historical instruments in locations outside Aberdeen. In this case, recordings would have to be made specifically for the project: pre-existing commercially released recordings are not accepted. Students may produce one research in one type of outcome, or combine elements of more than one. Normally students specialising in composition and/or performance will include a short dissertation in the form of a commentary providing evidence of the research underpinning and illuminating the portfolio and/or recital. The outcome of the project (dissertation, composition portfolio, recital/recording or any combination of these) will be assessed as to its quality, as will the research underpinning it.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

Select one of below

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 100
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

Look up Week Numbers

Feedback

An extended research project can take a variety of formats, but in general, the following formats are recommended based on your MMus study path:
• Dissertation (25,000 words for 100%)
• Performance (a public concert; 60 minutes for 100%)
• Composition (a portfolio of compositions; 60 minutes for 100%)
• Sonic Arts Project (a portfolio of sound installation, electronic music, multimedia pieces, and/or new media pieces for 100%)
• Written Submission and Presentation (12,000 words + 50-minute public presentation for 100%)
You can also combine certain different study paths together, for example, a research project can be both a dissertation and a portfolio of composition, or a dissertation and performance towards a public concert.

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
Sorry, we don't have this information available just now. Please check the course guide on MyAberdeen or with the Course Coordinator

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualRememberILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.

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