Programme Title: / Bachelor of Music (Honours)Popular Music (BMusP (Hons)
UCAS Code: / 201F
Awarding Institution: / Royal Northern College of Music
Course Leader: / Andy Stott, Head of Popular Music
INDEX / 1. / IntroductoryCourse Information
2. / Admissions and Entry Requirements
3. / Course Overview and Modules
4. / Teaching and Learning Methods
5. / Assessment and Feedback
6. / Student Support, Development and Wellbeing
7. / Course Fees
8. / The Learning Environment
9. / Equality and Diversity
10. / References and Further Information
1. INTRODUCTORY COURSE INFORMATION
AwardOn successful completion of the course, students will receive: / Duration / Modeofstudy
Bachelor of Music with Honours (BMus (Hons)) / 3 or 4 years / Full-time
No part-time study is permitted.
Awarding Institution: / RNCMTeaching Institution: / RNCM
Period of Registration: / Minimum:4 YearsMaximum:7Years
Academic Year: / September to July
OTHER POTENTIAL AWARDS: Programme levels and qualifications
Level/Year of study / FHEQ*
Level / Credits and Qualification
For early departure or non-completion of studies.
Year 1 / 4 / Certificate of Higher Education: 120 Credits
Year 2 / 5 / Diploma of Higher Education: 240 Credits
Year 4 / 6 / Bachelor of Music (Non-honours), 400 Credits
*FHEQ: Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
Date of Writing: / March 2015Programme Approval: / From:September 2015To: July 2020
2. CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION AND ENTRY
Applicants will normally be expected to achieve the following minimum requirements before entry to the BMusP programme:BMusP (Hons) Four Year FT
- At least 18 years of age on 31 December in the year of entry.
- A high level of performing ability – equivalent to ABRSM/Rockschool/Trinity grade 8.
- A level of theoretical ability equivalent to ABRSM Grade 5 theory.
- 2 A levels, Rockschool Level 3 Music Practitioner qualification, or BTEC National Diploma in a music related subject, or international equivalent
- 4 passes (A*–C) at GCSE including Maths and English.
- International Baccalaureate (24 points minimum) – including music higher level course
- Candidates with Scottish, Irish or other equivalent qualifications should contact Admissions
- Non-English speaking candidates are required to have an IELTS score of 6.0.
- Applicants with non-standard qualifications are encouraged to apply. The admissions panel considers admitting applicants who do not have the previously stated qualifications, but who demonstrate threshold abilities through their audition and interview.
Notes: The College will accept recognised equivalents to GCE and GCSE qualifications, such as Scottish or Irish qualifications, BTEC, NVQ, and similar where appropriate and possible. Exceptional applicants without the minimum standard can also be considered on their merits following detailed consideration by the Course Leader or Assistant Course Leader, advised by the V-P (Academic). Equivalence of English Language qualifications shall be determined by reference to UKBA requirements. Any decision to admit an exceptional student who does not meet the minimum age requirement shall be made by the Head of School in liaison with the Head of Registry, who shall take into account and put in place appropriate Child Protection measures.
3. COURSE OVERVIEW
Principal Study (160 credits)Principal Study is at the core of your training and focuses on enabling you to realise your true potential both technically and creatively on your instrument / voice through individual tuition with some of the world’s leading teachers. You will learn how to critically evaluate and perform a broad range of repertoire inspiring a cultural connection between historic, contemporary and progressive material, and will be encouraged to develop your own musical voice through the composition and performance of original material. You will also learn how to integrate music technology into live performance, and in the final year will have the opportunity to devise, produce and realise a public final performance showcase.
Ensemble Performance (60 credits)
Ensemble Performance focuses on the development of a technical and critical understanding of the role of your instrument / voice within a range of musical environments and styles. You will gain skills in effective ensemble rehearsal techniques and will learn how to integrate music technology into performance within a range live and studio performance situations. You will work with a number of different musicians from across the college throughout the first half of the programme before creating your own ensemble project in the 3rd year. You will also have the opportunity to perform in the Northern Session festivals and live recordings, both at the RNCM and at venues across Manchester.
Musicianship (60 credits)
Musicianship underpins your technical and practical skills development and establishes a theoretical understanding of key musical components through creative improvisation based performance. You will develop your musical literacy to a professional level, enabling you to employ your theoretical, aural, and improvisation skills across a range of musical settings. You will also have the opportunity to apply these skills to original work in the Artist & Repertoire and Optional modules.
Artist & Repertoire (60 credits)
Artist & Repertoire focuses on artist development, both in terms of creative practice and entrepreneurial activity. You will compose original music and develop the skills required to promote yourself and your music to a broad audience. You will study song writing through the analysis of established and emerging repertoire and will produce a portfolio of original work. You will also develop a knowledge and understanding through research and academic study of the music industry and business practice in the context of you as a professional performer and artist, enabling you to begin your career in conjunction with, and informed by, your studies.
Original Ensembles Project (40 credits)
The Original Ensembles Project follows on in year 3 from the Ensemble Performance modules studied in years 1 and 2, and allows you to specialise further in areas of research and creative practice that will form the basis of a professional career. In this self-devised project, you will build your own ensemble, compose original material, rehearse and record to professional standards, and give live showcase performances in professional venues in Manchester and across the UK.
Professional Engagement (60 credits)
Working with our industry partners and partner institutions, the Professional Engagement is designed to allow you to experience life as a professional freelance musician, band or artist, before returning to college to reflect, plan and realise your individual and collective goals as you graduate from the programme. The engagement takes place in the first semester of your final year and provides you with the opportunity to gain valuable experience and make influential contacts that will pave the way into your career as a full time professional musician. Opportunities include work and study abroad as well as within the UK.
Optional Modules (40 credits)
The Optional Modules: Practical and Research Electives, are designed to allow you the opportunity to tailor your studies according to your areas of interest and to specialise in areas that will best compliment your artistic and academic goals. The options are contemporary and relevant to today’s music industry and are available to students from all RNCM schools of study, actively encouraging cross-school collaboration and diversification. The modules have been designed to promote a collegiate approach in areas with genuine crossover potential, including Musical Theatre, Film Music, Composing for Media, Recording & Production, and Music Education.
MODULE MAP
Modules / Credit AvailableYear 1
Principal Study 1 / 30 (15ECTS)
EnsemblePerformance 1 / 30 (15 ECTS)
Musicianship 1 / 30 (15 ECTS)
Artist & Repertoire 1 / 30 (15 ECTS)
120 credits (60 ECTS)
Year 2
Principal Study 2 / 30 (15 ECTS)
Ensemble Performance 2 / 30 (15ECTS)
Musicianship 2 / 30 (15 ECTS)
Artist & Repertoire 2 / 30 (15 ECTS)
120 credits (60 ECTS)
Year 3
Principal Study 3 / 40 (20 ECTS)
Ensemble Performance 3 / 40 (20 ECTS)
Optional Modules / 40 (20 ECTS)
120 credits (60 ECTS)
Year 4
Principal Study 4 / 60 (30 ECTS)
Professional Engagement / 60 (30 ECTS)
120 credits (60 ECTS)
TOTAL Credits / 480 (240 ECTS)
Work-Placement / Compulsory in year 4, concurrently with your studies: 420 hours.UK on or off campus/ Overseas.
Timetables / Normally available two weeks before term begins, although due to some assessments at the beginning of term, alterations maybe made during the first week of term.
Please note that students are expected to schedule their own one-to-one tuition with their designated tutor.
4. TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS
The Bachelor of Music (Hons) Degree will employ a range of learning and teaching methods intended to promote students’ learning experiences. These are diverse, complementary, challenging and stimulating, with a variety of modes of interaction between students and their tutors and peers. These will include Principal Study individual lessons, performance classes, directed ensembles, private study, lectures, seminars, musicianship workshops, individual tutorials, small-group tutorials and work related entrepreneurship (details below).In addition the RNCM has a Virtual Learning Environment through Moodle that allows students to access resources and support materials, to submit work for assessment, and to engage in forums, discussions and notice boards. Curriculum management is made effective and efficient through this highly developed platform that engages with students’ native experience.
The diversity of the learning and teaching methods employed in the curriculum enables the student to acquire and apply a broad range of skills. As performers, students will learn communication and presentation skills as a soloist and as a member of an ensemble in a professional environment. They will employ sophisticated self-devised strategies for study, practice and learning and will identify and apply strategies for mental preparation for performance in a variety of contexts. Additionally, students will develop the skills to communicate original ideas to other musicians / an audience via specialist technology / internet formats.
Whilst the focus is to train performers and creative artists to the highest possible standards through individual tuition, there are ample opportunities for students to engage with each other and with staff from across the College. The combination of small and largegroup situations enables peer critique, learning and working together, and the development of students’ communication skills and confidence.
The learning methods also facilitate the transfer of knowledge from experts – be they practitioners, other professionals or academic researchers – to students at every level of the programme.
Students will acquire research skills, by means of exercises (such as prescribed weekly reading in modules and discussion seminars), training in appropriate research methods and the effective representation of these in academic work. Students will receive support from the library, including training sessions in identifying and using relevant resources. Students will present the results of their research in seminar presentations and academic assignments designed to promote understanding of good academic practice, and independent thinking.
Leading researchers on the academic and performance staff bring the students to a sophisticated level of engagement with current debate and thinking in the industry. The Elective programme is one example of research-informed teaching, which builds in study skill support and enhancement to the curriculum at the highest level.
From entry to the programme, students are encouraged to think laterally and to support their practice with a rich contextual knowledge and skill base. The development of transferable employability skills is therefore at the core of the programme offering, as is support, through the learning methods and resources, for the development of the student’s initiative, independence and interpersonal communication.
CONTACT HOURS AND OVERALL WORKLOAD
While your actual contact hours may depend on the optional modules you select, the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each level of the course.Level 4:
31 per cent of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity
Teaching, learning and assessment: around402 hours
Independent learning: around908 hours
Level 5:
28 per cent of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity
Teaching, learning and assessment: around366 hours
Independent learning: around944 hours
Level 6:
18 per cent of your time is spent in timetabled teaching and learning activity
Teaching, learning and assessment: around239 hours
Independent learning: around842 hours
Placement: around 210 hours
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve practising your instrument, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities, including the library, practice rooms and state-of-the art performance venues.5. ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK
Programme Assessment StrategyThe Programme assessment strategy for this new Bachelor of Music (Hons) degree is based on three basic concepts:
- The purpose of assessment is to enable students to demonstrate that they have achieved the intended learning outcomes of the programme at the appropriate standard set for the award.
- Assessment should promote and support learning, thus it will occur in both formative and summative contexts.
- Assessment is intended to provide an indication of the level of learning for students, staff, external scrutinisers, Higher Education authorities, professional bodies, other external organisations, and public audiences.
- Provide the most appropriate and direct means of measuring the extent to which students achieve the intended learning outcomes of the programme and its constituent modules.
- Allow students to demonstrate their strengths, taking into account the varied nature of their prior learning experiences and their individual learning needs.
- Promote, support and develop different learning experiences.
- Encourage student involvement.
- Encourage recognition of a range of cultural and musical values.
- Avoid excessive / inappropriate formal examinations.
- Encourage the development of fair, innovative and rigorous approaches to assessing student work, taking into account the need for innovation to be underpinned by the concepts listed above.
- Ensure consistency and parity of assessment standards through marking, moderation and standardisation procedures, as well as the involvement of specialist external assessors and external examiners.
- Engage in regular reviews of assessment procedures through the mechanism of the annual review of programmes of study (ARPoS).
- Archive documentation of work for future reference, including training, standardisation and calibration, thereby ensuring diachronic as well as synchronic parity and consistency. A refined system of electronic storage of work will be in place.
- Provide regular staff training for those involved in the assessment of the programme.
- Allow for student views on assessment to be articulated and considered by the Programme Team, for example by means of student-led formative peer assessment.
The assessment regulations for the College are contained in the Academic Regulations.
Percentage of the course assessed by coursework
The balance of assessment by examination and assessment by coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by coursework is as follows:
Year 1
25 per cent coursework 12 per cent written exams 63 per cent practical exams
Year 2
25 per cent coursework 12 per cent written exams 63 per cent practical exams
Year 3
17 per cent coursework 0 per cent written exams 83 per cent practical exams
Year 4
50 per cent coursework 0 per cent written exams 50 per cent practical exams
- The pass mark throughout the programme is 40%
- To progress from Years 1 to 2 and Years 2 to 3 the student must have successfully completed 120 credits at FHEQ Levels 4 and 5 respectively
- A student may progress from Year 3 to 4 trailing failure in up to 30 credits (but that student will only be eligible for the BMus non-Honours award)
- There is no element of compensation for this programme
- Module marks from Years 3 and 4 (in the ratio 1:2) contribute to the final degree classification
- The Board of Examiners will consider marks from modules totalling 180 credits: marks representing 120 credits will derive from the Level 6 modules undertaken in Year 4 of the programme; marks representing 60 credits will be brought forward from the 120 Level 6 credits undertaken in Year 3 of the programme, being the weighted average of all marks in that year.
- Summary of marks and their interpretation for honours degree classification:
Second Class Division I: 60% and above but less than 70%
Second Class Division II: 50% and above but less than 60%
Third Class: 40% and above but less than 50%
Fail: less than 40%
The RNCM Academic Regulations may be found on the College Website – see References and Further Information in Annex 1.
Feedback
Feedback Policy and Notification of MarksAll grades and written feedback will be given via the RNCM Moodle VLE and students will be automatically notified via email. Student feedback will be timely, constructive and explicitly founded on the marking guidelines that are used for the assessment of the module. Written feedback must be provided within three working weeks of the assessment deadline. Where modules include more than one element of assessment the return of the initial assessment/s will allow students reasonable time to build upon those areas identified as strengths and respond to identified areas of weakness.
The deadlines for the submission of coursework, and the return dates for marked, moderated work and feedback will be published at the outset of each academic year in the RNCM Student Information Handbook and in the module assignment briefs on Moodle.
Unconfirmed marks (that is, those marks which have not yet been confirmed by the Board of Examiners), together with marker feedback, will be returned to students for all assessments within 3 working weeks of the original submission date.
The RNCM conducts regular staff development sessions to ensure the consistency of its marking and the appropriateness and timeliness of student feedback.
Copies of Principal Study Final Showcase Performance reports will be made available for collection from Registry shortly after assessments have taken place. Students will be notified with details of collection.
After the end of the academic session the student will receive a notification of his/her marks in those modules undertaken. This notification – a transcript of studies for the year – will include an overall weighted average mark for the year’s study.
We aim to provide you with feedback within three weeks of assessment.
Note: You must achieve a pass mark of 40% and above in all modules as a prerequisite, before progression/ award.
The RNCM Academic Regulations may be found on the College Website – see References and Further Information in Annex 1.