Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Social Science in Musicology (Dual Degree)

at Western Sydney University - Penrith Campus (Kingswood) Australia

If you’re creative, passionate and a problem solver, our enhanced Arts degree could be for you.

The Bachelor of Music at Western takes an eclectic, modern and inclusive approach to music repertoire, performance, sound design, songwriting, composition and musicology.

The Bachelor of Music offers you the chance to significantly focus and develop your practical skills and theoretical knowledge beyond the scope of the Bachelor of Music degree.The program offers high-level training in music, music performance, composition, sound technologies, music theory, musicology, arranging music and music analysis.

The program is offered in well-equipped studios, and in a lecture/workshop/ tutorial environment. Skills in music performance, composition and sound technologies are augmented by intellectual, theoretical and contextual studies. Hands-on involvement from music academics will support you as you build toward the production of a major project.

If you’re creative, passionate and a problem solver, our enhanced Arts degree could be for you.

The specialist knowledge of engineering technologists is a key element in the practice of engineering. The engineering technologist’s focused learning and practical skills are highly utilised in industry and make a significant contribution to Australian engineering success and prosperity.

The Western Sydney region has experienced strong growth and the engineering industry requires engineering technologists in a range of specialisations to support industry.

Materials

Since the dawning of mankind an understanding of how materials can be obtained and used has been critical to successful human endeavour. Materials engineers are concerned with the highly technological and dynamic process of understanding, developing, and applying materials (metals, polymers, ceramics, composites) to a range of engineering problems. Students will develop skills necessary to synthesise relevant information so that they can be effective decision makers in a materials context. These skills will serve them well in varied career opportunities associated with biomedical devices, nanotechnology, advanced manufacturing, opto-electronics, energy, aerospace, and sustainable construction. 

Graduate destinations include:
Materials engineering technologist, Materials selection technologist, High temperature applications technologist, Extreme environments technologist, Materials processing technologist, metallurgical and related process engineering.

You’re curious, enjoy telling stories, and you want to use media to share ideas about the things that get people talking.

Our Communication degree will give you the professional skills and knowledge to build the ‘go anywhere, do anything’ career you want. Major in Journalism, Advertising, Public Relations or Screen Media and develop job-ready skills in communication, digital media, media production, research, and innovation.

Public Relations

The Public Relations major covers the skills and knowledge required in the profession of public relations, including event management, issues and crisis management and campaign development.

The major focuses on the role of the public relations practitioner or adviser and provides a theoretical framework of the industry. Students engage with both theory and practical projects and complete an internship placement.

This double degree program is designed for students whose interests span the Arts and Social Sciences.

It will give you the skills and versatility to work across a range of academic and professional disciplines, including the opportunity to develop global perspectives and communication skills.

You need to include a Social Science Major, so you can design your own academic program within the Bachelor of Social Science program structure.

Peace and Development Studies

The Peace and Development Studies major is concerned with inequalities of power and opportunity that lead to international and local conflict, uneven development, social dislocation and environmental degradation. This major examines the structural causes of racist and gendered violence, environmental crises, forced migration, poverty, resource conflict, and inter-generational inequity.

You will be introduced to theories and methods for identifying, measuring and resolving conflict and environmental degradation. Constructive solutions include empowerment and self-determination, sustainable living, peace building and conflict resolution strategies.

The major is organised around three fields of inquiry: structural inequality, social justice and human rights; development and sustainability; and peace and humanitarian responses/ actions.

During your studies, you will engage with social theory within an interdisciplinary and applied framework of important civic and global issues.

This double degree program is designed for students whose interests span the Arts and Social Sciences.

It will give you the skills and versatility to work across a range of academic and professional disciplines, including the opportunity to develop global perspectives and communication skills.

You need to include a Social Science Major, so you can design your own academic program within the Bachelor of Social Science program structure.

 History and Political Thought

Since the revival of humanist thought in the Renaissance, universities have placed studies in history and political thought at the centre of exploring what it is to be human.

At the heart of the History and Political Thought major are four compulsory units, which introduce the student to the modern history of humanity (since 1500). Although Europe is very prominent in the major, you will be invited to compare its history to the histories of Asia, Africa and the Americas.

The major culminates in a capstone unit in students’ final semester, discussing historical theories and methods. A wide range of elective units covers European, American, Australian and Asian history and political thought, and includes thematic units which range widely over time and place.

Learn how to use music therapeutically through improvising, composing and arranging, to meet the needs of individuals and groups, as you develop your deep awareness and understanding of music. Take a 'hands on' approach with work in external music therapy placements with people at all stages of life, from early childhood settings, palliative care and rehabilitation environments. All under the professional supervision of Registered Music Therapists.

The program includes study of the history and professional development of music therapy, the various methodologies and theoretical constructs behind clinical work being carried out in more than 40 countries. The focus is on a deep, formal understanding of clinical and human issues that confront clinicians working in the community, as well as ethical and professional responsibilities.

In addition to clinical placements, students will be engaged with reflective practice and critical thinking process through research.

This degree is suited to those interested in becoming an innovative, articulate musician who contributes to the music community and today’s culture.

Music graduates who previously would have planned to pursue contracts with one or more large record companies or orchestras now have a future where they will be able to self-publish their work to the world, or they may require a more entrepreneurial approach than that previously required of a musician or music technologist.

This double degree brings together the existing Music program with emerging creative industries and allows students who are interested in pursuing careers in music to also engage with new paradigms of creative and cultural production, developing skills in entrepreneurship and working in collaborative projects with creative industries in Greater Western Sydney.

We all had that one teacher who made a difference in our life. Western prepares you to be that person. This degree offers a mix of theory and real-world experience, so you emerge as a highly sought-after secondary-school teacher.

At Western, we know the value a great teacher brings to the classroom as well as the challenges you’ll face. That’s why we’ve built our Master of Teaching (Secondary) around giving you practical tools to provide inspiration and direction to high-school students.

Offering a mix of on-campus theory and school-based placements, this program helps you turn your specialist undergraduate degree into an inspiring career path. The aim is to produce teachers with strong academic knowledge and skills, excellence in professional practice, commitment to equity and social justice, and dedication to personal and professional growth.