Music at UCC

Frequently Asked Questions

Music in First Year

Q When do we start?

Students entering first year at UCC to study Music have their first class at 12 noon on the first day of term: in 2012 this is 12 noon on Monday 24 September, lecture theatre WW6.
It is vitally important that all first-year students taking Music (for the BA degree or BMus degree) attend this first class. You owe it to yourself to get your degree programme off to a good, efficient start. So attend and be prepared!

Q Which Music modules will I be taking in first year?

This depends on your degree programme, as set out below. Timetable information will be found with the descriptions of the modules (follow the links).

  1. If you are beginning the BA Arts-Music degree (CAO entry-code CK 104), then you take Music modules to the total value of 30 credits as follows:

    2.  

  2. If you are beginning the BMus degree (CAO entry-code CK 103), then you take Music modules to the total value of 45 credits as follows:

Q What is my weekly timetable for Music classes?

This depends on the degree programme you are following and the modules it involves. Timetable information is to be found with the desciptions of modules, so see Which Music modules will I be taking in first year? and follow the links.

See also How does the Arts Faculty’s timetable work? In the official first-year Arts timetable, Music has hours in two subject-groups, as follows:

Group 4 (with French and Sociology):
Hours: Monday at 12, Tuesday at 3, Tuesday at 4, Thursday at 2, Thursday at 3, Friday at 11.

Group 6 (ii) (with Celtic Civilisation, Philosophy and Spanish):
Hours: Monday at 3, Wednesday at 12, Thursday at 10, Friday at 2.

Note: If you are taking Studies in Music, your Music classes are all timetabled in the hours allotted to Group 4. This means that, although you cannot take French or Sociology, you are free to choose Celtic Civilisation or Philosophy or Spanish.

Q What happens after first year? Is there an overview of my whole degree programme?

Yes. Our various undergraduate degree programmes over three or four years are summarized in the following document: Structure of Undergraduate Degree Programmes in Music and Arts-Music: Summary by Credit-Weighting.

Briefly:

BA Arts-Music: After first year you decide which Honours route to take for years 2 and 3 of your degree: in all cases your two subjects are Music and one of the other Arts subjects you have taken in first year. The choice is between the following:
(a) “Single Hons” (50 credits in Music and 10 credits in the other subject per year);
(b) “Major Hons” (40 credits in Music and 20 credits in the other subject per year);
(c) “Joint Hons” (30 credits in each subject per year).
Single-Hons and Major-Hons students who have studied Music as their major subject and who graduate with an honours BA, are then eligible to enter the fourth year of the BMus programme if they wish to do so.

BA Studies in Music: After first year you may drop music entirely or keep Studies in Music as your minor subject: either for 20 credits as the minor subject for Major Hons or for 10 credits as the minor subject for Single Hons.

BMus: After first year you drop the non-Music subject and take Music modules only in years 2, 3 and 4 (60 credits per year).

Q Do I need to buy any textbooks before October?

No. You will be advised once your courses start whether there are particular books, scores or CDs to buy. They will normally be stocked in the university bookshop or available elsewhere in Cork.