Curriculum Information

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QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 7 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Visiting Speakers 

The course has a diverse range of professionals from industry supporting the teaching of full-time members of staff. This format is invaluable at all levels of study, benefitting from specialist discipline input. In addition to this, the faculty regularly invite speakers from a wide scope of disciplines in the creative industries covering Music Production, Industry and Entrepreneurship. Students are encouraged to also attend cross faculty events where speakers from other specialist areas share their expertise. This encourages building networks within their specialist discipline, the creative industries in general and beyond.   

Industry Projects 

Industry Visits  

Volunteering 

Fieldwork 

Site visits are an integral part of project work where students survey, document and analyse a building or space, usually along with the client or project representative. This is a valuable chance for discussing and questioning other individuals outside of the university network.     

Fieldtrips 

Visiting specific places of interest for projects, industry events, as well as international trips presents a good opportunity for the students to show initiative to engage in intellectual discussion with individuals who are there to discuss subjects relative to these spaces. 

Work Placements or Internships 

There is ample opportunity presented in the course to prompt work shadowing and experience, as well as formal placements. This is facilitated through externally set briefs, industry guided project work, portfolio reviews and mentor support in year three. We also encourage the students to seek out their own opportunities either through their own contacts or at the networking events organised for them. Where appropriate, we also advise students when positions are available.    

Work-based Learning 

The course includes numerous live briefs, so students will encounter industry contact over the three years of the degree. Design briefs are set relative to live projects working with real organisations and clients to reflect industry processes. Often, these projects work to prompt initial concept ideas for projects to be procured in the future by the client with sometimes further input from students. Students may also pursue additional work-based learning. 

Sandwich Years 

Employer Forums 

Due to the format of the course, we can maintain a continuous and proactive dialogue with industry partners, professional mentors and placement employers. We also engage in wider industry specific events that are at the forefront of the discipline.     

Other 

Means of Assessment

The outcomes will be assessed through a balanced strategy comprising practical laboratory work, and assignment based coursework including a series of major practically based assignments, which are in the main either research or industrially derived, together with the MSc Final Major Project.

Assessment methods are chosen to ensure that the student achieves a balance of academic and presentational skills with practical and analytical skills so that they have the academic and research abilities expected at Masters level while maintaining vital creative and technical abilities required in professional situations.

The pedagogical approach of the MSc sees assessment as a way of testing learning outcomes through professionally relevant means, wherever possible. Assessment is an integral part of the learning experience that will contribute to the process of learning as well as to its measurement. Efforts have been made to ensure that all assessments are suited to purpose, are valid and that, wherever possible, assessment takes the form of professionally-accepted norms and standards of communication. Assessment will maintain an expectation of the use of sound research practices, formal presentation structures and recognized academic referencing formats.

Assessment will reflect the Learning and Teaching strategies of the course. Learning aims are set against learning outcomes and will be redefined following feedback from assessments.

All assessments will be marked internally by at least two members of academic staff and a selection of material will be sent to the External Examiner. All practical work will be filmed/recorded.

Learning Support

Induction 

The induction week serves primarily as an opportunity for new students to familiarise themselves with the course, the faculty, and their peers. It is a time for them to comfortably settle in and understand what lies ahead in their academic journey. The week begins with a comprehensive introduction to the course, ensuring students are well informed about the course structure, module formats, timetable, and an overview of the content. A key goal of this initial phase is to ensure students feel at ease and fully informed about what to expect during their time on the course. 

In addition to this formal introduction, the week is filled with various activities designed to help students familiarise. These include opportunities to meet and interact with the teaching staff and fellow students, as well as to explore the faculty, Cardiff, and the broader South Wales area. These activities aim to build a sense of community and familiarity among the students and the faculty. 

Personal Academic Coach1 

N/A 

Learner Analytics  

Learner analytics will be used to monitor student performance in real-time and provide additional support if required. 

Office hours 

Typically, at least one staff member is present in the studio or staff offices. Students will be notified about the scheduled office hours for drop-in sessions and tutorials related to specific coursework. 

Tutorials 

The specialized nature of the course and its assessment objectives necessitate frequent tutorial involvement. This approach fosters independent growth, supported by one-on-one tutorials and small group discussions as needed. Given the dynamic nature of the production process, these tutorials are designed to be adaptable, highly proactive, and customized to meet the specific needs of each individual. 

Seminars 

Module seminars are a key part of the curriculum. They provide an opportunity to bring a student group together in a more formal session where critique and discussion can take place.?? 

Formative Assessment 

Some assignments and modules will allow for formative assessments at key stages in the project development at proposal and concept stages for example. This allows us to provide valuable feedforward input. A full list of these can be located in the MSc Assessment Handbook. 

Progress meetings 

Throughout the project modules, we hold frequent group meetings to review overall progress, explain the objectives of the brief, discuss achieved outcomes, and the ambitions for the ongoing coursework. These sessions are designed as open discussions to guarantee clarity on the project's goals and the requirements for the final presentation and submission. Additionally, these meetings are crucial to align with the expectations of any external clients or organizations involved. We recommend these discussions for both individual and group project outcomes. 

Research Supervision 

In this postgraduate MSc music engineering and production course, students receive consistent guidance in their research methods and activities from their tutors at every stage of their studies. This consistency not only enriches their learning but also instills a strong work ethic that positively influences their practice. Research supervision becomes particularly significant in the Final Major Project module, where students work on their dissertations under close supervision. Communication and support are provided through various channels, including email, studio discussions, scheduled meetings, drop-in sessions, as well as during timetabled sessions. 

Online Resources 

In this postgraduate MSc music engineering and production course, we place a strong emphasis on utilising MS Teams online resource for an enhanced learning experience. All course materials, including the course handbook, module content, and additional learning resources, are readily accessible on Teams, our advanced Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This platform not only hosts the core materials but also provides links to pertinent information relevant to each module. 

Advice Zone 

We make sure that the students are aware of the help and support that they can receive from the Student Advice Team at the Atrium with any issues, especially if this is affecting their studies. This is particularly important with matters around health and wellbeing. We also make sure that they are aware that there is valuable support in Student Development and Study Skills and advice for any student finance concerns. 

Disability  

The Disability Service is there to provide confidential and tailored support and guidance for students who have disabilities, both seen and unseen, as well as advice on help available for any learning difficulties.   

IT/Library 

In addition to the resources available at any time via the VLE, we have a great selection of reference material available in the library covering all aspects of the subject area with a fantastic collection of books and journals. Some of these are also available to access online. The course works closely with the librarian to make sure that the content is relevant and as easily accessible as possible for the students with a library induction provided during induction week. Along with their online student account that gives access to Unilearn, email, printing and account activity, the students can use computers and digital equipment available for them in the studio and workshop. These all have industry standard software and also a license to the Autodesk suite to use on their own laptops. They can also access the media loans to borrow any additional IT devices.   

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

Industry 

Music producer, sound engineering, audio technician, mixing engineer, mastering engineer, recording engineer, live sound engineer, studio manager, music director, acoustic consultant, sound designer, broadcast engineer, audio post production engineer, music technology educator, music consultant, foley artist, digital audio editor, film scorer, music therapist. 

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

Typically, we require a 2:1 Honours Degree in an appropriate area. However, if applicants have solid professional industry experience rather than academic achievement, this may be acceptable for entry to study at this level through a process called Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). 

All applications are considered on an individual basis. 

We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications and English level of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component or equivalent. Please visit Immigration & International Student Advice | University of South Wales for details. 

Portfolio

Please provide evidence of a website or any other form of digital portfolio as part of your application. This should be the first section of your personal statement or uploaded in section 12 of the application form. 

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A