i have just started my final year of university studying music. i am worried because i have been calculating and i am expecting to get a LOWER 2nd degree!!!
the problem is that i really want to keep on studying music, i want to study music history and musicology but all the universities i have searched only take in students with Upper 2nd or higher.
what can i do now?? would it help if i do some courses related to music outside school such as a foundation cert in music therapy or a diploma of education??
please give me some advice on what i should do to get in to a postgrad degree..
i just cannot imagine what my life would be like without studying music......

Is there no way you could lift your present work level to achieve a 2.1 at your current university? That would obviously be the simplest thing to do if it's possible. Is the work too hard for you, or do you think you could do better by putting in a few more hours? If you're as keen as you sound, it would be worth foregoing a few evenings out to achieve what you need.

it is probably too late now, although i still have a very very little bit of a chance to get up to 2:1 and i am going to try.

I've read somewhere that an LRSM in performance is the standard you should be at when you reach the end of your music degree (although, i have a feeling that only applies to the BMus at music colleges?). Would you consider taking the LRSM, or maybe the LTCL in time for the Masters applications are due in? Also, maybe grade 8 theory, or the music theory diploma from trinity would be a good substitue?
Obviously that is a LOT of work, but would hopefully pay off in the long run.

Good luck with your degree!

Jacob.

My personalexperince is that you should apply anyway and try to get in on the strength of your application and interview. I got a 2.2, and have just finished the MMus that i subsequently got onto. And yes, they do stipulate that a 2.1 is necessary as an entry requirement. You just don't know util you try...

i am soooooooooooooooooo glad to see your reply!!!!! i am going to try but i also want to be more secure though, should i do some courses outside university as well???


yes, i am going to do LTCL this year and since i have already done grade 8 theory, i think i am going to try AMusTCL..... i hope i can pass those

Perhaps I'm ill-informed, but I thought the majority of marks for any degree course were awarded in the final year - mine was either 70% or 80%, I can't remember now. So it certainly shouldn't be too late to raise your predicted final degree classification if you're really determined.

I certainly would not recommend trying to do another course outside your degree whilst doing finals (with the possible exception of a performance diploma using the same repertoire that you're preparing for a degree recital) - that sounds a bit mad to me. If anything, take a year off after your BA / BMus and do a course then.

However, if the work really is too hard for you to get a 2:1 are you sure you're cut out for a Masters in musicology? What do you want the Masters for? If solely for personal pleasure then go for it, but a career in academia doesn't usually begin with a 2:2 at graduate level. Although you can't imagine your life now without studying music, at some point you're probably going to have to take a different direction, whether it be teaching, performing or music admin.

I think the best thing you can do now is to focus all your energies on doing as well as you can during this academic year - perhaps you can pull off a really impressive dissertation or do exceptionally well in an area of musicology that you want to take further at post-grad level.

Good luck!

That's often the case, but not always - my course is 30%-30%-40% over the three years



Have you thought of doing postgrad at a music college? I'm not entirely sure but I think they'll judge you far more on practical skill than academic achievement. Is it worth doing some auditions?

Why not speak to one of your tutors, tell them what you're aiming for, and ask for their advice on what you could usefully do to enhance your chances of a 2.1/acceptance onto an MA/MMus programme. If your university runs a Masters course in musicology, then ask those that teach it.

An MA/MMus in musicology will be challenging, and any admissions tutor will want to be sure you can cope. If you're currently on a modular programme then perhaps you can choose courses that you think you can do well in to raise your marks this year.

Finally, be sure that you really do like music history and analysis, and all the reading and writing that goes with it!

I agree with what Czerny and others have said. Part of my work is in a university, and we would normally ask for at least a 2.1 for a musicology masters. To be honest, even the people who only got a low 2.1 often struggle - it ideally needs to be a high 2.1 or a 1st.

Having said that, if there is a good reason why you only got a 2.2 (eg. ongoing illness / family trauma during your degree), any reasonable university would take that into account. They would also want to see an example of your written work, which might sway them one way or the other.

I don't know what it's like with performance degrees; they might accept a lower degree if your performance is strong enough.

Perhaps you should take a reality check and evaluate - given your undegrad performance - whether your desired path is the correct one for you? Postgrad stuff is many times more involved, so if you are struggling now you could save yourself a lot of pain by taking a different path once you graduate...