PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
This Programme Specification is correct as of the date indicated; however, minor amendments may be made throughout the year and will be incorporated in the annual updating process.
SECTION A: DETAILS OF THE COURSE AND AWARD
Programme Title Audio & Music Production
Audio & Music Production (top-up)
Awarding Body Design, Media & Management
Teaching Institution Buckinghamshire New University
Accrington and Rossendale College
Faculty: Design, Media & Management
School: Applied Production & Performance
Name of Final Award: BA (Hons)
NQF/FHEQ Level of Qualification: FHEQ level 6, Bachelors
QAA Benchmark Statement(s) Music (2008)
UCAS Code J930
Course Code(s) BG1AMP1
BG1AMP1AR
Mode and Length of Study 3 Years, Full Time
1 year Top-up
Number of Intakes 1, each September, for each version of the course
Regime of Delivery: Attendance
Language of Study English
Details of Accreditation JAMES*/ SkillSet
Publication Date 04 July 2014
*The BA (Hons) Audio & Music Production is accredited by JAMES - the Joint Audio Media Education Services association. JAMES is the education and accreditation arm of the APRS (Association of Professional Recording Services) and the MPG (Music Producers Guild). They are currently the only accrediting body for Audio and Music Production related courses in FE and HE. The course is now one of only 10 courses in the UK who have been awarded accreditation status.
*Please note this accreditation is currently only available for students completing the Full three year programme at High Wycombe. The one year top up programme delivered at the School of Sound Recording (through Accrington & Rossendale College) is current not accredited by JAMES.
Potential Student Profile / Criteria for Admission:
What the award is about and who the programme is aimed at:
The Three year BA (Hons) Audio & Music Production delivered at High Wycombe is designed to equip students with the necessary experience to embark on careers relating to audio and music or audio-visual production. This is a practical and creative production-based course, allowing focus on developing the skills demanded of planning, managing, processing, recording and post-producing audio for different purposes and audiences. The course is aimed primarily at those who have successfully completed A levels, a National Diploma or similar, and have a desire to work within creative industries in the context of audio-visual production.
The one year top up programme delivered at the School of Sound Recording, through Accrington & Rossendale College, has the same career focus as the three year full time programme, however, the course is aimed primarily at those who have already completed a Higher National Diploma or Foundation degree in a similar discipline. The alignment of a previous Level 5 programme and the suitability of a candidate for the course would be assessed by application and by interview.
Why students should choose this award:
This is a very practical course with a strong focus on employability. Distinctive features concern a focus on advanced skills development, critical reflection and development of emotional intelligence through team-based and client oriented production work.
Opportunities available for students after completion of the award:
Graduates from this course will pursue careers in audio and music production, typically in areas such as live sound and installation, studio-based music production and sound design for screen.
Expected knowledge and skills that the entrant will have on entry to the programme:
Successful applicants to the 3 year, full time course at High Wycombe, are expected to have a passion for audio, and some experience of audio or music production whether in contexts that are formal (such as in education) or informal (such as through performance, instrument playing or processing audio using digital audio workstations. Good written and verbal communication skills are also essential with a good command of English language, media literacy and IT skills.
The entrant will also be expected to have a genuine interest in all forms of audio visual content. The applicant will be expected to have a minimum of two A-levels at Grade C.
Applicants will normally have achieved one of the following: - Two A levels achieving a minimum of 160 points.
- A National Diploma or Certificate in an appropriate subject at Merit level. - An art or design foundation course or Level Zero course.
- A Merit level Advanced GNVQ in an appropriate subject; - An equivalent qualification
Students will also be offered entry by portfolio submission against criteria devised by the lecturing team.
Mature applicants without the above qualifications are also welcome to apply and entry is subject to a review of qualifications and relevant experiential learning. Applicants for whom English is a second language should have achieved IELTS 6.0 (with 5.5 the lower limit in any of the elements of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) or equivalent for entry into Level 4.
Students are normally expected to enter at Level 4, but can be admitted to any level of the course which is considered suitable, after a review of previous academic credits or consideration of other learning or experience relevant to the subject matter of this course, using the Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS).
As indicated earlier, applicants to the 1 year Top up programme delivered at the School of Sound Recording, through Accrington & Rossendale College, will already be expected to hold an appropriately graded and relevant level 5 qualification. For HND and Foundation awards, this would typically equate to a Merit Profile. As is the case with the 3 year programme at High Wycombe, Mature applicants without the above qualifications are also welcome to apply and entry is subject to a review of qualifications and relevant experiential learning. Applicants for whom English is a second language should have achieved IELTS 6.0 (with 5.5 the lower limit in any of the elements of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
SECTION B: PROGRAMME AIMS, OUTCOMES, LEARNING,
TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHODS
Programme Aims
The Programme Aims are mapped to the modules in Table 4B, below. The main educational aims of the programme are to develop:
• A high level of teamwork skills specifically related to practical production work. • Problem solving skills related to practical production work.
• A range of practical production skills and knowledge relevant to a variety of practices and formats. • Creative skills in relation to the generation and production of practical project work.
• The ability to research and write in relation to audio and music production project work.
• The ability to critically evaluate their work in relation to the technology and contexts of production practice.
Programme Learning Outcomes
A. Knowledge and Understanding
On successful completion of the programme a graduate will have:
1. Knowledge of the underlying concepts and principles associated with audio and music production, and an ability to evaluate and interpret these
2. knowledge and critical understanding of the well established principles pertaining to the study of audio and music production, and of the way in which those principles have developed
3. a systematic understanding of key aspects of audio and music production, including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge, at least some of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of defined aspects of a discipline
B. Intellectual/Cognitive Skills
On successful completion of the programme a graduate will be able to:
1. Present, evaluate and interpret qualitative and quantitative data, in order to develop lines of argument and make sound judgments in accordance with basic theories and concepts pertaining to the study of audio and music production.
2. Demonstrate conceptual understanding that enables the student:
• to devise and sustain arguments pertaining to the study of audio and music production, and/or to solve problems, using ideas and techniques, some of which are at the forefront of this subject discipline
• to describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, in the subject discipline of audio and music production
3. Appreciate the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge
C. Practical Skills
On successful completion of the programme a graduate will be able to:
1. Engage with the main methods of enquiry pertaining to the study of audio and music production, and ability to evaluate critically the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems in this field of study
2. Demonstrate key interpersonal skills pertaining to collaborative production tasks, such as oral and written communication skills and those required to coordinate production projects
D. Key/Transferable Skills
On successful completion of the programme a graduate will be able to:
1. ability to apply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied, including, where appropriate, the application of those principles in an employment context
2. an ability to deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within a discipline
3. the ability to manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to the discipline)
Table 1: Programme Skills Matrix – Assessment
Module Code In fo rm a ti o n A c q u is iti o n C rit ic a l t h in k in g , a n a ly s is a n d syn th esi s Se lf -r e fl e c ti o n a n d C ri ti c a li ty C o m m u n ic a ti o n S k il ls : O ra l C o m m u n ic a ti o n S k il ls : W ri tte n In fo rm a ti o n & C o m m u n ic a ti o n s T e c h n o lo g y (I C T ) N u m er a cy & Q u an ti tat ive S ki ll s P ro b le m S o lv in g & D e c is io n Maki n g In d e p e n d e n t & S e lf -m a n a g e d L e a rn in g W o rk in g w ith O th e rs AP401 AP402 AP403 AP404 AP405 AP501 AP502 AP503 AP504 AP505 AP601 AP602 AP603 AP604Learning, Teaching and Assessment Methods to achieve the Programme
Learning Outcomes
Mechanisms for Delivery
The teaching, learning and assessment methods for the BA (Hons) Audio & Music Production have drawn substantially upon Music (2008) QAA benchmarks.
Teaching and Learning Methods
These respond to section 5.6 of the subject benchmarks and approaches include:
1. The teaching, especially in the areas of creative practice, normally involves a substantial component of individual or small-group teaching. Much of the best teaching is an interactive process, with students, professional practitioner-teachers and academics gaining mutual benefit within a research and/or professionally informed environment. The interaction between teaching, research (which includes the informed expertise of creative practitioners) and scholarship is a key element.
2. A student studying an honours degree in music will typically experience a range drawn appropriately from the following:
• seminars or other forms of small-group discussion, sometimes involving individual or group student presentations to develop oral presentation, negotiation and communication skills
• other forms of small-group teaching and learning in which students have the opportunity to work together as a team
• one-to-one interaction, particularly supporting the development of self-direction, intellectual independence and research skills through dissertations, analysis and individual projects
• lectures that stimulate thought, discussion and debate, and which encourage further reading, listening and research by which students can extend their own knowledge and understanding
• workshops and master classes, normally addressing the acquisition of creative skills and techniques within a group context, and often benefiting from the experience of visiting specialists
• writing (essays, learning journals, concert reviewing etc) as a means of developing research techniques, acquiring knowledge, and presenting ideas and arguments in written form
• practical exercises, usually connected with the development of creative, analytical and aural skills
• independent learning, whether as directed reading and listening related to essay writing or dissertation/project work or as practice for developing creative skills
• studio or laboratory work, including hands-on experience in the use of electronic equipment for composition and/or recording
• use of computer-assisted learning, of email for discussion groups or tutorial supervision, and of other forms of ICT
Academic Progression
For students completing the 3 year Full time course at High Wcyombe; Intellectual and technical development links four key areas of study across three years of study. In the context of developing technical skills and understanding studio-based audio production develops from Level 4 (AP403) to Level 5 (AP502) with a self-guided project integral to the Level 6 equivalent (AP602). These modules link with and often overlap the equivalent live audio modules from Level 4 (AP402), Level 5 (AP501) and again a more applied focus at Level 6 (AP601). Studio-based audio production skills link similarly to the sound design modules that are introduced a Level 5 (AP503) and developed further at Level 6 (AP603), albeit with a linked requirement for the development of contextual understanding via critical study of this academic field over both years.
Some modules divide emphasis between technical and intellectual aspects, such as AP401 at Level 4 which focuses on how key principles are applied often with a scientific and engineering focus, while others emphasise the latter via the academic theorization of audio; at Level 4 this is manifest (AP404) with development of key research methods at Level 5 (AP505) that underpin the dissertation equivalent in the final year (AP604).
An applied business context is also woven into all three years from Level 4 (AP405) into Level 5 (AP504) culminating in an applied project for the second semester of AP602).
These three modules focus on management and entrepreneurial skills with elements that will duly prepare students for a largely freelance workplace.
For students undertaking the one year top up programme through Accrington & Rossendale College, students will be expected to have completed equivalent modules that demonstrate the same kind of academic progression/skills and knowledge development articulated in the 3 year full time programme above. This would be assessed by application and at interview.
Contact Hours
The objective is to develop students as independent critical thinkers with professional audio production skills. To achieve this a selection of lectures, master-classes, seminars, and workshops are provided along with a supplementary selection of online learning resources. The course makes use of contact hours in a variety of ways. Students typically experience three hours per week of
contact time over two semesters of a 30 credit module, or over one semester of a 15 credit module. This is uniformly the case across the first two years of the three year full time programme, albeit with the addition of more self-directed learning, practice and skills development as project work develops during the second year and increasingly into the third year. During the third year the module is quite different in some areas, such as in module AP604 where students are guided through a dissertation on the basis of an average of 12 minutes of one-to-one contact time per week; a Faculty norm, and common to both the three year full time and final year top up programme delivered through Accrington & Rossendale College. Other third year modules also follow a less rigid structure, the most irregular in this respect being that which requires producing and then reflecting critically upon audio for live events (AP601) that often entail long days/sessions and field work in a professional context. These events are scheduled in order to provide at least 90 hours of contact time with tutors for each student.
Assessment
Assessment Methods
A variety of methods is employed, involving both formative and summative assessment (some elements of coursework fall into both categories). Formative assessment methods provide an opportunity for tutors to deliver written and/or oral feedback to students. Fifteen credit modules, of which there are two at level four and two at level 5, require approximately half of the workload when compared to the rest of the modules which are of 30 credits in value.
Approaches include:
• creative projects, often assessed by a mixture of continuous assessment, documentation and final presentation, and especially relevant for interdisciplinary work (for example audio and music in combination with theatre, gaming, video)
• essays and other coursework which enable students to display a broader knowledge of subject matter than in examination papers and test their ability to investigate a topic and organize their material and ideas to a prescribed deadline
• extended dissertations, individual projects and portfolios as products of advanced understanding, knowledge, research skills and/or creative achievement
• oral presentations testing presentation and communication skills in an individual or group situation
• reports on empirical work, which may take the form of fieldwork or laboratory experiments, might include audio-visual or other documentary evidence, and should demonstrate the student's ability to apply appropriate analytical methods, whether qualitative or quantitative, and to plan and carry out a research project in a manner appropriate to its cultural context. • Group and individual portfolios of written work and audio content that will include research,
pre-production, production and post-production work submissions. Where group work is undertaken there will be a requirement for individuals to clearly define their own contribution. For group-based presentations, for example, annotated PowerPoint slides with workload clearly delineated would be a standard specified requirement.
• Critical self-evaluation and role analysis in the form of individual reflective written evaluations. • Peer evaluation in the form of discussion of work in groups.
• Opportunity for external placement/work-based learning reports that will enhance each student’s capacity to adopt professional working practices.
• Tasks aimed at the assessment of specific production skills which will target each individual’s career aspirations.
SECTION C: PROGRAMME STRUCTURE(S) AND MATRIX MAPPING
Table 2: Programme Structure Table
Course Title BA (Hons) Audio & Music Production
Course Code BG1AMP1
Mode of Study Full time/Attendance
Credit Value UK 360 ECTS 180
M o d u le C o d e Module Title Q CF /F H EQ L ev el C o u rse S tag e / Y ear S ta tu s i n A w a rd ([ C ]o re / [ O ]p ti o n a l) C re d it V a lu e Assessment Regime S em e st er T au g h t Wri tt e n Ex a m % C o u rs e w o rk % P ra ct ical %
AP401 Principles of Audio Technology 4 1 C 30 100 SB
AP402 Disciplines in Live Audio 4 1 C 30 100 SB
AP403 Introduction to Recording and Pro Tools
101 4 1 C 30 40 60 SB
AP404 Audio Cultures 4 1 C 15 70 30 1
AP405 Introduction to Entrepreneurship 4 1 C 15 50 50 2 AP501 Audio Production Techniques: Live 5 2 C 30 40 60 SB AP502 Audio Production Techniques:
Recording & Programming 5 2 C 30 50 50 SB
AP503 Sound for Vision 5 2 C 30 40 60 SB
AP504 The Production Entrepreneur 5 2 C 15 70 30 1
AP505 Introduction to Research Methods 5 2 C 15 100 2
AP601 Live Event Project 6 3 C 30 60 40 SB
AP602 Production Company Project 6 3 C 30 50 50 SB
AP603 Sound Design 6 3 C 30 35 65 SB
Course Title BA (Hons) Audio & Music Production Top up (at Accrington and Rossendale College)
Course Code BG1AMP1AR
Mode of Study Full time/Attendance
Credit Value UK 120 ECTS 60
M o d u le C o d e Module Title Q CF /F H EQ L ev el C o u rse S tag e / Y ear S ta tu s i n A w a rd ([C ]o re / [O ]p ti o n a l) C re d it V a lu e Assessment Regime S em e st er T au g h t Wri tt e n Ex a m % C o u rs e w o rk % P ra ct ical %
AP601AR Live Event Project 6 3 C 30 60 40 SB
AP602AR Production Company Project 6 3 C 30 50 50 SB
AP603AR Sound Design 6 3 C 30 35 65 SB
AP604AR Professional Practice Research
Project 6 3 C 30 100 SB
Table 3: Mapping of Programme Outcomes to Modules
Programme Outcome Level 4 (Code) Level 5 (Code) Level 6 (Code) Level 7 (Code) Level 8 (Code) A. Knowledge and Understanding
A1 AP404, AP401 AP505, AP503 AP604, AP603 A2 AP404, AP401 AP505, AP503 AP604, AP603 A3 AP404, AP401 AP505, AP503 AP604, AP603 A4 AP402, AP403 AP501, AP502, AP503 AP601, AP602, AP603 B. Intellectual / Cognitive Skills
B1 AP404, AP401 AP505, AP503 AP604, AP603 B2 AP404, AP401 AP505, AP503 AP604, AP603 B3 AP404, AP401 AP505, AP503 AP604, AP603 C. Practical Skills C1 AP402, AP403 AP501, AP502, AP503 AP601, AP602, AP603
Programme Outcome Level 4 (Code) Level 5 (Code) Level 6 (Code) Level 7 (Code) Level 8 (Code) D. Key / Transferable Skills
D1 AP402, AP403 AP501, AP502, AP503 AP601, AP602, AP603 D2 AP401, AP403 AP502, AP503 AP601, AP602, AP603 D3 AP402 AP502, AP503 AP601, AP602, AP603
Table 4B: Mapping of Programme Aims to Modules
Programme Aim Level 4
(Code)
Level 5 (Code)
Level 6 (Code)
Generic key skills AP404, AP405 AP504 AP602
A high level of teamwork skills specifically related
to practical production work. AP402
AP501, AP502, AP503
AP601, AP602, AP603 Problem solving skills related to practical
production work. AP401
AP501, AP502, AP503
AP601, AP602, AP603 A range of practical production skills and
knowledge relevant to a variety of practices and formats.
AP403 AP501,
AP502, AP503
AP601, AP602, AP603 Creative skills in relation to the generation and
production of practical project work. AP403
AP501, AP502, AP503
AP601, AP602, AP603 The ability to research and write in relation to
audio and music production project work. AP401 AP503, AP504 AP602, AP604 The ability to critically evaluate their work in
relation to the technology and contexts of production practice.
AP401 AP503, AP504 AP602, AP604
SECTION D: CONTACT HOURS
Note: Hours are worked on the basis of full-time study. 1 Academic Credit is equated to 10 notional learning hours. A full-time undergraduate student will normally study 120 credits in an academic year which is therefore equated to 1200 notional hours. A full time postgraduate student will normally study 180 credits in an academic year which equates to 1800 hours. Module Descriptors provide detailed breakdowns of the categories given below.
Table 4: Breakdown of Contact Hours
Year of course Scheduled
Learning and Teaching Activities Guided Independent Study Placement / Study Abroad Total Year One 322 878 1200 Year Two 402 798 1200 Year Three 348 852 1200
Total 1072 2528 3600
SECTION E: ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS
This programme conforms to the approved University procedures as detailed on the University website, adhering to the University Academic Framework and Assessment Regulations.
Modules which cannot be condoned in either the three year Full Time or one Year top up programme: AP604 and AP604(AR) Professional Practice Research Project
For applicants considering the one year top up programme delivered at the School of Sound
Recording, through Accrington & Rossendale College; entry with advanced standing will be given to those who hold a Foundation Degree (or equivalent level 5 qualification) with a minimum Merit Profile
- From Buckinghamshire New University
- From another current Collaborative Partner of the University
- From any other institution with which the University holds a formal Articulation Agreement - From any other institution where the level 5 programme undertaken is deemed to meet the
academic requirements to be considered for entry by the course team
