Qualification Overview

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to provide learners with advanced specific skills and applied competence in their instruments that will facilitate continued personal and intellectual growth. Moreover, it aims to enable learners to make rewarding contributions to society through arts and culture. The 1-year Advanced Diploma in Music is specifically designed to prepare learners for careers in solo and ensemble performance within this discipline. Additionally, it serves as a pathway for learners who have completed the Diploma in Music Performance to enter the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Music. The qualification also benefits Bachelor of Music (BMus) learners seeking to further enhance their skills through an additional year of study. By the end of the program, learners will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the sociological, psychological, and ethnomusicological aspects of Music and their interaction with other cultural elements.
2. Communicate their understanding and interpretation of creative and performing issues effectively with others.
3. Compile a professional music composition portfolio and present it in a proficient manner.

Rationale

Typically, performance learners who have completed a Bachelor of Music pursue a Bachelor of Music Honours before embarking on a Master of Music due to the significant increase in required skill levels between the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. However, for learners who have completed a Diploma in Music Performance (equivalent to practical requirements of a BMus but at NQF 6), there exists no equivalent 1-year course before enrolling in a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Music. This gap signifies an anomaly in practical qualifications, which the Advanced Diploma aims to address by bridging this transitional phase effectively.