Who should I speak to if I want to apply for a non-existing combined degree (1 Viewer)

[exe231]

I'm currently in year 12. If a university doesn't have the combined degree that I wish to apply for (obviously I'm the one who thought of the combination), who should I speak to from the uni? Or else, what are other alternatives I have to study both degrees? Thank you.

 

[Fighting4LastPl]

You go to the university's student centre, most likely if its not offered you won't be able to study both of the degrees simultaneously. However, when you major in some courses, they usually let you pick a major from another faculty which can be the equivalent. Worst case scenario if you're desperate to 'formally' have both degrees on paper, you can study one after the other but I wouldn't recommend that considering its a huge waste of time.

 

[Absolutezero]

What particular double degree did you want to do by the way?

 

[kooltrainer]

i bet it is engineering n commerce coz they're totally unrelated

 

[Kralex]

your imagination.

 

[kaz1]

i bet it is engineering n commerce coz they're totally unrelated

fuck the number of people that have said this to me

 

[exe231]

In fact, I want to do BMus(Performance) which is from the Con, with any of the following:
BScience
BPsychology
BApplied Science

At USYD, I know there's combined degrees like BScience/BArts, BMus Studies/BArt. But I really want to specialise in BMus(Performance) while having another degree for my interest and as a backup option in the future as well. I guess the reason behind the fact that it has no combined degree is that it's a specialisation, and since you want to specialise music performance why would you do something else as well...
Nevertheless, I've also found other alternatives at other universities such as ANU. But I'd really like to study at the Con for various reasons. Is it likely that the university introduces new combined degree?

Thanks to all.

 

[chichichip]

In fact, I want to do BMus(Performance) which is from the Con, with any of the following:
BScience

Been there done that- I had a chat to USyd around 2 years ago when I wanted to do something BMus/ Sci -ish, your best bet is doing just science, or science/ arts, and picking lots of arts-music subjects.
And you can't combine BMus perf.

 

[exe231]

And you can't combine BMus perf.

I do know that it doesn't have any combined degree, which is why I'm looking for a way to get around with it. I mean that's why combined degrees exist, people want to study a sort of combination that covers two different discplines that they are interested in. Though my request may be tricky, because one of the reasons why it isn't there (or yet) is because there is not enough people wishing to apply this combination. And if I end up being the only applicant who wants to study such cominbed degree, I don't see I get much chance...
My current options with USYD are:
BMusic Studies/BArts (I'd major in psychology)
BScience/BArts (major in music)
The thing is arts degrees are not as professional as non-arts degrees. So I'd be disadvantaged in music if I do BScience/BArts.

Did you end up doing BMus/Sci?

 

[izzy88]

To be honest, there are purely logistical reasons as to why there isn't a combined degree with courses run at the conservatorium- classes are held at the con and classes for science are on main campus. You would have to travel between campuses which would take up probably an hour timeslot- eg. you wouldn't be able to have a class at the con going from 9-10 and then be able to get to a course at main campus at 10. Science would be even more difficult to combine with then, say, an arts degree, because there are so much more hours- there are pracs etc.

I have a friend that did a music course at the con combined with law but because her classes were at the con she wasn't able to make enough law classes back at main campus. She was basically told just to defer the law subjects, and although she is still doing a 'combined law degree' she didn't do any law subjects in her undergrad and then just went into the grad Bachelor of law stream after she finished her first degree.

I don't see them introducing a set combined degree anytime soon- the logistics are difficult to overcome and in any case, there may always be clashes whether it is a set combined degree or not. Eg. I do arts/law but if I chose a particular arts subject that clashed a particular law subject, they wouldn't move things around, I would have to either choose to do both subjects and skip lectures, or drop/change the arts subject. This may even happen, for example, if you did BScience and BArts majoring in music. Just because you are doing this degree doesn't mean that science classes and music classes (that may be held at the con) won't clash...I have met people who haven't been able to do particular subjects due to clashes- generally there isn't much the uni will do to help- you just have the options given above (and it sucks, but that's life).

I guess you just have to figure out what you want to do- however it doesn't have to be set in stone. I have another friend that got into music performance at the con. She spent a year there then decided it wasn't for her and transferred to law at main campus (she's now a lawyer, but still plays for fun in orchestra's and stuff).

 

[kaz1]

To be honest, there are purely logistical reasons as to why there isn't a combined degree with courses run at the conservatorium- classes are held at the con and classes for science are on main campus. You would have to travel between campuses which would take up probably an hour timeslot- eg. you wouldn't be able to have a class at the con going from 9-10 and then be able to get to a course at main campus at 10. Science would be even more difficult to combine with then, say, an arts degree, because there are so much more hours- there are pracs etc.

I have a friend that did a music course at the con combined with law but because her classes were at the con she wasn't able to make enough law classes back at main campus. She was basically told just to defer the law subjects, and although she is still doing a 'combined law degree' she didn't do any law subjects in her undergrad and then just went into the grad Bachelor of law stream after she finished her first degree.

I don't see them introducing a set combined degree anytime soon- the logistics are difficult to overcome and in any case, there may always be clashes whether it is a set combined degree or not. Eg. I do arts/law but if I chose a particular arts subject that clashed a particular law subject, they wouldn't move things around, I would have to either choose to do both subjects and skip lectures, or drop/change the arts subject.

I guess you just have to figure out what you want to do- however it doesn't have to be set in stone. I have another friend that got into music performance at the con. She spent a year there then decided it wasn't for her and transferred to law at main campus (she's now a lawyer, but still plays for fun in orchestra's and stuff).

you can do a semester in one component and another semester in the other component.

 

[izzy88]

you can do a semester in one component and another semester in the other component.

i would say that depends on the courses...I'm not completely sure but don't science subjects or pyschology subjects run essentially over a year- ie. you have to do Chemistry A in first semester in order to do Chemistry B in second semester? And Chemistry A may not necessarily be run in both semesters... Well i know it works that way in languages in any case. I would say it depends on the subjects, it may work, but I would still think it would be difficult to coordinate. In any case, I would hazard a guess that a music performance course would rely very much on constant practice and learning- ie. you can't just play violin in one semester then forget about it for another...its very much constant practice/performances i would think. I doubt usyd (or the con for that matter- they can be very inflexible) would approve it.

There is no harm in asking, but you would have to negotiate both with the con and whatever other faculty you want to do a degree with in order to sort it out.

 

[izzy88]

Just one more thought- combined degrees generally only save you one year. If you really want to do two degrees you could always just do them one after the other- it's only going to be one extra year.

 

[slyhunter]

More moniez wasted.

 

[chichichip]

Did you end up doing BMus/Sci?

No. I started bmus perf this year. I only know of one guy who is combining bmusperf with law, and that was with specisl consideration from the dean/ he got top marks/ was head boy etc etc.
Do you want a career in music anyway?

 

[exe231]

Music is pretty much what I do inside and outside of school, hence I really think it'd be a shame if I just let that go. There are numerous people who love music as much as I do, yet their career has nothing to do music. However, I know they still do something with music in various ways. One of my cousins did engineering and she is now an analyst. She also teaches the piano on the weekend. That's because she's passionate about programming and music. Nevertheless, I love music and I do want to pursue a career in music. Another reason why I want to do psychology as well (apart from the fact that I'm interested in it), is because I don't know what sort of job I want to do after my music degree, and I want to have a back-up option. Psychology is definitely more employable than music...

 

[glache]

I actually wanted to do that. Not majoring in performance, but I was thinking Science/Music Studies. But izzy has given very good reasons why. I could've done Science/Arts but a) I wanted to study at a deeper level than what the Faculty of Arts could offer, and b) it was the only Arts subject I was interested in, so I'd have to do a whole heap of other Arts subjects I wasn't interested in to fulfil requirements. Though that was back when it was the 5 year degree--seems to be less of an issue with the 4 year one.

It turned out for the best though--after much reflection on whether I wanted to go back and do a Music Studies degree separately, I realised that that wasn't the best approach to making me a well rounded musician, and that I was quite happy to just build up my own music library and bang around the piano whenever I feel like it. By well rounded I mean even though I'd done the grades, my repertoire was so limited--that's one of the problems with formal education.

 

[Patato]

I have searched far and wide, to no avail...but is dual / combined degree of aeronautical (possibly space) eng. & computer science offered @ UNSW or USYD? Thx