Admission criteria
English language requirements
About selection
Additional information

To be considered for entry into this course, you must have:

An undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in any discipline with a University of Melbourne equivalent Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least H3 (65%) (or equivalent) OR
At least five years of documented relevant professional experience.

You must also submit a supplementary application:

An academic writing sample, AND
Referee reports.

If you are applying from outside the field of musicology or ethnomusicology (for example, art history, cultural studies or anthropology), you will also be required to attend an interview.

Meeting the published entry requirements for this course does not guarantee selection.

Where our admission criteria includes a minimum Weighted Average Mark (WAM) and/or specific subject criteria, these are based on University of Melbourne grades and subjects. If you've studied elsewhere, we'll assess your relevant prior studies and equivalent grades. Your final WAM may be adjusted depending on your previous institution's accreditation, subject grading, and pass marks.

You can use our graduate coursework grade conversion eligibility calculator to get an indication of whether you are eligible for this course based on your previous studies and Weighted Average Mark (WAM). Calculate your eligibility.

All applicants to the University of Melbourne must satisfy the English language requirements. This may be achieved in a number of ways, including recognised previous study taught and assessed entirely in English or an approved English language test. If you need to undertake an English language test, you must meet one of the scores* below:

IELTS: 6.5 (with no band less than 6.0)
TOEFL: 79+ (Writing 21; Speaking 18; Reading 13; Listening 13)
Pearson: 58+ (no communicative skill below 50)
Cambridge: 176+ (no skill below 169)

_{*Accepted tests: IELTS (Academic English Only); TOEFL Internet-based test; Pearson Test of English Academic; Cambridge English: Advanced/Certificate of Advanced English (CAE). If a test displays N/A, it means it is not accepted for this course.}

When assessing applications, the Selection Committee will consider your previous studies and academic performance. The Selection Committee may request additional information to clarify any aspect of an application, according to the University’s Academic Board rules regarding selection instruments.

Meeting the published entry requirements for this course does not guarantee selection.

As part of the supplementary application, the Selection Committee will also consider your academic sample, referee reports, and your curriculum vitae (CV). If you are applying from outside the field of musicology or ethnomusicology, you will also be required to attend an interview.

ACADEMIC WRITING SAMPLE

You must also provide an academic writing sample as part of your supplementary application. This may take the form of a research paper, ethnographic report or proposal, literature review, or other genre of academic writing. Written within the last five years and containing no more than 3000 words, this sample should:

Demonstrate awareness of recent literature in the field of essay’s topic, AND
Include a bibliography, discography, and/or list of ethnographic interviews (as appropriate), AND
Be referenced in a recognisable style manual, such as the Chicago Manual of Style 16^th edition (either the note/footnote system or author/date).

Referee report

You will be asked to provide exactly 2 references. References will be accepted up to 5 days after the program deadline. Your referees will be asked to respond to the following:

Full name
How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?
Referee's address
Referee's phone number
What level of capacity has the applicant shown for graduate study?
Do you recommend the applicant for graduate study?
Suitability for graduate study
Suitability of the applicant for graduate study

If you have completed an undergraduate degree in music, you are instead encouraged to apply for the Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree.

Advanced Standing
Prior studies may be credited towards your degree and potentially reduce the duration of your course. This is known as Advanced Standing (also known as credit or recognition of prior learning).

Need more information on the University’s general entry requirements? Learn more.

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Graduate Diploma in Music (Ethnomusicology)

Career outcomes

Career outcomes

Overview