Admission Criteria

Candidates must be able to satisfy the general admission requirements of the University of the West of Scotland as specified in Chapter 2 of the University Regulatory Framework together with the following programme requirements:

SQA National Qualifications

Candidates must be able to satisfy the general admission requirements of the University of the West of Scotland as specified by Regulation 6 of the University Regulatory Framework together with the following programme requirements:

SQA National Qualifications.

The offer of the programme of study BA Commercial Sound Production is available to students that have successfully completed HND Sound Production, at NCL and appropriate HND courses from other FE establishments.

or GCE

or SQA National Qualifications/Edexcel Foundation

Other Required Qualifications/Experience

Further desirable skills pre-application

General Overview

Music is one of the UK’s largest industries by export alone and the professionally accredited Commercial Sound Production course at the University of the West of Scotland aims to enable those with talent, drive and ability to forge a varied, lifelong career in areas such as sound engineering and production.

The programme structure is built across a strong central framework allowing for a relevant mix of core skills. Core modules will embody the major competencies required in the field while allowing for a nuanced delivery and assessment mode while options will offer specificity for individual students.

The programme is underpinned in current academic discourse around creative practice, professional practice and popular music / cultural studies, demonstrated by the prescribed literature, specificity of the learning outcomes and in the research-teaching linkages of the delivery team.  The programme offers a clear opportunity for the provision of student-centred learner pathways (UWS Corporate Strategy 2014-20) in to Honours study in Commercial Music or Music Technology and further towards the suite of Media, Culture & Society Masters programmes wherein creative practice-as-research is embedded as a core methodology.

Graduate Attributes, Employability & Personal Development Planning

The programme is fully aligned with institutional priorities around the development of graduate attributes and with the institutional policy on personal development planning. The mapping of programme and module learning outcomes and employability-integrated assessment ensures the visibility of graduate attributes, employability and citizenship competencies. Personal development is embedded and explicitly signposted in the curriculum, with students provided with regular opportunities to capture and evaluate progression and development, stimulating reflection, self-regulation and a more constructive engagement with employability. It is recognised that personal development planning is an essential component of lifelong learning and continuing and professional development. To support this activity, all students are provided withaccess to personal development planning tools and enabled to develop a personal e-portfolio across the programme.

In accordance with university guidelines on employability and personal development skills, the Commercial Sound Production degree adopts an enhancement-led and learner-centred approach.  Specifically, we utilise a research-led teaching approach underpinned by both scholarly activity and industry-facing, career-building skills intended to maximise ‘research-type’ graduate attributes and employability, inclusive of skills like: critical understanding, informed by current developments in the subject; an awareness of the provisional nature of knowledge, how knowledge is created, advanced and renewed, and the excitement of changing knowledge; the ability to identify and analyse problems and issues and to formulate, evaluate and apply evidence based solutions and arguments; an ability to apply a systematic and critical assessment of complex problems and issues; an ability to deploy techniques of analysis and enquiry; familiarity with advanced techniques and skills; originality and creativity in formulating, evaluating and applying evidence-based solutions and arguments; and an understanding of the need for a high level of ethical, social, cultural, environmental and wider professional conduct.

In addition, Commercial Sound Production strives to support the primary university primary objectives of PDP, which are: to enhance the capacity of learners to reflect, plan and take responsibility for their own learning; to enhance their knowledge of what they learn and how they learn it.  Our PDP is concerned with learning in a holistic sense (in academic, personal and professional contexts) based on reflection and planning skills  which are integral to knowing how to learn in different contexts and knowing how to apply learning in different contexts, something that an individual does with guidance and support.  As students' progress, support decreases as personal capability is developed so that the process of PDP becomes self-sustaining, intended to improve the capacity of individuals to communicate their learning to others (for example, academic staff and potential employers).  In addition, PDP is a process that involves self-reflection; the creation of personal records; and planning and monitoring progress towards the achievement of personal objectives.

Work Based Learning/Placement Details

There are a number of different work-based learning opportunities for Commercial Sound Production students.  Students have the opportunity to study and work abroad primarily through the work-related learning module, which allows a select group of students to work and study at our partner institution, the Harris Institute in Toronto, Canada where they receive intensive work placements with key music industries firms in the metropolitan Toronto area.  In addition, students enrolled in the work-based learning module also have the opportunity for work experience more locally and across the UK.  In years past, students have worked for prominent Scottish music industries companies inclusive of DF Concerts, MediaSpec UK Ltd, STV, EmuBands, and the SSE Hydro.

Engagement and Attendance

In line with the Academic Engagement and Attendance Procedure, Students are defined as academically engaged if they are regularly engaged with timetabled teaching sessions, course-related learning resources including those in the Library and on Moodle, and complete assessments and submit these on time.

Equality and Diversity

The University's Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Procedure can be accessed at the following link: UWS Equality and Diversity Policy

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Knowledge and Understanding

Practice - Applied Knowledge and Understanding

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills

Generic Cognitive Skills - Problem Solving, Analysis, Evaluation

Autonomy, Accountability and Working With Others

Regulations of Assessment

Candidates will be bound by the general assessment regulations of the University as specified in the University Regulatory Framework .

An overview of the assessment details is provided in the Student Handbook and the assessment criteria for each module is provided in the module descriptor which forms part of the module pack issued to students. For further details on assessment please refer to Chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework.

To qualify for an award of the University, students must complete all the programme requirements and must meet the credit minima detailed in Chapter 1 of the Regulatory Framework.

Combined Studies

There may be instances where a student has been unsuccessful in meeting the award criteria for the named award and for other more generic named awards existing within the School. Provided that they have met the credit requirements in line with the SCQF credit minima (please see Regulation 1.21), they will be eligible for an exit award of CertHE / DipHE or BA / BSc in Combined Studies.

For students studying BA, BAcc, or BD awards the award will be BA Combined Studies.

For students studying BEng or BSc awards, the award will be BSc Combined Studies.