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Extended Solo Project - MUS00137H

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  • Department: Music
  • Credit value: 40 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module summary

A Solo Project is a substantial piece of work devised and researched during the 3rd year. It gives you the experience of real research planning, establishing a scholarly or creative project and seeing it through to a finished piece of work which will be presented to professional standards.

Related modules

Pre-requisite modules

  • None

Co-requisite modules

  • None

Prohibited combinations


Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25 to Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

A Solo Project is a substantial piece of work devised and researched during the 3rd year. It gives you the experience of real research planning, establishing a scholarly or creative project and seeing it through to a finished piece of work which will be presented to professional standards. Topics are approved by BoS at the end of the 2nd year, and you are allocated a Solo Project Supervisor, who oversees and guides the development of the project. All solo projects include a written element; the project usually takes the form of one of the following scholarly and/or creative possibilities;

  • an extended essay
  • a piece of analytical work
  • a music theatre production
  • technical production of an original album
  • performance art
  • organising and evaluating a themed event
  • classroom and community-based Projects
  • transcription and editing
  • ethnomusicological fieldwork
  • electroacoustic installation
  • writing and putting on a musical
  • composition-based projects
  • albums (some forms of popular music and jazz)

Because the solo project springs directly from your own interests, it often develops skills appropriate to, or even acts as direct preparation for, a number of graduate career routes.

Module learning outcomes

At the end of the module, you should:

  • Be aware of current research / practice in their chosen field, and be able to situate their own outputs within that context;
  • Have developed responses which extend or complement existing research / practice;
  • Be able to articulate the new ground that their approach investigates, and to evaluate its effectiveness;
  • Have developed specific musical / musicological / music-administrative skills in relation to their chosen area (compositional, performance, project-management, recording, etc.).

Academic and graduate skills

At the end of the module, you should:

  • Have developed experience in devising original research projects, monitoring your progress, and carrying them through to a successful conclusion.
  • Have developed successful strategies of time management in the production of the project over an extended timeframe;
  • Have developed skills in recognising a professional level of achievement, and in self-evaluation of the effectiveness of your project.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

You will receive written feedback in line with standard University turnaround times.

Indicative reading

Every solo project is different, and one of the skills you will develop is to create your own reading list according to the demands of your chosen topic.



The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.