International Foundation Certificate in Music Computing drafted

Program Overview

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Course overview

This one-year programme gives you the opportunity to develop your English language, become familiar with UK academic culture, and prepare to study for a BMus/BSc in Music Computing.

The International Foundation Certificate (IFC) programme is aimed at undergraduate students who need a year to:

develop or consolidate their language skills in academic English

undertake preliminary study in the subject areas they would like to study at undergraduate level

familiarise themselves both with ways of working in British academic culture and in the standards required at degree level

Half of the programme will focus on the four compulsory modules of language development:

Academic Writing

Reading

Listening

Speaking

The other half of the programme will introduce you to the historical and cultural context of music studies and the foundations of computing programming.

You will have a personal tutor, who you meet in small groups or on a one-to-one basis to discuss progress on the course, general approaches to study, and ways of maximising language learning. Tutors will also support you in finalising your plans for future study.

You are encouraged throughout the programme to work independently and in particular to use the resources available in the Goldsmiths Library.

Guaranteed progression

If you pass the programme at the required level (a pass in all modules with an overall score of 50% or more), you are guaranteed a place on a related Goldsmiths degree programme:

BMus/BSc (Hons) Electronic Music, Computing and Technology

Alternatively you may choose to continue your studies at another university.

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Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact

the Admissions Tutor, Timothy Chapman

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Program Outline

What you'll study

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Overview

The programme is made up of the following modules:

English for Academic Purposes (2 x 30 credits)

Department of Music foundation modules (2 x 15 credits)

Department of Computing foundation module (1 x 30 credits)

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English for Academic Purposes modules (30 credits each)

Students on all IFC Pathways take both of these compulsory modules, designed to develop your ability and confidence in the four key areas of writing, reading, listening and speaking.

Module title	Credits
Academic Reading and Writing Academic Reading and Writing 30 credits The course covers the key aspects of writing an essay. These include features of academic style, the planning process, structuring an argument, summarising, paraphrasing techniques, referencing, avoiding plagiarism, and drafting and editing. Emphasis is given to the logic underlying Western academic writing conventions, rather than simply looking at the procedural aspects. This is supported by work on the main areas of English grammar, with a particular focus on improving grammatical range and accuracy in students’ writing. Reading skills are also developed. Textual analysis enables students to learn about cohesion, extend their vocabulary, read for gist and specific information, infer meaning, as well as develop summary skills. The texts generally focus on a background to Western thought and culture, taking into account ancient Greeks and Romans, the Renaissance, the Enlightenment and the influence of modernity, feminism and Marxism. There is an emphasis on how to use reading in writing: to learn from other writers’ style and using their points as evidence for students’ arguments.	30 credits
Academic Listening and Speaking Academic Listening and Speaking 30 credits Please Note: English Language Development modules are only available for students whose first language is not English. To enhance listening skills, the course makes use of a wide range of texts, drawing firstly on commercially produced EAP materials to help students acquire the skills of listening for gist and specific information and taking useful notes. Later, the course moves on recordings from Goldsmiths library as well as BBC radio shows. Students are exposed to a range of challenging and interesting recordings related to the arts, current affairs, media, education and aspects of British culture. Many of the recordings are relevant to subjects studied at Goldsmiths, for example race and ethnicity, representation, identity and culture. Where possible, the recordings are exploited for vocabulary development. To develop speaking skills, students will have to research and give seminar presentations and lead the class through discussion of their chosen topic. They will receive input on effective seminar techniques and functional language. There is also ongoing feedback on their presentations.	30 credits

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The Music Computing Pathway

You take all three of the following modules – two in the Department of Music and one in the Department of Computing.

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Western Art Music in Context (15 credits)

The module introduces you to the development of Western art music in historical and cultural context. It presents a general survey of music from the late Renaissance to the present day. It focuses on the stylistic/formal changes, and particular attention is given to the establishment, transformation and disintegration of tonality.

As part of the module you will be expected to develop your understanding and aural perception of musical style, and to develop your ability to read various types of scores.

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Topics in Music Studies (15 credits)

This module will develop your understanding of music studies, and introduce you to a series of established musical works that have acquired importance in Western culture. The works will be chosen to demonstrate a variety of forms, performance forces, styles and cultural functions. You will reflect on why these works have become accepted in the way they have, and whether things might have been different.

As an integrated part of this module, you will be expected to develop your English skills to the standard appropriate for entry to the BMus course by writing and speaking about music in a coherent, informed way. At the end of the module, you are expected to hand in a research project on a topic of your choice as the result of the learning process.

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Foundations of Programming (30 credits)

The module provides you with the background you need to use a computer to develop and execute simple software programs in a manner that will prepare you for the programming modules in the first year of a computing degree programme. This module is appropriate for everyone, including those with no knowledge of programming.

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Assessment

The English for Academic Purposes and the computing modules of the programme are assessed by a mixture of coursework, written examination and presentation. The music modules will include a research project and a listening assessment.

Successful completion at the required level will guarantee you a place on a relevant Goldsmiths degree programme.

Download the

programme specification

. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the

Quality Office

.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

For 2021-22 and 2020–21, we have made some changes to how the teaching and assessment of certain programmes are delivered. To check what changes affect this programme, please visit the

programme changes page

.

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How to apply

As part of your application you'll need to include:

A reference

A personal statement

English Language certificates

Transcript or student record

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How to apply

As part of your application you'll need to include:

A reference

A personal statement

English Language certificates

Transcript or student record