Music and East Asian Studies BA

Core modules (80 credits):

Digital Skills for Music

The module aims to develop your confidence and technical expertise with a range of technologies of value to academic and professional practice. Lectures will introduce fundamental principles and specific technologies for use in researching, creating and producing music. These technologies will then be applied in the production of a collaborative project, helping students to develop team work and interpersonal skills that will serve them in subsequent levels of study and professional practice.

Indicative areas of study include audio recording and production, sound design, computational literacy, data analysis, the ethics of artificial intelligence, effective group work, research management and productivity.

20 credits

History of Western Music

This module provides an overview of some of the key issues in the history of Western art music, as well as the historical context surrounding them. A range of approaches to the study of music history will be considered, giving you an introduction to the discipline of musicology. The module will also develop your ability to write about music and use primary and secondary sources to inform critical discussions.

20 credits

Key Questions in East Asian Studies

East Asia has been studied in Western universities for hundreds of years and is an active area of research today. This year-long module introduces students to the academic study of East Asia and how it has changed over time. We will look at key questions and debates that have shaped research about East Asia as a whole as well as China, Japan and Korea, in particular. Along the way, you will also learn about how academic knowledge is produced and employed. Through these explorations, you will learn to develop your own academic voice in both writing and speech.

20 credits

Inventing Traditions in China, Japan and Korea

This module will introduce you to the critical study of East Asian traditions. While the region is often touted for its ancient cultures, practices, and heritage, many of these have been carefully represented, invented, or repackaged in contemporary times for a variety of purposes. You will learn to critically examine the histories and representations of famous traditions in modern media such as Japanese samurai, Korean politeness, and Chinese philosophy. You will also develop your own multimedia project working with as a group through which you will build digital media skills.

20 credits

Optional modules (20 credits from this list):

Composition

In this module you will develop your composition skills, practice writing music in staff notation, and learn to write effectively for different instrumental and vocal forces. Drawing on the models of a diverse range of classical composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, we will focus on techniques for writing inventive melodies and rhythms, and employing wide-ranging approaches to harmony. The module aims to give you a foundation in composition and increase your confidence in preparation for further study.

20 credits

Popular Music Studies

This module provides an introduction to the academic study of popular music. You will explore key approaches to studying popular music in its socio-cultural contexts, investigating major issues and debates. Lecture materials and in-class tasks will engage with approaches to the analysis of popular music and media, issues of representation, authenticity, identity, technology and industry. The module is delivered via lectures and group tasks to encourage interaction and collaboration between students. Assessments are designed to allow you to apply key analytical and theoretical frameworks to music of your own choosing, testing both your individual skills and knowledge alongside group work and collaboration.

20 credits

Music in a Global Context

Whatever kind of music study you decide to specialise in, you'll do it better if you see it in the context of music as a phenomenon common to all humanity. You'll understand what's different about your own chosen field but also how the music you love derives from diverse cultural sources. In this module we examine how any music uses specific ways of organising sound to serve particular cultural purposes. You'll learn to recognise and describe diverse musical styles, research them through scholarly sources, present an analysis using appropriate audio-visual technology, and take control of the transferable skills you're developing.

20 credits

Performance

In this module you will develop the musical and intellectual abilities appropriate to solo performance. The theoretical background is considered, focusing on the aural and analytical skills essential to performance at an advanced level. An awareness of style and interpretation, as well as effective preparation and communication are built into teaching. You will receive one to one tuition in addition to attending whole class performance lectures.

20 credits

Music Analysis

This module aims to introduce, develop and refine ways of thinking, listening and writing about western music.  You will learn to listen to and analyze harmonic, tonal, motivic, thematic, melodic, rhythmic, textural and formal features of a range of western music genres, such as Common Practice harmonic principles, Medieval counterpoint, jazz standards and rock'n'roll.  By using analytical techniques to reveal distinctive structural characteristics across multiple styles of music, this module not only prepares you for western-music-based modules at FHEQ levels 5 and 6  but also provides new models of approaching music that can be applied in wider creative and empirical contexts.

20 credits

Psychological Foundations of Music

Music Psychology offers insights, ways of thinking, reflective tools and methods to understand the foundations of musical behaviour, learning and thought. This module offers the foundation to students to be able to engage with the literature, knowledge and underpinning techniques in this area. Learning about psychology of music will help you engage with some of the most provocative questions about musicality, such as what enables our capacity for music, why we respond emotionally to music, whether music makes us smarter, and what underlies therapeutic applications of music for health and wellbeing?

20 credits

Optional modules (20 credits from this list):

Korean 1

Korean is a unique and increasingly influential language. This module introduces the basics of the Korean language to students with no prior experience. You will achieve an understanding of the fundamentals of reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Korean, including the alphabet Hangul. By the end of the module, you will be able to introduce yourself, understand simple passages, and engage in conversations about everyday topics. Alongside language skills, you will learn about aspects about contemporary Korean society and culture, building your intercultural knowledge and understanding.

20 credits

Japanese 1

Japanese is one of the world's most popular, but unique languages. This module introduces the basics of the Japanese language to students with no prior experience. You will achieve  an understanding of the major features of Japanese language including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. By the end of the module you will be able to talk and writie about yourself, read and understand simple information, such as an event, in Japanese, and hold a basic conversation. Through the module you will also learn about Japanese culture and society.

20 credits

Chinese 1

Chinese is the world's most spoken language. This module introduces the basics of the Chinese language to students with no prior experience. You will achieve an understanding of the major features of Chinese language including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. By the end of the module you will be able to read and write Chinese characters, hold basic conversations in Chinese, and give short presentations. On top of language skills for real-life communication, you will also gain a structured understanding of the Chinese language.

20 credits

Thinking Cross-culturally

East Asia is home to diverse cultural traditions, ethnic groups, and languages. It also has a long history of migration, exchange, and cultural influence across the region. This year-long module introduces students to ways of studying cultural groups, transnational exchanges, and the influence of dominant cultures. Through the module, you will learn to conduct independent research early in your academic journey, developing strong knowledge of the region's diversity and how to approach it.

20 credits

Arts, History and Culture in East Asia

This module introduces the study of the humanities in East Asia. We will explore thousands of years of writing traditions across China, Japan and Korea, through genres such as historical sagas, philosophy, poetry, modern novels, and more. Through this, you will learn the broad history of East Asia and how to understand it through key texts. You will develop strong reading and interpretative skills across many genres, preparing you for success in the course and beyond.

20 credits

Politics, Economy and Society in East Asia

Since 1945, East Asian societies have experienced rapid social, economic and political changes. This module introduces students to contemporary developments that have shaped China, Japan and Korea. You will explore how societies were rebuilt, how development re-shaped everyday life, and how issues such as sustainability, human rights, inequality, and population growth have presented new challenges. Through this module, you will learn about the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and how we can understand them across East Asia.

20 credits

Core Modules:

Western Music in Context

Musical products and practices always in some way reflect and respond to their circumstances. In this module you will study the relationship between music and its context across one or more historical periods and settings, considering factors such as politics and society, careers and patronage, aesthetics and ideology, and the place of music in everyday life. In the process you will acquire skills in the investigation of primary sources for music history, and learn to critically evaluate the methods and aims of historical musicology as a discipline.

20 credits

Work in Music

The module provides an opportunity for students to examine in depth a working environment of interest to them and to undertake work-related learning through contact with a professional music setting. Students will take responsibility for approaching and communicating with external music organisations and professionals with a view to securing advice or practical experience. Module tutors will provide support and will also have access to a directory of local and national organisations that students might approach. Through seminar sessions, students will be supported in developing clear aims and objectives for the module and will receive guidance regarding module assessments. Through experience of a work environment, students will develop specialist knowledge, reflective skills and a critical awareness of primary research methods.

20 credits

Global Citizenship and East Asia: Responding to Contemporary Challenges

Developing an understanding of global citizenship is essential for studying, working and collaborating effectively across East Asia's interconnected societies and the wider world. In this year-long module, you will explore what it means to act as a global citizen when responding to contemporary challenges in the region. You will examine two key perspectives: one that sees global citizenship as participation in the global economy, and another that emphasises civic responsibility, solidarity and sustainability. Drawing on perspectives from China, Japan and Korea, you will connect debates on ethics, compassion and cooperation to real-world issues in policy, culture and society, critically examining how global frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals are interpreted and applied in East Asian contexts. Through teaching and applied assessment, you will develop skills in critical analysis, cross-cultural communication, collaboration, problem solving and self reflection, linking theory with practice. The module will be valuable for students preparing for a year abroad, as well as for those interested in working, travelling, or collaborating across cultures in the future.

20 credits

Mapping East Asia

Maps have been used to define East Asia for thousands of years. This year-long module introduces you to the history of mapping as used in historical contexts in China, Japan and Korea as well as modern mapping techniques used today. You will gain an appreciation for how maps have been used to chart political borders, ethnic and linguistic groups, and even environmental change. You will gain an appreciation for how maps are used for political purposes to claim places and peoples. From ancient maps that mapped the known world to modern maps used by scientists today, you will learn many ways to understand the East Asian region. Through the module, you will also gain visual literacy and analytical skills. You will be able to interpret the power and limitations of data visualisation tools in representing the world, a key skill for research and future employment.

20 credits

Optional Modules (20 credits from this list):

Topics in Popular and Contemporary Music

This module will introduce a range of approaches to the study of musical genres of the 20th and 21st centuries, illustrated through focused case studies drawn from across a variety of vernacular corpora, including jazz, popular musics, and musical theatre and film. 

Through illustrative examples, the module will equip you to engage critically with concepts of genre, aesthetics, taste, identity and inequality over the last hundred years, exploring issues such as the development of blues and cool jazz, the history of blackface in musical theatre, and the role of recorded and broadcast media in the production and reception of musical styles and cultural hierarchy. 

Through studying in-depth case studies of specific works, artists and genres, you will develop the skills to connect compositional style, performance practice and historical and social contexts of this period to a range of theoretical frameworks - including those of critical theory, racial politics, media production and communication studies. You will, over the course of the module, explore how the conceptual principles of genres have been constructed, articulated and disrupted over this period of vernacular and art musical history.  

20 credits

Composition and Instrumentation

This module will support your development of an individual compositional voice through projects aimed at developing your creative musical thinking at the same time as sound technical skills and awareness of composition in the 21st Century. We will focus on the techniques and methods of instrumental and vocal composition relevant to contemporary notated music. Learning will be through a combination of research, reflection, and discussion, in conjunction with the completion of a series of varied compositional tasks. Through these tasks you will develop your craft in composition, instrumentation and notation, along with your critical skills. The work you complete for this module will help you to prepare for the Final Year Composition Portfolio. Wherever possible, you will be enabled or encouraged to have your compositions played by live musicians.

20 credits

Music Psychology in Practice

Music Psychology in Practice advances skills and understanding of the psychology of music with a focus on psychological aspects of making music, learning music, and communicating music to audiences. The module enables you to deepen your knowledge through focussed reading, critical reflection, and self-exploration. Furthermore, it scaffolds the skills for empirical study,  providing you with training to investigate musical experiences and behaviours. This module will develop your work-related learning as it addresses demands you may face as a music professional, enabling you to consider your own perspectives and learning of music as well as those of others.

20 credits

Performance

This module will introduce you to performance practice and techniques related to performance at an intermediate level. It will help you prepare for further performance opportunities and the Final Year Project: Recital. 

It will also strengthen your skills and experiences, preparing you for practical music making outside the curriculum. 

The module builds on the foundation work completed in Year 1 and looks at how performance and improvisation develop from classical extemporisation through to jazz practice. 

You will take individual instrumental/vocal lessons, which will run alongside workshop-based lectures throughout the academic year. Through writing critically aware programme notes you will acquire work-related skills in communicating concisely and efficiently. 

You will also attend at least eight UoS lunchtime, rush hour or evening concerts across the semester and write a short critical review on 6 performances.

20 credits

Writing Musical Culture

This module provides an introduction to the wide range of qualitative and ethnographic research methods used to document and analyse the experiences, attitudes and practices of musicians, audiences and stakeholders in respect of music making and listening in their everyday lives.  You will learn how qualitative data is sought, collected and used across a range of music-research disciplines—including ethnomusicology, music psychology and sociology—to generate profound knowledge and understanding of the emotional, cognitive and social meaning of musical activities for research participants in a variety of contexts.

Lecture-seminars will introduce you to ethnographic principles and techniques, including (e.g.) grounded theory, participant observation, structured and unstructured interview techniques, interview transcription, data coding, and musical/audio transcription and analysis. Methods will be explained, illustrated with case studies taken from across a range of disciplines and fields, and evaluated for their efficacy, contributions, limitations and ethical implications. This module provides focussed training to support those aiming to design and carry out qualitative research projects on music topics in their final year. 

20 credits

Studio Practice

This module focuses on practical approaches to sound recording, production and creation. The module develops technical knowledge, skills and creativity through practical work and study of key concepts related to sound recording, music production and audio engineering. By developing work-related skills in sound recording, mixing and mastering you will be prepared for final year projects involving technology and work in the professional sound studio and future digital workplaces. 

Lectures will develop your understanding of the sound studio, music software and digital audio. Studio tutorials will explain how to work carefully and creatively in the University of Sheffield Sound Studios (USSS). Online learning and practical sessions will enhance your knowledge and skills with the fundamentals of sound recording, digital audio and music technology.

20 credits

Optional Modules (20 credits from this list):

Korean 2

Korean is one of the world's fastest-growing and most popular languages. This module introduces further foundational Korean to students who already possess basic knowledge of the language. You will learn spoken and written Korean for various everyday situations, focusing on communication skills using high-beginner grammatical structures. By the end of the module, you will be able to talk and write about your daily life, read and understand simple information (such as event details), and hold basic conversations. Throughout the module, you will also gain further insights into Korean society and culture.

20 credits

Japanese 2

Japanese is one of the world's most popular yet unique languages. This module introduces further practical grammar and communication skills to students who have already developed a foundation in the language. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the major features of Japanese, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. By the end of the module, you will be able to explain rules, give advice, and express reasons and opinions. Moving towards more audience-centred communication, you will develop the skills to exchange meaningful information with people from different cultural backgrounds. Throughout the module, you will also explore fascinating aspects of Japanese culture and society.

20 credits

Chinese 2

Chinese is the world's most spoken language. This module enhances students' Chinese language skills based on their prior knowledge or experience. You will achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the major features of Chinese language including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. By the end of the module you will be able to use the language  in more depth - read and write in Chinese on various topics, hold more complicated conversations in Chinese, and give presentations on more general topics. On top of language skills for real-life communication, you will also gain a structured understanding of the Chinese language.

20 credits

Twentieth-Century East Asian History: Dynamism, Destruction and Dissent

This module explores the modern history of East Asia. Tracing the transformations of China, Japan, and Korea during the long twentieth century, you will examine how empire, war, revolution, and reconstruction reshaped societies across the region. You will consider the global and regional forces that drove these changes, as well as the continuities and ruptures that linked intellectual, political, and cultural life across moments of profound upheaval. We will look closely at the circulation of ideas and objects that propelled competing visions of the past and future; the transformation of urban and rural societies and cultures; and the violence and tensions that defined the region's experience of empire which gave rise to new forms of resistance and dissent. You will critically analyse primary and secondary sources, including texts, images, and films, and develop a nuanced understanding of how historical narratives are constructed, contested, and transformed in both academic and public histories. On completion of the module, you will demonstrate analytical, research, and communication skills through close engagement with primary sources and an independently researched written assignment.

20 credits

Film, Television and Screen Cultures in East Asia

This module explores key film directors, cinematic movements, and industry developments across Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China from 1945 to the present. It introduces critical frameworks in film and media studies, including national and transnational cinemas, gender, spectatorship, and auteur theory. Through close analysis of selected media texts, you will consider how visual storytelling reflects and shapes the historical, cultural and socio-political landscape of East Asia. The module examines the evolution of screen cultures, from the influence of Hollywood and regional co-productions to the rise of streaming platforms and digital media. By closely analysing both text (the films, television series, and media content) and context (production, distribution, and reception), this module encourages you to critically engage with the diverse, dynamic and ever-evolving screen cultures of East Asia.

20 credits

Music and Sound in East Asia

East Asia is one of the most dynamic regions for musical performances and innovations today. This module introduces you to the diversity of musical genres across China, Japan, and the Korean peninsula, such as Korean farmers' percussion music, Chinese opera and Japanese pop music, and ways of studying them. The module also introduces students to the field of sound studies, exploring how sound and listening practices have played major roles in modernisation, nationalism, political movements, and everyday life. Through the module, you will develop a broad understanding of approaches to sonic and musical environments in East Asia, while also honing your critical analysis. You will have the opportunity to write a biography, plan a concert or sound installation, and write an essay on a topic of your choice.

20 credits

International Relations in East Asia: Power, Identity and Security

Who has power in East Asia? How do East Asian states maintain security? This module introduces you to International Relations (IR) in contemporary East Asia and examines how power, identity, and security are related in a changing world. We will  begin with foundational theory to analyse power, identity, and security in the field of International Relations before applying this conceptual toolkit to the dynamic politics of contemporary East Asia. You will learn from expert scholarship and advanced regional studies to focus on how power, identity, and security shape international relations between states and non-state actors. You will develop your academic analysis through case studies from China, Japan, and the Korean peninsula. You will learn to identify and assess evidence to support conceptually informed arguments that address key current events in East Asian Studies, from territorial disputes to human rights. This module is essential for understanding the deeper forces and array of actors driving international politics in this crucial global region.

20 credits

Everyday East Asia: Ethnographic Approaches

Discover how people experience everyday life across East Asia and learn how to research it yourself. This module introduces ethnography, a hands-on and immersive research approach used to understand societies from the ground up. You will explore how researchers work closely with communities, using methods such as observation, interviews, surveys and creative media to uncover the social, political and cultural dynamics shaping daily life. Rooted in disciplines including anthropology, sociology and geography, ethnography equips you with practical, transferable skills that go far beyond academia. Today, it is widely used by policymakers, designers, journalists, tech companies and NGOs to create meaningful, people-centred outcomes. Throughout the module, you will gain understanding of core ethnographic methods; explore key concepts and debates in the study of East Asia; examine how the field is evolving, including the use of film, games, comics and other creative outputs; and, develop skills in critical thinking, storytelling and participatory research. This module offers an engaging, interdisciplinary way to understand East Asia through the lens of everyday life, while building skills valued in a wide range of careers.

20 credits

School of Languages, Arts and Societies Year Abroad

The student takes a number of modules at the partner institution in consultation with UoS School of Languages, Arts and Societies Study Abroad Tutor and the host institution. Students must pass these modules and complete a reflective essay upon return to Sheffield.

120 credits

Core Modules:

Minor project: - Composition / Performance / Dissertation / Special project

Optional Modules (40 credits from this list):

Analysis and Criticism of Western Art Music

In this module you will develop techniques of music criticism and analysis, deepening your ways of understanding music in the western art tradition by probing new repertories and scholarly methods. You will have an opportunity to engage with new, specialized musical material, learning how to engage critically and analytically with it.

20 credits

Orchestration and Arrangement

This module deals with the craft of orchestrating and arranging for small and large ensembles. You will aim to become conversant with a wide range of different orchestral instruments and learn to write for them idiomatically. You will aim to adapt existing compositions with attention to issues of style, coherence and practicality. You will produce performance materials to a professional standard. A range of repertoire options will be offered for each assignment

20 credits

Community, Music and Education

The Community, Music and Education module aims to introduce you to the ideas that surround contemporary research, practice and debate in community music and music education. Lectures, preparatory reading and in-class discussions will consider the political, historical and social contexts for the provision of musical learning and opportunities within and beyond school. Your reading and your own research will encourage you to develop evidence-based perspectives on the current and future direction of community music and music education.

20 credits

Sound and Moving Image

This module gives you the opportunity to compose sound and music for film and other visual media, and position sound and music within the filmmaking process. Using a variety of software, you will be responsible for the entire project from the ideas stage through to the creation of all audio materials. A diverse range of existing movies, audiovisual works and relevant literature will be studied, and you will be expected to use these to inform your own work.

20 credits

Traditional Music in the Modern World

This module provides an introduction to the study of a range of folk and traditional musics worldwide.  A range of approaches (e.g. ethnomusicology; critical and cultural theory; political theory) are used to consider the traditional identities these musics help to construct.  You will study a number of relevant music cultures, and will examine how traditional music and musicians reflect, affect and respond to their contemporary contexts, and understand the range of reasons why musicians are motivated to make historically-rooted, vernacular or locally constructed music within contemporary societies.

As well as developing a theoretical understanding of the field, you will develop the ethnographic and analytical skills to conduct your own field study of folk and traditional music.  

Lectures survey contemporary and historical literature and recordings in the field of folk and traditional music, explore music cultures in terms of specific debates and contexts, and provide training in relevant theories and analytical approaches.  Topics include: past and current definitions of the terms 'folk music' and 'traditional music'; revivalism; nationalism; institutionalisation; competition; education and transmission; transnational identities; and the intersection of tradition and music technology. 

20 credits

Creative Performance and Improvisation

This module introduces you to contemporary improvisation. You will explore the history and development of  free and graphic score based improvisation by a series of lectures and performance based workshops.

You will use these skills to develop, write and perform a solo for your own instrument that uses elements of graphic score and free form notation, plus develop basic skills needed to develop an understanding of  electroacoustic composition and fixed or live electronics.

By learning and developing these skills over a series of practical and taught sessions, you will become more flexible and confident as a performer, and also develop ideas and concepts that can be used in a wide range of community music, education and performance settings, thus adding an important skillset to a musician's portfolio career toolbox.

20 credits

Music Psychology in Everyday Life

Music Psychology in Everyday Life provides the training and skills to understand and investigate musical behaviours and experiences using psychological theories and methods. 

Through the in-depth exploration of selected topics in Psychology of Music, you will develop your ability to read research literature in this area, to critically reflect on current understanding of music psychology, and adopt and adapt existing methods to conduct a research study of your own design. 

In this module, you will work independently and as part of a group, advancing your ability to collaborate, lead and communicate whilst working towards a particular goal. 

We will also develop your work-related learning skills by looking at how non-academic organisations use research outcomes. 

This includes uses of music in everyday and specialist contexts, informal and formal uses, for therapy, consumer development, community building, self-help, and education.

20 credits

Optional Modules (40 credits from this list):
- Social and Political life in China, Japan, and Korea: Methodology and theory
- History and Memory in China, Japan, and Korea
- Researching Arts, Music and Literature in China, Japan, and Korea
- Politics, Activism, and Global Engagement: Beyond China Japan, and Korea
- Communicating East Asia: Popular media and Creative practice
- East Asian futures: Sustainability, Transformation and the Digital
- Interrogating Identity in East Asia
- From Turtle Shells to Typewriters: Deciphering Historical Sources from China, Japan and Korea prior to 1945

Korean for Non-Specialists 3

This module provides Intermediate training in spoken and written Korean, oral practice for various everyday situations and essential low-Intermediate grammatical structures. It also gives a general introduction Korean society and culture.

10 credits

Japanese for Non-Specialists 3

This module aims to enable students with some elementary knowledge of Japanese to acquire further practical language skills, in listening, reading, speaking and writing. On successful completion of the module students will; have a further vocabulary of about 400 words related to daily activities; understand and use the written forms of all the introduced core grammar patterns;and understand selected simple spoken and written structures and be able to use them as spoken and written communication.

10 credits

Chinese for Non-Specialists III

This module aims to enable students with beginners' level Mandarin Chinese (ca. 300 Chinese characters) to acquire increasingly complex practical language skills.

10 credits