Undergraduate
Music: Electronic Music and Sound Design
Contact us
Address
The University of Western Australia Crawley
Perth Western Australia 6009
Telephone
(+61 8) 6488 2051
Hours
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Careers and further study
This major opens up a world of future study pathways and career options.
Career Pathways
Career Opportunities
Artistic Director
Arts Administrator or Manager
Arts Professional
Developer Programmer
Further Study
After completing the Electronic Music and Sound Design major, you can pursue further studies at honours level or undertake a master’s degree such as the Master of Music in one of the four specialisations: composition, musicology, performance or orchestral performance.
Master of Music
Fees and scholarships
Undergraduate – Commonwealth supported students
The Annual Fee is an estimate only based on a standard annual study load of 48 points.
For Commonwealth Supported Places, student contribution amounts are charged by unit. For an accurate fee estimate, go to the Fee Calculator and select “I want to price my units”.
For Full Fee Paying places, students are charged an annual course fee. Visit the Fee Calculator and select your course to see the annual and total course fees.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
Undergraduate – onshore students
Annual course fees are calculated based on a standard annual study load of 48 credit points.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
Admission requirements
The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers, mature-age applicants and those with previous tertiary study. If you’re interested in studying this major, find out the admission details below.
Minimum entry requirements
- 8
- 525
- 3.3
- 27
- 8
- 66
- 60
- 270
- 75
- 80
- 320
- 8
- 7
Admission requirements
English competency
How to apply
Ready to apply for this major? Follow the steps and you’ll be on your way to joining us at UWA.
Course details
About the course
Quick details
- Available 2020
- Perth (Crawley campus)
- Full-time
- Part-time
- On-campus
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- Undergraduate
- MJD-MEMSD
- 3 years (BA); 4 years (BPhil [Hons])
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Music General Studies Elise Reitze-Swensen
Music and composition graduate, Elise Reitze-Swensen is now a full-time multi-instrumentalist, composer, music producer, sound designer, music community founder, record label CEO and booking agency CEO - and still finds time to teach Electronic Music and Sound Design at UWA.
Elise Reitze-Swensen
Music and composition graduate, Elise Reitze-Swensen is now a full-time multi-instrumentalist, composer, music producer, sound designer, music community founder, record label CEO and booking agency CEO - and still finds time to teach Electronic Music and Sound Design at UWA.
Elise makes up half of the electronic duo Feels, who regularly perform at Australian music festivals such as Listen Out, Falls Festival, Laneway Festival, Groovin The Moo and American music festival, SXSW. They have also had the opportunity to support artists such as Ngaiire, Mansionair, Yeo, Kimbra, G Flip, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Oribtal.
Both a performer and music producer of Feels, Elise has won multiple awards including West Australian Music’s (WAM) ‘Song of The Year’ 2017-18 and 2018-19, ‘Best Live Electronic Artist’ 2017 and 2018, ‘Best Electronic Producer’ 2018 and ‘Label of The Year’ 2018 for label Women of Music Production Perth (WOMPP) for which she is the Founding Director. She has recently been nominated for ‘Best Electronic Producer’, ‘Best Live Electronic Artist’ and ‘Label of The Year’ (WOMPP) for the 2019 WAM Awards.
Elise also works as a freelance artist with her compositions performed and presented around Australia and internationally at events such as Melbourne’s ‘White Night Festival’, Ireland’s Fringe Festival and Sydney’s Art Month Festival and has been commissioned as a composer for Perth International Arts Festival, The Blueroom Theatre, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and The Sound Collectors.
My degree
Elise studied music, majoring in Composition at UWA. She always wanted to be a composer and to refine her skills in the area so she could pursue music as a full time career.
"The aspect I enjoyed most about my course were the one-on-one lessons with my percussion tutor and composition tutor. Being able to touch base with a creative mentor every week was essential for my development as a composer and musician. I was lucky enough to have two wonderful tutors that encouraged me to play and write music that sounded like ‘me’, while also giving insightful advice to guide my creativity."
During her study, Elise was very proactive in seeking out employment and practical opportunities relating to her career including performing for the Queen at the 2011 CHOGM opening ceremony, taking an internship with Brady Drums, working as a freelance composer, performer and sound designer, tutoring piano, percussion and composition and performing for the Perth Proximity Festival. In her final year of study, she secured a grant from the Department of Culture and the Arts to build an interactive electronics and sound installation ‘Adventure Tune’ during a studio residency at The Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).
"My study at UWA gave me the knowledge in music theory to develop my skills in composition and become the music producer I am today. I feel that my degree also prepared me for the professional music industry by giving me many rehearsals, practice and study commitments to juggle - which I have found very realistic of a full time job in music."
Why UWA?
"I loved the reputation of the university, the location and the music composition program, in particular. I love Perth and have always wanted to learn from my local surrounding. Perth has so many talented educators and artists! I also liked the idea of being able to give back to my local community with my own knowledge and skillset. I am thrilled to now be back here, teaching electronic music at UWA."
WOMPP
WOMPP is the only female, trans and non-binary Ableton User Group community in the world, founded by Elise in January 2017, which now has over 500 members and has expanded to include all of Australia and New Zealand.
The community runs events in Perth every month, which are supported by UWA. The monthly WOMPP meetings aim to educate, nurture and inspire female, trans and non-binary music makers of all levels. The overall goal of the community is to improve the representation of women in music production, which is currently just 5% worldwide.
Through Elise's hard work and dedication to WOMPP, she has managed to help correct an imbalance in the representation of women in electronic music within Perth.
Since starting in 2017, the reputation and size of the WOMPP community has grown, members have started learning to produce electronic music for themselves.
"Those members have started playing their own gigs and putting out music and those artists’ creative outputs have started being nominated for awards! It is exciting to see the change and I am proud to be a leader for these music makers."
Course Structure
Our undergraduate degrees offer you a broad range of options allowing you to combine subjects in a way that matches your career goals and personal interests.
Popular combinations
Electronic Music and Sound Design
Your degree options
This major is offered as a degree-specific, or first, major for these degrees. It is also offered as a second major in our other bachelor's degrees.
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)