The latter is the sole provider of the Music and Media Studies programme. An MA in Music is also offered, which includes two taught options from Composition, Twentieth Century Musical Analysis, Aesthetics and Ideology, and Topics in Contemporary Musical Thought and Culture, together with a dissertation or a portfolio of compositions. Some 60 Students are enrolled on music courses, which are provided by the 4.1 permanent staff of the Music Subject Group, supported by a visiting research fellow and five part-time tutors. At Sussex, undergraduate students on these programmes spend approximately half their time studying other courses offered by the school in which their major programme is undertaken. The mission of the University emphasises interdisciplinarity, innovation and internationalism as characteristic features of its provision.
Curricular design reflects the emphasis on both interdisciplinarity and twentieth century music.
All music programmes share a common core in the first year, with introductory courses on the musician in society, tonal analysis, and studio skills. In the final year, students choose two from a series of options ranging from Renaissance music to the present day, and including composition and performance. To complement the highly focused range of core courses in music, breadth of provision is offered from the extensive selection of other courses provided by the schools. Although a free choice is formally allowed, students are encouraged to study courses which are related to music. Formal teaching is supported by ancillary activities such as workshops on composition and musical literacy.