ATS2139 Song writing: How to write a popular song
Faculty of Arts
ATS2139 Song writing: How to write a popular song is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2025 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS2139
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS2139
No unit lists ATS2139 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Overview
This unit introduces you to the fundamental concepts of popular songwriting. The unit includes weekly lectures focusing on popular composition and creative writing. It also examines the context, methodology and history of song. Visiting artists from the profession teach into the unit and provide you with critical feedback.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Creative taskExercise20%
- CompositionArtefact50%
- EssayWritten30%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
demonstrate a systematic and comprehensive knowledge of strategies and form used in popular songwriting;
- 2
analyse and contextualise their song compositions;
- 3
critically evaluate popular song;
- 4
articulate strategies used by songwriters to convey musical ideas.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachCase-based teaching
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit includes case-based teaching, where you apply your knowledge and engage in analytical and reflective thinking to solve complex contextual scenarios. Activities are often designed so that there is not one clear answer, but you need to work together to examine, analyse and make decisions to resolve the situation.
This unit includes problem-based learning approaches, where you engage in research, integrate theory and practice and apply knowledge and skills to develop viable solutions in response to a problem or set of problems.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Where it fits
ATS2139 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2025 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Rod Davies
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Rod Davies
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2139?
ATS2139 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2139 offered?
In 2025, ATS2139 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS2139?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2139 have an exam?
No. ATS2139 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2139?
ATS2139 is part of Music.