ATS2878 Audio culture: The history of electronic music
Faculty of Arts
ATS2878 Audio culture: The history of electronic music is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS2878
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS2878
No unit lists ATS2878 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prerequisite: Must have passed 2 units at level 1.
Overview
In this unit, you explore the history of electronic music, from early experiments with phonographs at the end of the nineteenth century to contemporary electronic dance music. You investigate the important concepts and innovations that led to the development and adoption of tools for electronic music composition, recording and performance worldwide. We examine the influence, and eventual establishment, of electronic music genres within Western Art music, popular music, noise, improvisation, experimental music and jazz, and frame these within the political and philosophical climates of the cultures where they feature.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Group seminar taskProject25%
- Listening quizQuiz / Test25%
- VodcastArtefact50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Analyse and explain the social and historical developments that have informed the development of electronic music
- 2
Identify and evaluate the tools and styles of electronic music from the twentieth century to today
- 3
Utilise collaborative and academic research skills to communicate research findings in a range of formats.
Workload and teaching
- Tutorials24 hours
- Lectures12 hours
- 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. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Where it fits
ATS2878 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Professor Cat Hope
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Cat Hope
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2878?
ATS2878 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2878 offered?
In 2026, ATS2878 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS2878?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2878 have an exam?
No. ATS2878 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2878?
ATS2878 is part of Music.