Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music)

You’ll be creating new music from your first year, followed by working with creative technologies, performing and recording new music, or composing for media. In addition to practical areas of music making, the course can lead you into music industry professions such as management or promotion, and social engagement. 

Our music degree prepares aspiring musicians for the rapidly changing music industry. Students are encouraged to create works across musical boundaries and strike out in new directions.  

In your final year you’ll work on transdisciplinary industry-connected projects with students from other study areas in the performing arts. You can also participate in music projects which focus on artist development and music-related research.

Customise your degree

If production is your passion, you will focus on creating new music and developing skills in songwriting, studio recording, sequencing, digital processing and writing for acoustic, electric and digital instruments.

If you are interested in performance, you’ll focus on developing your unique performance style and artistic voice, creating new work, using digital technology and developing new interpretations of your repertoire, as well as gaining further experience performing in recording studio and live contexts.

If your passion is making music for film, television, animation, games or any other transdisciplinary media environment, you’ll have opportunities to work with students in those disciplines.

If you wish to become a primary or secondary school dance teacher you have some options.  You can complete your dance studies first and then follow with a Master of Teaching in early childhood, primary or secondary education.*  Or you can now undertake a double degree in secondary education at the same time as your music degree. 

*Check entry requirements for the Master of Teaching for specific teaching areas. 

Careers and outcomes

This course can lead you into music industry professions such as performing, recording, management or promotion, and social engagement. Graduates work in an eclectic range of live, recording and multimedia environments as performers, producers, composers, developers of music software and games, DJs and private instrumental music teachers. 

Many find national and international success, including Ball Park Music, Cub Sport, The Belligerents, drummers Grant Collins and Pete Skelton, and film composer Michael Edwards.

You can also pursue a career as a qualified school music teacher (with completion of a double degree with secondary education or a Master of Teaching course).