Bachelor of Music (Performance)

The Bachelor of Music (Performance) is a two-year degree for musicians who want to spend their time on the instrument or voice, not on essays about music. You audition to get in, and from there the degree is built around individual lessons, ensemble playing, and performance. Expect weekly one-on-one tuition with a specialist teacher, regular masterclasses, and a load of rehearsal time. Alongside that you study musicianship, theory, aural skills, and music history so your playing has context and your ear keeps developing. Styles vary by specialisation, and the Academy of Music and Performing Arts sits inside the Australian contemporary music scene, so there is a working-industry feel to the place.

How the degree is structured

This is an AQF bachelor degree delivered over two years rather than the usual three. That means a compressed structure: trimesters or semesters with more units per study period, and fewer long breaks. You accumulate credit points across core performance units, academic music units, and electives. Performance subjects are usually weighted heavily because contact hours are high. Assessment is mostly practical, recitals, jury exams, ensemble performances, technical assessments, with written work in the academic units. Confirm the exact unit sequence, credit point values, and delivery mode on the official page, because a two-year degree packs a lot into each teaching period.

Performance, placement and the final year

Music performance degrees in Australia are practical by nature, so work-integrated learning shows up as public recitals, studio recordings, gigs, and teaching or community music placements rather than an office internship. In your final year you typically prepare a major recital or a substantial performance project that acts as the capstone of the degree. Some students combine this with an industry project, recording, touring, or running a small ensemble, depending on what the Academy offers that year. You finish with a portfolio of performances, not just a transcript.

Who it suits and what you need

This suits dedicated players and singers who already perform at a solid level and want intensive training fast. It also works for people who have been playing for years and want a qualification without a three-year commitment. International applicants need to meet the English requirement, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa. While studying, a Student visa generally allows 48 hours of work per fortnight, and graduates may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 057024K. Check the official page for audition requirements, intake dates, and unit details.

• Performing musician, solo, band, orchestra, or session work
• Recording and studio musician
• Music teacher or instrumental tutor in schools and private studios
• Musical director or accompanist
• Composer or arranger for film, television, and games
• Arts administrator or music event producer
• Community music facilitator in health, education, and social settings

Australian employers in these areas include live music venues, recording studios, arts centres, schools, community arts organisations, and the broader creative industries sector. Many graduates also build portfolio careers combining performance, teaching, and production work.