Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Entertainment Business Management

This double degree at JMC Academy pairs a Bachelor of Music with a Bachelor of Entertainment Business Management. You study both at once, so you finish with two awards in three years of full-time study. The music side covers performance, songwriting, production and music theory. The business side covers artist management, music marketing, touring, contracts, copyright, event promotion and the money side of creative work. JMC Academy specialises in creative industries, and its campuses sit in Australian music and entertainment hubs, so the course is built around how the local industry actually operates.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are normally three years full-time, and this one follows that pattern. You enrol in units of study each semester or trimester, and each unit carries credit points. You need a set number of credit points to graduate, and the two degrees are integrated so you do not repeat the same ground twice. Expect a mix of lectures, tutorials, studio sessions and practical workshops. Assessment is usually a combination of performances, recordings, written assignments, business plans and group projects rather than exams alone.

Most Australian bachelor degrees include a capstone unit in the final year. In a double degree like this, that capstone often takes the form of a major project where you apply both sides of the degree, for example, planning and pitching a release, a tour or an artist campaign. Work-integrated learning is common in entertainment business courses, and you may have the chance to take an internship or industry placement with a label, promoter, venue, management company or festival. Confirm the exact placement requirements, unit list and credit-point total with JMC Academy, because they can change.

What you learn

On the music side you build practical skills in your instrument or voice, or in production and songwriting, depending on the stream you choose. You learn to perform live, record in a studio, arrange music and understand how songs are put together. On the business side you learn how to manage an artist's career, negotiate contracts, understand copyright and royalties, market music and events, budget a tour and run a small creative business. The two halves feed each other: you learn what it takes to make the work and what it takes to get it heard and paid for.

You also pick up transferable skills that employers in creative industries look for, project management, teamwork, pitching, budgeting and clear communication. By the end you should be able to walk into a room with both a creative idea and a plan for how to fund and deliver it.

Who it suits

This degree suits someone who wants to work in music but does not want to choose between being an artist and being the person who runs the show. If you play, write or produce, and you are also curious about how the industry makes money, this is a sensible fit. It also suits students who want a business qualification with a creative focus rather than a general commerce degree. It is not the right choice if you want to specialise only in performance or only in business, you will do both.

For international students, this is a CRICOS-registered course, so it is available to overseas applicants on a Student visa. While studying you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight once your course has started. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may let you stay and work in Australia, depending on your circumstances and the rules at the time. English proficiency is required for entry, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and JMC's own English programmes accepted as equivalents. The Department of Home Affairs also sets its own English threshold for the Student visa, which is separate from the academy's entry requirement. Always check the official JMC Academy page and the CRICOS register for the current unit structure, English requirements and tuition.

• Artist manager or band manager, guiding an artist's career, booking shows and handling day-to-day business.
• Music promoter or booking agent, putting on gigs, tours and festivals, and negotiating with venues and artists.
• A&R coordinator or label assistant, scouting talent and supporting releases at a record label.
• Music marketer or digital content producer, running social media, playlists and campaigns for artists and labels.
• Event coordinator, planning and delivering live music events, conferences and festivals.
• Publishing or royalties administrator, managing copyright, licensing and royalty payments for songs.
• Studio or production assistant, supporting recording sessions and post-production work.
• Self-employed musician or producer, releasing your own work and running your own creative business.

Australian employers in these areas include record labels, music publishers, booking agencies, live music venues, festival promoters, artist management companies, music tech startups, community arts organisations and broadcasters. Some graduates also move into broader entertainment and events roles in film, television, gaming and advertising, where the same mix of creative and business skills applies.