Bachelor of Applied Music

Name: Bachelor of Applied Music
Price: <p>Tuition: per semester AU$15,600</p> AUD

VU course code: ABAM | CRICOS: 119224G | Level of study: Undergraduate

Duration

3 years

Delivery mode

In person

Fees

Tuition: per semester AU$15,600

Location

Footscray Nicholson

Next start date

16 February 2026

View all start dates

A group of young musicians perform on a indigo stage

Overview

Discover your sound. Shape the future. The Bachelor of Applied Music at Victoria University empowers you to grow not just as a musician but as a socially conscious, future-ready, creative professional.

This music degree blends creativity with real-world application, and prepares you for a wide range of career pathways in music teaching, production, performance, mixed-media arts, and community projects.

The Bachelor of Applied Music also sets you up to study music education, music therapy, community development, youth work, and social work. It explores the power of music to support emotional, cultural and social wellbeing, and engage with Indigenous and social-justice issues.

This innovative course focuses on four interconnected study areas:

Music teaching: Learn the skills to become a confident and effective instrumental teacher.
Creative digital music production, video and streaming, and AI music: Step into the future of sound online.
Music for life, music for change: Learn how music can support personal wellbeing and inspire change – locally and globally.
Performance skills: Apply and refine performance skills and discover your sound through rearranging and songwriting.

With minor studies in digital media, visual art, writing and psychology alongside music, you can choose a multi-disciplinary approach to your future career and creative life.

: On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Investigate opportunities for ethical music practice in relation to other fields of work, occupations, and academic disciplines, and adapt to the diversity of fields required for music practitioners;

Contextualise core skills and knowledge in effective instrumental music learning and teaching in a range of one-to-one and group settings, with an emphasis on teacher-learner roles, technology's role in teaching popular music, and the broader academic benefits for children and adolescents learning a musical instrument.

Reflect on their experiences and understanding of the role of music in culture and community as a catalyst for social cohesion at the local, national and global level, including consideration of sustainability and First Nations perspectives;

Critically analyse and evaluate research in the field of music perception and cognition, with a focus on the positive effects music has on individuals and groups regarding their mental, emotional and psychosocial wellbeing.

Devise creative and collaborative musical works using current digital technologies, including professional music apps, ethically sound Artificial Intelligence (AI) music and audio tools, and real-time interactive streaming technologies.

Compose and arrange songs, employing a range of songwriting techniques that exploit music and lyrics as agents for self-expression and storytelling.

Analyse and transform musical works by employing listening and ear training skills, music theory knowledge and analysis, practice and research in the fields of music performance, arranging, composition and improvisation.
: Discover what's happening in the VU music community. Attend a gig and listen to some of the tunes our talented staff and students are creating.
VU Music Community webpage
VU Music Instagram
VU Music Facebook
: Melbourne boasts more live-music venues per capita than any other major city in the world – so when you study at VU you'll have more places to perform or get inspired.
Come to Melbourne to study music, and make the most of living in a live-music metropolis.
: Study this course via our award-winning VU Block Model®, where you complete one subject at a time over four weeks, rather than juggling several at once.
Learning in workshop-style classes, you’ll develop strong connections with your peers and practical skills for your future career.
You’ll also get fast feedback on your assignments, helping you to improve quickly as you progress through your course.
Learn more about the VU Block Model®
: Achieve your full potential with The Learning Hub, which helps you develop your confidence, academic ability, and study skills.
Benefit from in-person mentoring and study sessions, along with a range of digital learning modules that you can access anytime.
Get help from our online, 24/7 support service to polish your assignments before you submit, and receive guidance on writing, referencing, maths and more.
Read more about The Learning Hub

Entry requirements

Applicants for this course will need to meet the entry criteria outlined below. If you don’t meet the entry criteria, you may be able to gain entry by first completing a related course or unit(s). We call this a ‘pathway’.

If you've completed a qualification where English was the primary language of instruction, you may be eligible for an exemption of English-language requirements.

In some cases, there may be additional entry requirements.

Learn more about entry requirements for international students.

Entry criteria

Credit & Entry pathways into this course

Victoria University is committed to providing a transparent admissions process. Find out more about how to apply for our courses, and our commitment to admissions transparency. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee entry into this course. Past academic performance may be considered.

Course structure

To attain the Bachelor of Applied Music, students will be required to complete 288 credit points consisting of:

240 credit points of Core studies
48 credit points of Minor studies

Units

Fees & scholarships

As an international student at Victoria University, you will be required to pay your tuition fees up front each semester.

There may be additional materials fees throughout your studies, depending on your chosen course, as well as an administrative fee as part of your course.

Victoria University is proud to support our international scholarship recipients and sponsored students.

Fees

Scholarships

Careers

The Bachelor of Applied Music is designed to open up a wide range of career opportunities where music is often used, beyond traditional notions of a professional musician.

Career outcomes directly arising from this course include: