Bachelor of Music

VU course code: ABMC | CRICOS: 077998A | Level of study: Undergraduate
3 years full time or longer for part time
Hybrid
Footscray Nicholson
24 February 2025
16 February 2025
Overview

Overview

Explore your love of music with a Bachelor of Music at VU, and prepare for a range of exciting careers.

This music degree focuses on popular and contemporary music, including international perspectives. You’ll develop your music knowledge, technical fluency, and creativity. Through practice, cultural analysis and critical listening, you’ll discover an inspiring variety of musical styles.

Areas of study in the Bachelor of Music course include:

  • music performance
  • music theory
  • song writing and arranging
  • popular music culture and history
  • music technology.

Considered one of the best live-music cities in the world, Melbourne offers a range of performance opportunities. Alongside your collaborative projects with other VU students, you'll have the chance to work with some of the city's industry professionals and community organisations.

You’ll also have access to cutting-edge music technology and our commercial recording facilities at Kindred Studios.

All students should be able to read music notation. If you’ve studied music performance, or worked as a musician, you may be eligible for advanced standing, and credits towards your degree.

Entry requirements

When assessing your application, we consider your educational achievements and work experience, as well as your skills and personal attributes (where relevant).

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’.

You may also be eligible for course ‘credits’, where you are granted a unit or units towards your qualification for equivalent previous study or work experience, so you can graduate sooner.

ATAR requirements

No minimum ATAR required

This course does not have a minimum ATAR requirement for entry. Read the entry criteria for this course below.

Why ATAR is not applicable

You do not need an ATAR score to apply for this course. Instead, you need to have successfully completed secondary school and to meet any requirements outlined below. Our courses and support programs are designed to prepare students from diverse cultures for success, regardless of their ATAR, age, education or socioeconomic background.

Essential for admission (all applicants)

An interview and/or audition is required as part of the application process.

Entry criteria

Audition & interview for applicants

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 Music students will be required to complete 288 credit points in total consisting of:

  • 240 credit points Professional Core studies including 24 credit points of Capstone studies;

  • 48 credit points of Minor studies from the list below.

Bachelor of Music students will also be required to complete a minimum level of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) activity in addition to their studies:

  • 30 hours or more in their choice of music/entertainment industry placement.

  • Attendance and completion of four Music Industry and Employment workshops

Fees & scholarships

University fees vary, depending on how much the government contributes towards course costs (if anything).

Read below to find out about the fee ‘type’, the estimated yearly tuition costs for this course, and the financial support on offer (including our generous scholarship program).

Commonwealth supported place

A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is subsidised by the government, reducing it to the amount listed here. Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens will qualify for a CSP place. If your course is not Commonwealth supported, or you don't qualify, you'll pay full fees.

Learn more about Commonwealth Supported Places

10% discount for alumni

If you’ve previously completed a qualification with us, and you’re paying full fees for this course, you may be eligible for a 10% discount.

Find out how

Fees

Scholarships

Careers

The Bachelor of Music prepares you for a wide range of career options within the music industry. You could pursue a career as one of the following:

  • music performance artist
  • instrumental music or music theory teacher
  • composer, songwriter or arranger
  • musical director or band leader
  • music administrator
  • sound artist
  • music producer
  • accompanist.

Following this music course, you can prepare to become a secondary music teacher with our Master of Teaching (Secondary Education), or other postgraduate study at VU. Some graduates of this course go on to study music therapy.

Salaries

Use Labour Market Insights to find the average salary for music professionals in Australia.

You could also continue with your study with our Master of Teaching to become a secondary-school music teacher.