Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance

This is a hands-on jazz performance degree. You spend your time in small ensembles, one-on-one lessons on your instrument, and classes in improvisation, jazz harmony, rhythm, aural training and arranging. Repertoire runs from bebop and hard bop through to contemporary and original work. You also study jazz history and the business side of being a working musician.

How the degree is structured

The course runs 2.5 years. Australian bachelor degrees are built from units of study, each worth a set number of credit points, and you need a certain total to graduate. At this institution the calendar is trimester-based, so you complete units across three study periods a year rather than the two semesters common in many other Australian degrees. That is how a full bachelor can be finished in two and a half years. Your units will mix performance studies, ensemble work, theory and academic subjects. Assessment is mostly practical: recitals, ensemble performances, technical exams and written work. Confirm the exact unit list, credit-point totals and trimester dates on the official page.

Skills you build

By the end you should be able to improvise confidently over jazz standards and original material, read and write charts, rehearse and lead a band, and hold your own in a rhythm section. You learn to practise efficiently, transcribe solos by ear, and use music software for notation and recording. Stagecraft and professional conduct get attention too, because most graduates earn money by performing, teaching or both.

Who it suits

This suits players who already have solid technique on their instrument and some experience in a band, and who want to be a working jazz musician rather than a classroom music teacher. It also works for school leavers who have done music at school and can pass an audition. Entry usually includes an audition and interview, so check the requirements before you apply. If you are an international applicant, you will need to meet the English requirement published for this course (IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the usual undergraduate standard, with TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes accepted as equivalents), and 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. After graduating, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream is the usual pathway to stay and work in Australia. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 098338G.

• Performing musician in jazz clubs, festivals, cruise ships, function bands and theatre pit orchestras
• Session musician for recording studios and touring artists
• Private instrumental or ensemble teacher, or peripatetic teacher in schools
• Arranger or composer for small ensembles, film, television and advertising
• Music director or bandleader for live events and corporate entertainment
• Arts administration or venue programming roles in the Australian live music sector
• Accompanist or repetiteur work in musical theatre and dance
• Music technology and production roles in Australian recording and post-production studios