Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA)

The Bachelor of Performing Arts degree requires three years of full-time study or its equivalent in part-time study and offers specialisations in the combined study of music, theatre and dance.

The degree totals 360 points and is made up of music, theatre and dance papers but may include up to 90 points (usually five papers) in further specialisations in music, theatre, dance or other subjects.

Graduates of the degree will be able to pursue careers in a wide range of musical/theatrical forms and styles, as well as in musical and theatrical education, media, and other related fields.

Information for new applicants

The Bachelor of Performing Arts is a blended specialist degree that contains practice-based training in some key areas for which students must pass an audition to be accepted.

Audition applications for singing and/or playing an instrument due by early September

In music, you must choose one or more areas of specialisation, including singing, playing a musical instrument and/or composing/song-writing. If you choose the singing and/or playing an instrument option/s, then you must audition for entry. These papers are MUSI 140 and MUSI 141 (classical), MUSI 146 (contemporary) and PERF 102 1A and PERF 102 1B (musical theatre).

Auditions for these papers normally take place in Dunedin during the last weekend of September for entry the following year. It is also possible to audition by submitting a DVD or YouTube link, with these being due on 1 September for entry the following year.

Go to the Audition information page on the School of Performing Arts website for audition application forms.

The song-writing paper, MUSI 135, does not require an audition and is open to all students regardless of whether they can read or write music notation. However, the first year composition paper, MUSI 131, requires that beginning students are comfortable in both the reading and writing of music. There are no auditions required for entry into the theatre and dance papers.