Program Overview

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Bachelor of Music

The Bachelor of Music (BMus) is a specialist degree that will suit you if you have musical skill and ambition or just a sheer love of music. Choose an Academic, Composition or Performance based programme and learn different styles and techniques that build your skill-base in the areas of music that interest you.

Points and Duration

• The total number of points to gain this qualification and how long this is expected to take full-time: 360 points, 3 years

Locations

• The study locations where the qualification is offered: Hamilton

Area of Study

• This shows which Faculty or School you can study this qualification under: School of Arts

Start Dates

• Which trimester this qualification can be started in: Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July)

Why Study the Bachelor of Music?

The Bachelor of Music (BMus) is a specialist degree that will suit you if you have musical skill and ambition or just a sheer love of music. Choose an Academic, Composition or Performance based programme and learn different styles and techniques that build your skill-base in the areas of music that interest you.

Career Opportunities

• Advertising Executive
• Arts Administration
• Broadcaster
• Composer
• Film Music Producer
• Journalist
• Music Blogger
• Music Retailer
• Performer
• Recording Artist

Degree Information

Plan Your Study

• Choose one of: ARTSC103, ARTSC105, ENSLA103
• Choose from:
  • ARTSC103 Rights and Reasons
  • ARTSC105 Language in Context
  • ENSLA103 English as an Additional Language: Effective Academic Writing

Year 1

• MUSIC years of Music: 15 points An introduction to music, its history, ideas and techniques.
• MUSIC115 Composition 1: 15 points The development of creative musical skills and techniques based on classical and popular idioms; song writing; melody writing; thematic development; harmonic and contrapuntal understanding.
• MUSIC116 Harmony and Counterpoint and Musicianship: 15 points A study of harmony and counterpoint in the Western tradition using historical and contemporary models, with practical application through sightsinging, dictation and keyboard skills.
• One from 100 Level:
  • MAORI102 He Hīnatore ki te Ao Māori: Introducing the Māori World
  • MAORI157 Ngā Mahi a Rehia: An Introduction to Kapa Haka
  • MUSIC101 Secondary Performance Studies 1
  • MUSIC118 Performance Techniques 1
  • MUSIC120 Performance 1

Year 2

• One from List B:
  • ANTHY101 Exploring Cultures: Introduction to Anthropology
  • ANTHY102 Exploring Cultures: Aotearoa and the Pacific
  • ANTHY201 Patriots, Racists, and Foreigners: Ethnicity and Identity in Global Perspective
  • DSIGN252 Cultural Perspectives for Design
  • EDUCA200 Te Hononga Tangata
• MUSIC213 History and Analysis of Music: 15 points A critical and analytical survey of Western music during the late Renaissance, Baroque and Classical periods.
• One from 200 Level:
  • MUSIC201 Secondary Performance Studies 2
  • MUSIC215 Composition 2
  • MUSIC218 Performance Techniques 2
  • MUSIC219 Materials of Music 2
  • MUSIC220 Performance 2

Year 3

• One from List C:
  • ALPSS301 Work-integrated learning - Placements
  • ARTSW300 Arts and Cultural Festivals
  • ARTSW301 Professional Practice in the Arts
  • ARTSW302 Work-related Arts Research Project
  • WAIKT363 Impact Studio
• MUSIC314 History and Analysis of Music: 1800 to the Present: 15 points A critical and analytical survey of Western Music from the Romantic period to the present day, taught through a context-based survey course.
• One from 300 Level:
  • MUSIC301 Secondary Performance Studies Class
  • MUSIC315 Composition 3
  • MUSIC318 Performance Techniques 3
  • MUSIC320 Performance 3
  • MUSIC321 Classical Collaborations 3

Entry Requirements

• Domestic students
• International students
• There are five ways you can gain admission to the University of Waikato:
  1. NCEA University Entrance
  2. Admission at entrance level
  3. Discretionary entrance
  4. University Entrance prior to 2015
  5. Special admission
• For the Bachelor of Music, you must meet UE and one of the following requirements:
  • NCEA - 14 credits in Music at Level 3
  • NCEA - 20 credits in Music at Level 2
  • A Grade 3 Theory pass or better in the New Zealand Music Education Board or Australian Music Education Board examinations, or
  • A grade 5 theory pass or better in the Trinity College, or Royal College of Music examinations, or
  • A qualification considered equivalent

Fees and Scholarships

• Estimated fees: $8,787 per year
• Domestic tuition fees
• Approximate annual tuition fees and costs for domestic students enrolled in one year of full-time study.
• Scholarships: Visit our Scholarship finder for more information about possible scholarships.

Graduate Outcomes

• Graduates of the Bachelor of Music will be able to:
  • Express their creativity and musical knowledge coherently in a range of intellectual and creative practice contexts.
  • Demonstrate awareness of the chronology and genre development of music and its concepts.
  • Develop critical skills in reflection and contextualisation, formed from a wide range of musical experiences.
  • Present and share informed and knowledgeable perspectives on music, through verbal, written and creative media.
  • Work collaboratively with diverse groups and individuals in the writing and/or performance of music.
  • Show awareness and understanding of ethical issues that relate to music.

The Three BMus Majors Are:

Academic Programme

• Composition
• Digital Music
• Māori Musical Instruments in Traditional and Contemporary Contexts
• Māori Song and Dance in Traditional and Contemporary Contexts
• Western Music History

Performance Programme

• Chamber Music
• Performance
• Performance Techniques
• Western Music History

Composition Programme

• Composition
• Harmony
• Digital Music
• Western Music History

Bachelor of Music with Honours

Requirements

• The Bachelor of Music with Honours (BMus(Hons)) involves two semesters of full-time study, or the equivalent in part-time study.
• The BMus(Hons) comprises 120 points at 500 level, of which 30 points must be in research, normally a 30 point dissertation or an approved equivalent, specialising in either composition or performance.
• The BMus(Hons) is awarded with classes of honours.

Entry

• In general, to be admitted to the BMus(Hons) you must have a B grade average in the 300 level Music papers of your undergraduate degree.
• Performance candidates must also have passed an audition.
• Admission criteria may vary so please consult the Music Graduate Adviser for specific admission criteria.

BMus(Hons) Specialisations

• Composition
• Performance

Big Band Ensemble

• Do you play trumpet, trombone, saxophone, drums, bass, piano, or guitar? Enjoy jazz singing? Collaborate with musicians and enrol in MUSIC122 or MUSIC227.
• Available to all university students who play a suitable big band instrument.

Scholarships and Prizes

• Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships.

Te Pae Kōkako - The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio (TANZOS)

• This new, immersive MMus programme provides exceptionally promising young opera singers with international-level training and experience, from both national and visiting international tutors, and industry residencies in NZ and abroad.

Graduate Study Options

• BMus: Bachelor of Music
• MMus: Master of Music
• GradCert: Graduate Certificate
• GradDip: Graduate Diploma
• PGCert: Postgraduate Certificate
• PGDip: Postgraduate Diploma
• DMA: Doctor of Musical Arts
• PhD: Doctor of Philosophy

Practical Experience

• The opportunities for you to practice through performance are endless.
• Have your compositions performed, or perform yourself, at any of our regular events including the annual Opera production, weekly lunchtime recitals, Friday performance hours and competitions such as the Lilburn Trust Student Competition Awards concert – to name a few.

Qualifications Links

• The Conservatorium of Music
• Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts

Student Achievements

• Students from Waikato's Conservatorium of Music are renowned for standing out on the world stage.
• They have excelled nationally in New Zealand's major music competitions, such as the New Zealand National Concerto Competition, the National Woodwind Competition and the Lexus Aria Competition, as well as on the international stage, for example the Beijing International Cello Competition and the Johanssen International String Competition in Washington DC.

Soloist Specialisation

• The soloist specialisation is for exceptionally talented music students who have the potential to become successful international soloists.
• Every specialisation student has their own programme of study and we provide intensive one-to-one teaching to raise technical and interpretative skills, with a strong focus on performance skills.
• You'll develop your on-stage personalities through multiple opportunities to perform before live audiences, and participate in national and international competitions.

Admission to the Soloist Specialisation

• Admission to the soloist specialisation is at the discretion of the Convenor of Music.
• It is restricted to exceptional students who have:
  • been awarded a major prize at a recognised international or New Zealand competition;
  • performed a concerto with a professional orchestra, or a solo or chamber music concert at a major concert venue;
  • successfully completed the interview process.

Core Undergraduate Papers in the Soloist Specialisation

• Soloist Studies 1 - MUSIC130
• Soloist Performance - MUSIC131
• Soloist Studies 2 - MUSIC230
• Soloist Studies 3 - MUSIC330

Auditions

• 2025 BMus auditions for Performance are now open for students to apply.
• The deadline for the first-round audition applications is 1 August 2024.
• It is recommended that students intending to apply for a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship complete their application before this date.