Course details

Summary

The Bachelor of Performing Arts degree requires three years of full-time study or its equivalent in part-time study and offers specializations 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 specializations 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.

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.

Programme Requirements

100-level

MUSI 101 Materials of Music 1; THEA 122 Drama on Stage and Screen; THEA 151 Improvisation; THEA 153 Voice and Movement. One of: PHSE 115 Fundamentals of Dance or PHSE 116 Elements of Dance. Either one of: MUSI 131 Composition 1; MUSI 135 Songwriting; PERF 102 Musical Theatre Voice 1A; Or one of MUSI 146 Professional Practice 1A; MUSI 141 Performance 1.

200-level

MUSI 265 Music and Theatre; THEA 221 Theatre: Ancient to Contemporary; THEA 252 The Actor. Either one of: MUSI 235 Contemporary Composition; PERF 202 Musical Theatre Voice 2A
PERF 204 Dance for Musical Theatre or one of MUSI 241 Performance 2; MUSI 246 Professional Practice 2A.

300-level

PERF 301 Performance Project. One of: PERF 304 Dance for Musical Theatre, THEA 351 Performing Shakespeare, THEA 352 Directing, THEA 353 Bicultural Theatre. One of:
MUSI 331 Composition Projects, MUSI 341 Performance 3, MUSI 346 Contemporary Music Performance 3, PERF 302 Musical Theatre Voice.

Plus

Either 36 further MUSI, PERF, THEA, or PHSE (Dance only) points at 200-level or above and 72 further points in any subject; or for students who have passed MUSI 141 and MUSI 241 (36 points each), 18 further MUSI, PERF, THEA or PHSE (Dance only) points at 200-level or above and 54 further points in any subject.

Entry criteria

The minimum requirement for students is the completion of a high school qualification plus satisfactory completion of one year's study at an approved tertiary institution or successful completion New Zealand Foundation Year programme.

We also accept the following International qualifications: International Baccalaureate: IB Diploma with a minimum of 26 points; GCE Advanced Levels: minimum grade of 8.

English Language Requirements:

IELTS score of 6.0 in the academic module (with no individual band below 6.0); Internet-based TOEFL Score of 80 (writing 20); Paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 550 (TWE 4.5); CIE Cambridge International Examinations Grade E or better in AS English; Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) - Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) - Overall score of 176 (with no individual band below 169); GCE 'A' Level or 'AS' Level English Language or English Literature - grade C or higher; GCE 'AS' Level General Paper (English) - grade C or higher; APIEL (Advanced Placement International English Language) Examination - grade 3 or higher; IB International Baccalaureate - English at Higher or Standard level in Language A: literature, Language A: language and literature, or at Higher level in Language B; Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic - Overall score of 58 with no communicative skills score below 50.