Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) (B-FAMUSTH)

Overview

Award title	Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
Year & campus	2025 — Southbank
CRICOS code	075490A
Fees information	Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & type	Undergraduate Coursework
AQF level	7
Credit points	300 credit points
Duration	36 months full-time

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) is a three-year degree that equips graduates with the knowledge and artistic technical skills necessary to engage and thrive in the professional music theatre industry.

The course offers immersive, integrated and experiential practice-based studio and performance studies in acting, voice, dance and music. Students will also have a choice of subjects that allow them to explore cross disciplinary studies, exposing them to multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills.

Embedded in the cultural capital of Australia, students will learn from internationally recognised performers, teachers and industry professionals. Students will also have opportunities to work with visiting artists from Australia and abroad. As graduates, they will be equipped with the singing, dancing and acting skills to perform in a diverse range of contexts including professional music theatre, theatre, television, film and cabaret.

In the first year, the students engage in foundational techniques to develop and strengthen their instrument (body and voice) enabling creative self-expression. In the second year, the students will use their instrument to engage in adjustments applied to style and character. Before entering the final year of study, students will have the unique opportunity to travel overseas or to involve themselves in a professional internship. The synthesis of these skills culminates in third year with multiple capstone experiences. These capstone experiences provide the opportunity to work with industry professionals to mount two full scale musicals and an industry showcase.

Links to further information

This course is available in My Course Planner

My Course Planner is an interactive web application that allows you to explore your study options and decide which subjects and major(s), minors and/or specialisations are right for you.

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed one of:

(a) the Victorian Certificate of Education including;
VCE Units 3 and 4 either a study score of at least 25 in English/English Language/Literature or a study score of at least 30 in English as an Additional Language;

(b) the International Baccalaureate Diploma including at least Grade 4 in English or English B (Standard Level or Higher Level);

(c) a senior secondary program, foundation studies program or equivalent approved by Academic Board including appropriate English language studies.

Applicants are also required to complete an audition, test, interview, workshop, portfolio or folio presentation, as prescribed by the Academic Board for the stream to which entry is sought.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

prior academic performance, and
performance in an audition.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. For applicants who have not completed the Victorian Certificate of Education or the International Baccalaureate Diploma, the undergraduate English language requirements must be met.

Note. For applicants through the Victorian Tertiary Admission Centre, “middle-band” selection adjustments are made only on the basis of eligibility for Access Melbourne.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) is designed to train highly skilled arts practitioners who can work independently or in ensemble across a wide range of careers and performance or production opportunities. The core participation requirements of this course are consistent with this objective.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) is a physically and emotionally demanding program requiring candidates to actively participate in all scheduled classes. The majority of subjects in the course have continuous and progressive assessment throughout the study period. A candidate for this course must possess abilities and skills in the following categories across all aspects of the course:

Physical abilities
- Observation
- Hearing
- Motor skills
- Physical strength, agility and endurance
- Vocal capability
Ability to monitor and manage own health
Communication skills
Intellectual abilities
Behavioural and social skills

Physical abilities

Observation

Students must be able to observe and participate in classes, rehearsals and performance. They must be able to observe and follow technical instructions as delivered by teachers and others. Students must be aware of their surroundings and their position within spaces.

Hearing

Students must be able to hear and follow verbal instructions and auditory cues.
Students must be able to accurately perceive time and tempo in music.

Motor skills

Students must possess gross and fine motor functions to be able to participate fully and independently in all classes.

Physical strength, agility and endurance

The physical demands of the course on students are high. It is a requirement that students actively participate in all classes and all scheduled rehearsals. Classes include intensive physical training and performance. Active participation in classes requires sustained and repeat effort. Students must be able to safely participate in sustained cardiac and strength-based activity over a period of hours without risk to their health and wellbeing.

Voice

Students must have the capacity to produce clear tone throughout at least a 1.5 octave range.

Communication Skills

Students must be able to communicate effectively and respectfully, both verbally and in written form.

Monitor and manage own health

Students must be capable of identifying the potential risk of injury and take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others whilst undertaking these activities.

Intellectual Skills

Students must possess a range of intellectual capacities, including

- Critical self-reflection
- Analysis
- Complex problem-solving
- The ability to draw linkages across diverse areas of learning and practice

Behavioural and Social Skills

Students must possess the behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex, group-based learning environment.
Students are required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning.
Students must be capable of working effectively both as individuals and team members.
Since they also contribute to other students’ learning in a collaborative environment, they must possess interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of others. Assessment components may include collaborative tasks.
Students must be capable of and committed to effectively working under direction and undertaking regular independent preparation and practice.
Students must be reliable and dependable in meeting commitments for classes, rehearsals and performances.
Students must behave in a respectful and collegial fashion with other students, academic, administrative and technical staff of the Faculty, members of industry and external bodies, and the community.
Students must be mature, self-aware and have the emotional health necessary to utilise their intellectual and creative abilities fully, including skills in critical self-reflection.
Students must be able to perform publicly and receive criticism and feedback publicly.
Students must possess emotional resilience, as expected of performers within the profession.
Students must be aware of their personal limitations, and be cognisant of when and where to seek assistance or professional advice and support.

Attendance Requirements

A minimum of 80% attendance at all classes and rehearsals is compulsory in the course. Teaching staff will take a roll to record attendance.

Reasonable adjustments

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements.

https://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home

The University of Melbourne is required by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth) and Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) to ensure that reasonable adjustments are made for students with disabilities.

‘Reasonable adjustments’ are modifications or accommodations made by the University that assist a student with a disability to participate in their course or access University facilities on the same basis as someone without a disability. A reasonable adjustment might be an aid to vision or hearing, or allowing extra time for written examinations. The role of Student Equity and Disability Support (SEDS) is to support students with disabilities, including assisting in the negotiation of reasonable adjustments for students who have disabilities.

Any such adjustments must be reasonable and cannot compromise the academic integrity of a course. Reasonable adjustments are provided to assist students to fulfil the core participation requirements, not as a substitute for those requirements

With appropriate support and reasonable adjustments where possible, students must be able to meet the Core Participation Requirements in order to graduate from the Bachelor of Fine Arts course.

In determining whether an adjustment is reasonable, the University will consider:

The nature of the disability;
The effect of the adjustment on the student’s ability to demonstrate the required learning outcomes and participate in the course;
The effect of the adjustment on any other person, including other students and staff; and
The cost and logistical impact of the adjustment.

Students should note that a reasonable adjustment may include modification to assessment and providing additional support services, but the University cannot make an adjustment that would affect the academic integrity of the course or the safety of students or staff.

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this course, graduates will be able to:

apply technical skills and knowledge required in acting, singing, and dancing for professional music theatre;
apply a broad knowledge in music theatre and the performing arts fields to professional practice;
critically examine and apply music theatre concepts, articulate ideas, and communicate them effectively;
implement style and character through the performer's "instrument of expression" to the demands of text and choreography;
work collaboratively within a creative process to create professional performance outcomes;
combine acting, singing, and dancing skills and knowledge to contribute to musical theatre productions that create pathways to prospective employment;
create and maintain professional networks within the music theatre industry.

Generic skills

Refer to Graduate Attributes.

Graduate attributes

Graduates of the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) will have developed the following skills and attributes that allow them to be:

Artistically excellent:

demonstrate a flexible and innovative approach to the national and international challenges for the professional artist/practitioner in the 21 Century;
have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and of the ethics of artistic practices and scholarship;
have in-depth knowledge of their specialist discipline(s);
reach a high level of achievement in artistic practice, writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication;
be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning;
be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies.

Knowledgeable across disciplines:

critically examine, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a range of disciplines;
expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse subjects;
have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems;
have a set of flexible and transferable skills for different types of employment.

Leaders in communities:

initiate and implement constructive change in their communities, including professions and workplaces;
have excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, including an awareness of personal strengths and limitations;
mentor future generations of learners;
engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs.

Attuned to cultural diversity:

value different cultures and their cultural forms of practice;
be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work;
have an understanding of the social and cultural diversity in our community;
respect Indigenous knowledge, cultures and values.

Active global citizens:

understand their relationship with and responsibility to their cultural environment and society;
accept social and civic responsibilities;
be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment;
have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for human rights, equity and ethics.

Course structure

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) requires the successful completion of 300 credit points.

Compulsory subjects

237.5 credit points of Compulsory subjects
- 75 credit points of Level 1 Compulsory subjects
- 75 credit points of Level 2 Compulsory subjects
- 87.5 credit points of Level 3 Compulsory subjects

Electives

12.5 credit points of Level 3 electives

Breadth

50 credit points of Breadth subjects
- a minimum of 12.5 credit points of Level 2 or Level 3 breadth subjects

Progression Rules

Completion of CREA10002 Stories of Place in the first semester of study
Completion of all Level 1 Compulsory subjects before proceeding to the next year level's Compulsory subjects
Completion of all Level 2 Compulsory subjects before proceeding to the next year level's Compulsory subjects
Note: Compulsory subjects in this program have prerequisites. Refer to individual subject entries.

For students who commenced prior to 2021

For students who commenced the Bachelor of Fine Arts prior to 2021, please click the link below to view your course structure and subject options:

Link

Subject Options

Level 1 Compulsory subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
CREA10002	Stories of Place	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank) Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	6.25

Note: All students must take Stories of Place in their first semester of commencement in this course

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUST10013	Music Theatre Contextual Studies 1	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUST10014	Music Theatre Studio 1	Semester 1 (On Campus - Southbank)	18.75
MUST10015	Music Theatre Contextual Studies 2	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUST10016	Music Theatre Studio 2	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	25

Level 2 Compulsory subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUST20012	Music Theatre Combination Skills 1	Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUST20013	Music Theatre Studio 3	Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Southbank)	25
MUST20014	Music Theatre Combination Skills 2	Semester 2 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUST20015	Music Theatre Studio 4	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	25

Level 3 Compulsory subjects

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUST30014	Music Theatre Studio 5	Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUST30015	Production Studio 1	Semester 1 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Southbank)	25
MUST30016	Music Theatre Industry Skills	Semester 2 (Early-Start) (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUST30017	Music Theatre Studio 6	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUST30018	Production Studio 2	Semester 2 (On Campus - Southbank)	25

Level 3 electives

Code	Name	Study period	Credit Points
MUST30011	Music Theatre Global Atelier	Summer Term (On Campus - Southbank)	12.5
MUST30013	Music Theatre Secondment	Not available in 2025	12.5
MUST30019	Music Theatre Global Views	Not available in 2025	12.5

Breadth requirements

50 points of breadth subjects including at least 12.5 points at Level 2 or Level 3.

Find breadth subjects

Use the Handbook Search function to find subjects that can be used as breadth studies in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)

Reassessment is available in this course

Reassessment is a second attempt at passing a compulsory subject if a borderline failure in a single subject has a significant impact on the student's progression through their course. A borderline failure is usually a mark of 45% or more. Reassessment is not available if failure in the subject is a result of a finding of student academic misconduct; or a student was awarded a NH grade due to failure to participate in a component of assessment that was a hurdle requirement or failure to attend or participate in the subject as required.

Refer to Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326): https://policy.unimelb.edu.au/MPF1326

Last updated: 21 February 2025