Remember your Year 7 drama performance? In your homemade costume, ready for the doors of your school hall to open for doting parents. Has that excitement never left you? You clearly have a passion for Performing Arts.
The Performing Arts is as flourishing an industry as ever, and we have some great recommendations for Performing Arts school to start your career!
Take a look!
#5. The University of Queensland
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Ranking
The University of Queensland is ranked as the fifth best Performing Arts school in Australia, according to the QS Top University Rankings By Subject 2022. It is also in the Top 100 universities for Performing Arts in the world.
UQ is also the fifth best university, as ranked by the QS Top Universities 2022!
About
Thinking about studying Music or Drama in the heart of Brisbane? UQ could be your best bet!
A Bachelor of Music (Honours) gives you four years of study for those wanting to pursue a professional career in music. You’ll be studying at the St Lucia Campus and attending a mix of private lessons, ensemble performances, lectures, tutorials and masterclasses!
You’ll also get the opportunity to intern with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, 4MBS Classic FM, Musica Viva and at the Queensland Music Festival.
The cream of the crop amongst the UQ Music Cohort also receives the opportunity to tour internationally with the Australian Youth Orchestra!
A Bachelor of Arts at UQ offers a major in Drama. This is a three-year degree that allows you to work with leading practitioners to pursue careers in performing, directing, playwriting, writing and reviewing.
Check out scholarships available to Music and Drama students here!
Entry Requirements
All students applying for Bachelor of Music (Honours) must pass an audition, a practical ability and musicianship test, interview, and academic requirements.
Notes for Auditions: The repertoire for the audition performed should be equivalent to Grade 7 AMEB.
Auditions with the School of Music must take place between 1 September and 30 November the year before admission.
A Bachelor of Arts (Major in Drama) requires a 70 ATAR, as of 2022.
#4. Monash University
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Rankings
At Monash University, you would be studying at Australia’s fourth best Performing Arts school, as ranked by the QS Top University Rankings By Subject 2022. The university is also ranked in the Top 100 in the world for Performing Arts.
Monash is also Australia’s sixth best university overall in Australia, according to QS Top Universities 2022.
About
Thinking about a degree that incorporates a lot of Performing Arts? Monash University, just outside of Melbourne, may have you covered.
The Bachelor of Arts and Music offers over 40 majors and minors, allowing you to tailor the degree to fit your needs. You would be studying at the Clayton campus, accessible via public transport. This degree is four years in length and focuses on both theory and practical components.
You can also study a single undergraduate degree in Music, where you will pick a specialisation such as music technology or popular music. It also has a focus on music context, so you understand how to write and perform for different audiences according to historical culture — it runs for three years full-time.
Monash also offers a minor in Theatre and Performance, which can be added to over 25 degrees.
Scholarships for this university can be found here!
Entry Requirements
All Music students at Monash are required to receive a score of at least 27 in EAL or 25 in English other than EAL.
Applicants for a practice-based major are required to submit an audition. These require 2-3 contrasting pieces of music. Interviews are offered to successful applicants.
The ATAR requirements for each degree is as follows:
- 2023 Guaranteed ATAR for Bachelor of Arts and Music: 70 (lowest offer was 76.15 last year)
- 2023 Guaranteed ATAR for Bachelor of Music: 70 (the lowest offer was 61.4 last year)
#3. Griffith University
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Rankings
As a rising university, Griffith ranks the second best Performing Arts school in Australia and in the Top 100 in the world, as ranked by QS Top University Rankings by Subject 2022.
According to QS Top Universities Australia 2022, Griffith is the 17th best university in Australia overall.
About
Griffith University is based in Queensland and is home to the Queensland Conservatorium. Here you can study four different Performing Arts Bachelor’s degrees, all based at the South Bank campus.
Bachelor’s degrees in Music, Musical Theatre, Acting and Composition all run for three years, across optional trimesters.
Griffith is one of the only public universities in Australia to offer Acting as a full degree. In this course, you will work in professional-led classes to become a performer who understands core craft, context, repertoire and industry engagement!
This is also a very new degree, which only launched in 2018.
Scholarships can be found here!
Entry Requirements
All Queensland Conservatorium students must apply via QTAC and then submit an application and audition to the university. Students may audition in up to three specialisations.
Applications work in phases. Each degree has an external application and audition for Phase One and a live audition for Phase Two.
Audition requirements are as follows:
- Bachelor of Music: Students must complete a pro-forma music CV and an audition relevant to their specialisation. Most require a recorded audition of three contrasting pieces. Successful students will be invited to a live auction and interview.
- Bachelor of Acting: Students submit a performance CV, an audition of two monologues and headshot photograph. Students may then be invited to participate in a live workshop where they demonstrate dramatic skills.
- Bachelor of Music Theatre: Students must submit a CV, headshot and audition of two prepared songs, one prepared monologue and one jazz dance routine. Successful students will be invited to a live workshop.
Check out more info on Acting and Music Theatre auditions here!
#2. Edith Cowan University
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Ranking
Edith Cowan University is the second best university for Performing Arts in Australia, according to the QS Top University Rankings By Subject 2022. It is in the Top 100 universities for Performing Arts in the world.
ECU is also the 30th best overall university in Australia, as ranked by the QS Top Universities 2022.
About
Located in the Perth CBD, the Mount Lawley Campus in ECU is the home to the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts!
There are five Performing Arts courses/specialisations at Edith Cowan’s Performing Arts school:
- Bachelor of Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Arts (Musical Theatre)
- Bachelor of Performing Arts
All majors in a Bachelor of Arts are three-year courses.
Music students have the opportunity to study one of four specialisations — Classical Performance, Composition and Music Technology, Contemporary Performance or Jazz Performance!.
Performing Arts students can study either Performance Making or Production and Design as their specialisation. There are approximately 50 students in each year’s Performing Arts cohort!
Entry Requirements
The entry requirement for a Bachelor of Arts students is a 70.00 ATAR, as of 2022.
Performing Arts students are required to pass an audition and interview, or show their work/life experience. In majority of the cases, ATAR was not a factor for acceptance.
Learn more about getting to ECU’s Performing Arts course here!
Music students are required to attend an audition, where they must pass a theory test and interview.
#1. The University of Melbourne
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Rankings
The University of Melbourne comes in as the best Performing Arts school and is currently the second best university overall in Australia, as ranked by QS Top Universities 2022.
This university is ranked 49th in Performing Arts in the world according to QS Top University Rankings By Subject 2022.
About
At the University of Melbourne, based across several campuses near the city centre, you can study a specialisation in Performing Arts. This university is known for its dynamic degree combinations and vibrant nature.
Undergraduate degrees in Fine Arts offer four Performing Arts majors, including Dance, Music Theatre, Production and Acting. All of these degrees are three years in length with Honours study available.
The university is home to new facilities, including five purpose-build dance studios which regularly house performances! The University of Melbourne also prides itself on integrating students into the industry.
If you study Musical Theatre, for example you will collaborate with students from other degrees and take part in professional performances.
Because of the practical nature of Performing Arts degrees, students are on campus four to five days a week.
Scholarships for this university can be found here!
Entry Requirements
Entry requirements to each Fine Arts degree includes a score of at least 25 in English or at least 30 in EAL. They must also apply through VTAC and submit a basic application form.
Additional requirements for Year 12 leavers are as follows:
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance): An audition including intro to camera, demonstration of technique, set movement phrase and one minute solo. Interviews are undertaken if a student is shortlisted. Students are then ranked according to interview.
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre): An audition of at least two songs, one in a musical theatre genre and two monologues. Students will be asked to attend a three-hour workshop to display skills.
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting): An audition of two contrasting monologues 2-3 minutes in length and 16 bars of any song to be sung a Capella. There will be subsequent call back auditions.
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production): An upload of a selection project the student has undertaken, with varying requirements each year. Successful students will be contacted for an interview.
Lucinda Garbutt-Young hopes to one day be writing for a big-shot newspaper… or maybe just for a friendly magazine in the arts sector. Right now, she is enjoying studying a Bachelor of Public Communication (Public Relations and Journalism) at UTS while she writes on the side. She also loves making coffees for people in her job as a barista, and loves nothing more than a sun shower.
