Undergraduate Programmes

Bachelor of Music (BMus)

Entrance requirements

Matric Certificate
Theory –Grade 5
Practical – Grade 7

Course length:

Four-year degree qualification

Who for?

This degree is designed to impart specialist professional music skills and knowledge.

What does the BMus course entail?

• In the first two years, students are trained in a wide scope of disciplines which includes subjects such as: Practical Music Study (including a first as well as a second instrument), Musicology, Theory of Music, Music Education, Teaching Method, Repertoire Studies, Music Technology and a BA Subject (choosing from English Studies, Xhosa , Afrikaans-Nederlands, French, German, Psychology  and Mathematics).
• From the third-year students can specialise in a field of their interest including: Performance (solo, chamber music, accompaniment, church music or conducting), Composition, Music Technology, Musicology, and Music Education.  Continued practical training is offered according to the specialisation chosen, and is therefore followed for the full duration of the course).  Specialisation is subject to Departmental requirements.

The combination of courses is subject to timetable constraints

Which instruments can I study?

Any orchestral instrument or voice, piano, organ, harpsichord, guitar, recorder and conducting.

Which ensembles will I be a part of ?

View Ensembles

Which concerts will I attend?

The department offers a variety of performance opportunities to students such as Lunch Hour concerts or Performance Classes. Students are also encouraged to attend as many concerts of the Endler Concert Series as possible and to take note of the wider cultural life.

Click here to find out more about the academic modules offered in this programme.

Bachelor of Arts specialising in Music BA (Music)

Entrance requirements

Matric Certificate
Theory –Grade 5
Practical – Grade 7

Course length:

Three-year full time degree programme;

Who for?

This degree is designed primarily to cater towards students with a wider interest in the humanities.  This might include languages, psychology and mathematics.

What does the BA (Music) course entail?

• The BA (Music) degree will equip students with a comprehensive music background which includes subjects such as Practical Music Study, Musicology, Theory of Music, Teaching Method and an elective subject from the humanities in line with the candidate’s interests (choosing from English Studies, Xhosa , Afrikaans-Nederlands, French, German, Psychology  and Mathematics).
• Two of these BA subjects are required for the first year, while one may be taken on second- and third-year level.

The combination of subjects is subject to timetable constraints

Which instruments can I study?

Any orchestral instrument (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion instruments and harp) or voice, piano, organ, harpsichord, guitar, recorder and conducting. The choice of instruments is identical for BA (Mus) and BMus.

Which ensembles will I be a part of ?

View Ensembles

Which concerts will I attend?

The department offers a variety of performance opportunities to students such as Lunch Hour concerts or Performance Classes. Students are also encouraged to attend as many concerts of the Endler Concert Series as possible and to take note of the wider cultural life.

Click here to find out more about the academic modules offered in this programme.

Bachelor of Arts specialising in Music BA (Music)

Music Production at Stellenbosch University
Learn how to turn creative ideas into real musical projects.
In our programme, we think of music production as a form of creative leadership: the ability to design, coordinate, and realise musical meaning across sound, people, materials, and contexts.

Music production is the art of making music happen.
At Stellenbosch University, music production involves shaping ideas, coordinating people, choosing tools and contexts, and guiding creative processes from concept to real-world outcome.

You don’t have to be a DJ, producer, or studio specialist to work in music production. You might be curating performances, managing creative teams, designing sound installations, building sound objects, leading community projects, or producing work for film, theatre, or digital media.

Music production isn’t only electronic, and it isn’t confined to the studio. It’s a way of thinking about music, of thinking how it is made meaningful, how it reaches people, and how it exists in the world.

Entrance requirements

Matric Certificate

Course length:

Three-year full time degree programme;

Who is this for?

This programme is for creative thinkers who are interested in shaping how music is made, shared, and experienced, rather than focusing only on instrumental performance.

It suits students with diverse creative backgrounds and an interest in music, who want to work across genres, media, and contexts, and who are drawn to collaboration, creative leadership, and project-based work. Formal instrumental training is not required.

Unlike traditional BMus or performance degrees, Music Production focuses on professional practice, ethical collaboration, and the real-world coordination of musical projects, preparing graduates for flexible careers in the contemporary creative industries.

What make the course different?

Most music production degrees focus on recording technology or electronic music.

At Stellenbosch University, we take a broader approach. Our programme views music production as creative leadership: the ability to guide musical ideas from concept to real-world outcome.

This means students learn to:

• develop creative concepts
• coordinate artists and collaborators
• shape how music is experienced in different contexts
• manage complex creative projects
• reflect critically on their work and process

The result is a degree that prepares graduates to work across music, media, performance, and cultural production, rather than training them for a single technical role.

What can be produced in this course?

Music production is about bringing music into the world in meaningful ways. Whether through sound, events, objects, media, or collaborative projects, students learn how to guide ideas from concept to reality. These could include:

Sound and media projects

• Studio recordings in any genre
• Soundtracks for film, theatre, games, or digital media
• Podcasts, radio works, or audio storytelling
• Experimental or electroacoustic sound works
• Archival or reconstructed recordings
• Voice-based or spoken word projects

Live events and performances

• Concerts or curated performance programmes
• Music festivals or touring productions
• Site-specific performances in unusual locations
• Collaborative performances with theatre, dance, or visual art
• Community or participatory music events

Installations and spatial experiences

• Interactive sound environments
• Gallery or museum installations
• Public sound artworks
• Long-duration sound environments
• Projects that transform how spaces are experienced through sound

Creative artefacts and objects

• Graphic scores or visual music works
• Sound sculptures or musical objects
• New instruments or performance interfaces
• Books, maps, or visualisations that explore musical ideas

Curated music and cultural projects

• Album or compilation concepts
• Music exhibitions or archival projects
• Curated listening experiences or themed releases
• Projects that explore how music is presented and understood

Creative leadership and collaboration

• Managing creative teams and collaborative projects
• Coordinating musicians, designers, engineers, and artists
• Developing inclusive and ethical creative environments
• Leading interdisciplinary projects across music, media, and art

Research and experimental work

• Practice-based research projects
• New production methods and creative frameworks
• Documentation and reflection on creative processes
• Projects that explore the future of music, media, and technology

Digital and media ecosystems

• Interactive or game-based audio systems
• Digital music platforms and online listening cultures
• New ways of sharing, distributing, or experiencing music

Cultural and community projects

• Community music initiatives
• Educational and outreach programmes
• Heritage and memory projects involving sound
• Intercultural collaborations

Graduate Attributes?

This programme is designed to develop creative thinkers and doers who can guide ideas from concept to real-world outcome.

Through collaborative projects and practical laboratories, students develop skills in creative problem-solving, leadership, communication, project management, and ethical collaboration. These abilities allow graduates to work confidently across music, media, and the wider creative industries.

Rather than preparing students for a single specialised role, the programme equips them with transferable skills, adaptable thinking, and creative leadership that remain valuable across many professional contexts.

Auditions and Entrance Considerations

This course does not require prior formal instrument training or music theory. Our programme provides different levels of practical, theoretical, and aural skills training to accommodate both the proficient and the inexperienced musician.

Students applying for this course will be auditioned on the basis of their ability to learn and use the creative tools at their disposal to create a musical product. The focus of the audition is on problem solving skills, creativity, lateral thinking, and resourcefulness.

Within practical music study, music theory, and aural training, different levels of study exist to accommodate different levels of prior experience. Placement tests will help candidates to know which option is best for them.

Programme structure

This is a three-year full-time degree programme.

Each year of the programme includes a set of core modules, as well as a range of electives that allow students to develop their individual practices and interests. Music Production is at the centre of the course. It consists of lectures (learning the language of production, the ecosystem of the industry, and the philosophy of creativity) as well as laboratories (intensive practicals where experts give feedback on your creative work and help you grow your practice).

Diploma (Practical Music)

Entrance requirements

Matric Certificate
Theory –Grade 3/4
Practical – Grade 7 on the main instrument (or voice)

Course length

Three-year programme.

What does the Diploma in Practical Music entail?

• Students must enrol for all 3 years in Music Skills (theory of music and aural training) , Practical Music Study in any of the instruments listed below and General Music Studies.  Teaching method, Information Skills, Music education, Music technology, Repertoire Study, and a choice of courses in Practical Score reading, accompaniment, orchestral practise, orchestral study, language for singers, church music practise, ensemble singing, chamber music, business management (music), theatre skills (music) are also on offer.
• Students may articulate to the Diploma in Music from the Higher Certificate in Music if they comply with the entrance requirements for the Diploma and have undergone the prescribed selection process.  Students will receive credit for General Music Study, Music Theory, Music Technology, Aural Training.
• The Diploma (Practical Music) can, in exceptional cases, articulate to the 2nd year of the BMus (a minimum final mark of 70% in each of the following: General Music Study, Music Theory) provided that the student complies with the entrance requirements for the BMus and follows the prescribed selection process.

Which instruments can I study?

Any orchestral instruments: strings, woodwind, brass and percussion; piano, organ, harp, recorder, guitar, voice, conducting and church music.

Advanced Diploma in Practical Music

Entrance requirements

Candidates must be in possession of a Diploma (Practical Music) or a recognised equivalent qualification in classical music.

Course length

One-year, full time programme.
Weekly, one-on-one lessons with as many opportunities as possible to perform both publicly and within the Department of Music, under the guidance of the lecturer.

What does the Advanced Diploma in Practical Music entail?

• Students must enrol for Practical Music Study and Repertoire study in any of the instruments listed below.
• Two co-requisite components are also required depending on the students choice of speciality.

Which instruments can I study?

Any orchestral instruments: strings, woodwind, brass and percussion; piano, organ, harp, recorder, guitar, voice, choir conducting, chamber music and church music.

Which ensembles will I be a part of ?

Click here to view ensembles.

Higher Certificate in Music

Entrance requirements

Matric Certificate
Theory –Grade 3/4
Practical – Grade 5/6

Course length

One year programme

What does the Higher Certificate in Music course entail?

• Students must enrol for Music Skills (theory of music and aural training) , Practical Music Study in any of the instruments listed below, General Music Studies, Business Management (Music), Music technology, Repertoire Study and Texts in the Humanities.  Creative skills and Orchestral practise are optional modules.
• Students are expected to attend of a number of workshops as determined by the department with respect to writing, language and study skills. Students will be notified of these workshops at the beginning of the academic year and completion of the Higher Certificate will be subject to satisfactory attendance of these courses by the student.
• The Higher Certificate in Music can articulate to the Diploma in Practical Music or one of the Music Department’s degree programme, on  the understanding that the student complies with the entrance requirements specified in each case, and undertakes the prescribed selection auditions.

Which instruments can I study?

Any orchestral instruments: strings, woodwind, brass and percussion; piano, organ, harp, recorder, guitar, voice, conducting and church music.

Enquiries

Programme Co-ordinator: Ms Felicia Lesch 
Tel: 021 808 2349  
E-mail: [email protected]