• Toll free: 1800 258 5772

Ara Institute of Canterbury

Christchurch , South Island ,New Zealand

Bachelor of Performing Arts (Music Theatre)

Gain a solid foundation of skills for a rewarding career on stage.
This three-year degree will give you the skills needed to succeed in a number of branches of the performing arts.

You'll gain practical experience in performance and production work in key theatre disciplines such as acting, singing and dance, as well as studies in spoken voice, music theory, theatre history, technical theatre skills and research methods. From the second year, you will refine your programme of study to suit your strengths and interests, choosing to specialise in music theatre, or continue with a broader pathway defined by your own areas of interest and ability.

In the final year, most assessment is focused on performance in practice and allows for considerable work integrated learning in industry settings and further specialisation to develop other, performance-related skills within the worlds of applied theatre and theatre for the stage.

You'll learn from experienced performers and teachers who are dedicated to helping you make the most of your career.

Campus Information

Christchurch City

The Madras street campus is on the fringe of Christchurch’s CBD and within easy walking distance of shops, cafes, supermarkets, entertainment venues, parks and other attractions. It’s well serviced by public transport, and is just five minutes from the city’s main bus exchange. The Madras street campus is Ara’s largest. In addition to modern, purpose designed facilities, it also has a recreation centre, gym, health centre, a bookshop and a number of on-site cafes.

Intakes

  • Feb

Application Processing Time in Days: 20

Application Process

More Information required
10 Days
Possible Interview Call from Institution
10 Days
Provisional /Unconditional Offer
20 Days
Visa Process
30 Days

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description IELTS (1.0 -9.0) TOEFL IBT (0-120) TOEFL CBT (0-300) PTE (10-90)
Expert 9 120 297-300 86-90
Very Good 8.5 115-119 280-293 83-86
Very Good 8 110-114 270-280 79-83
Good 7.5 102-109 253-267 73-79
Good 7 94-101 240-253 65-73
Competent 6.5 79-93 213-233 58-65
Competent 6 60-78 170-210 50-58
Modest 5.5 46-59 133-210 43-50
Modest 5 35-45 107-133 36-43
Limited 4 32-34 97-103 30-36
Extremely Limited < 4 < 31 < 93 < 30

Job Opportunity Potential

Our Careers & Employment team provides free advice to current and prospective students, as well as our graduates. We can help you with:

  • Exploring your career options
  • Developing your employ-ability
  • Job search, CVs, interviews and more

PSW Opportunity

  • During study, all students on a student visa can work up to 20 hours per week during semester and full time during vacations.
  • After completing Level 7 Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Qualification, a student will get a three years open post-study work visa.
  • After completing Level 8 Post Graduate courses of 1 year, students get 1 year PSW.

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

University Entrance: NCEA Level 3 (60 credits at level 3 and 20 credits at level 2 or higher) which must include 14 credits at Level 3 in each of three approved* subjects and:

Literacy* - 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of 5 credits in reading, 5 credits in writing,
Numeracy* - 14 credits at Level 1 or above
OR New Zealand Certificate in Study and Career Preparation (Level 4) Ara Performing Arts Pathway or equivalent

Due to Covid-19 disruption, if you studied and achieved NCEA Level 3 during 2020, you only need 12 credits per Level 3 subject (i.e. total of 36 credits). Literacy and Numeracy requirements remain the same

If you have undertaken examinations other than NCEA (e.g. International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Examination), Ara will assess your qualification for academic entry equivalency.

What if English is not my first Language?

If English is not your first language, we want to make sure that you will be successful in your chosen programme of study.

Please provide a result from a test or qualification on the acceptable alternatives English Proficiency Outcomes Chart.
If you are a New Zealand Citizen or Permanent Resident, complete an Admission and Enrolment form and Ara will contact you regarding a free assessment.
If you are not a New Zealand Citizen or Permanent resident, book an IELTS or other test through the Ara Examination Centre or in your home country.
IELTS scores used must be taken from a single IELTS Test Report Form and are valid for two years from the date of the test.
What if I have achieved NCEA Level 3 University Entrance?
You do not need to provide additional evidence of English Language skills.
Overall IELTS 6.0 Academic

5.5 Listening
5.5 Reading
5.5 Writing
5.5 Speaking