The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre) course offers intensive studio-based actor training that produces industry-ready, professional performers with a strong sense of individual expression.

VCA Music Theatre has a strong connection to Melbourne’s thriving music theatre profession. Students participate in daily studio-based training with working artists, and in industry master classes with international guest teachers. We take a highly personalised approach to our training, supporting your unique qualities while developing your artistic and technical capacity.

The program offers extensive practical training in music theatre’s three principal disciplines – singing, acting and dancing – with specialist staff in each area. A fourth core subject explores the practice of these skills in combination for music theatre performance.

Breadth subjects at each year level enable you to explore cross disciplinary studies from the wider University community, accessing multi-disciplinary knowledge and skills that will build on existing knowledge or present opportunities for you to investigate and develop new interests.

You will

• Develop advanced, practical filmmaking skills including direction of actors, cinematography, sound recording and editing, production management, assistant directing and other fundamental principles of filmmaking
• Learn to research, develop, write and design a narrative short film
• Strengthen your individual creative voice, and crewing on your fellow students’ productions – which develops valuable peer networks and skills.
• Acquire ability to critically and constructively critique your own and peers’ screen production work in the context of the broader history of screen culture
• Collaborate with Interactive Composition, Theatre, Film and Television, and Production students throughout the course.

Future pathways

Upon completion of the course, you may choose to apply for a fourth-year Honours degree. An honours year provides an intensive mode of study allowing you to master your specialisation and create a pathway into advanced graduate study options in acting.

The course offers immersive, integrated and experiential practice-based studio and performance studies in acting, voice, dance and music. Embedded in the cultural capital of Australia, you will learn from internationally recognised performers, teachers and industry professionals. You will have opportunities to work with visiting artists from Australia and abroad. As a graduate, you 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.