Application Process
Are you interested in studying music at UKZN?
Here are the steps that you need to follow to apply:
- Visit the Central Applications Office https://www.cao.ac.za/
- Fill in the online application form and pay the required fee.
- IMPORTANT: We advise all applicants to apply for both the BA in Music Foundation Programme AND the BA in Music.
- For consideration in the music programmes at UKZN you will need to meet the following criteria:
Entrance Requirements
All applicants need a National Senior Certificate with a Bachelor’s Pass (NSC-Deg) or a Senior Certificate with endorsement.
For the BA in Music candidates will require:
- A pass at level 4 in English Home language or first additional language and Life Orientation;
- At least 28 matric points;
- The equivalent of Grade 5 music theory;
- Experience in practical music lessons and performance;
- A practical audition before an accepted panel of music staff;
- A series of tests in theory and aural.
For the BA in Music Foundation Programme candidates will require:
- A pass at level 4 in English Home language or first additional language and Life Orientation;
- At least 24 matric points (excluding Life Orientation);
- A practical audition before an accepted panel of music staff;
- A series of tests in theory and aural.
Those who have successfully completed the accredited BA in Music Foundation year may be admitted to the BA in Music degree.
Important Notes REGARDING APPLICATION:
- It is your responsibility to check your status for admissions. Please make sure that you check the online system regularly.
- If you are given the opportunity to send a set of audition videos, it is your responsibility to ensure that they are sent by the cut-off date (see below). No late submissions will be considered.
- The decision regarding your placement in the BA in Music Foundation Programme or the BA in Music degree is entirely in the hands of the audition panel AND the university admissions staff.
Auditions
On the Central Applications Office website, you will see if you have been asked to attend a live audition; or you will be invited to do so through an SMS/email from the university. If you meet all the entrance requirements and are offered the chance to attend an audition, you have not necessarily been given a firm offer of acceptance to the university. You will first need to pass the audition to ensure that you satisfy the minimum musical criteria for entry. Please note: there are limited places for opera, pop and jazz voice in the two programmes offered at UKZN. Only the top performing applicants will be given firm offers.
About your application
- Your first audition (Round 1) will be by video upload.
- At this time you cannot study Rap/Hip Hop music – see available streams below.
- You MAY be asked to attend a live audition after your videos have been reviewed (Round 2).
- Incomplete applications or applications without videos will NOT be reviewed.
- Please choose the stream you wish to audition for. (Stream refers to the style of music/genre you wish to study. Available streams are:
- African Music & Dance
- Jazz (Voice or Instrument)
- Opera
- Pop Voice
- Western Classical Music
- African Music & Dance is ONE stream (traditional African music and dance such as isicathamiya, ngoma etc and does NOT include Afro-Pop/Afro-Jazz singing)
- You need to choose ONE stream to study. You cannot, for example, study Jazz and Opera.
- You can audition for more than one stream but if you are accepted for both, you will have to choose ONE.
Important to note!
If you are invited to upload audition videos for review, please note the following instructions.
AUDITION VIDEO UPLOAD INSTRUCTIONS
If you are invited to upload audition videos for review, please follow these instructions:
- You may upload a maximum of 2 videos.
- Each video should la maximum length of 2 mins.
- Ensure that you are clearly visible as the performer in the videos you submit.
- Specific instructions for each stream:
African Music & Dance (AMD)- In one video present a dance. In the other video present a song or instrument
Jazz (Voice or Instrument)
- One or both of your videos should demonstrate your ability to improvise.
- Singers: choose songs which are suited to your voice and which bring out the best parts of your vocal range
Opera
- Choose pieces which are suited to your voice and which bring out the best parts of your vocal range
Pop Voice
- You may sing in any language
- Choose songs which are suited to your voice and which bring out the best parts of your vocal range
- Try to sing 2 different songs e.g one fast and one slow, or one musical theatre choice and one current pop song etc
Western Classical Music
- Choose pieces which demonstrate your fluency and abilities on the instrument.