Music Schools and Programs in South Africa

Music Studies in South Africa

You can do your music studies in South Africa at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Music at a South African university is studied as a three-year bachelor's degree, followed by a one-year honours degree and then a master's degree or doctorate. Entry depends on school results and on an audition. Programmes combine Western classical music with jazz, popular music and African music and dance, and teaching is in English.

SpainExchange lists 1 university in South Africa for music: the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), whose music programmes are taught on the Howard College campus in Durban.

How the degree is organised

South African qualifications are registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), which the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) describes as a single integrated system for classifying and registering quality-assured national qualifications. Within that system, UKZN's Discipline of Music lists these undergraduate routes:

• Bachelor of Arts in Music, a three-year degree dedicated to music with a flexible choice of subjects
• Bachelor of Arts in Music Foundation Programme, a four-year route whose first year consists of four introductory courses in practical studies, performance skills, music fundamentals and academic writing
• Bachelor of Arts, a three-year general arts degree in which music can be taken as a major

Students on the foundation route must pass all foundation courses before they are admitted to the degree. The UKZN School of Arts also lists a BA Music & Drama Performance and diplomas in Jazz & Popular Music and in Music Performance, African Music & Dance, Opera or Choral Studies.

Students choose one stream, meaning the style of music they study. The streams open for audition are African Music & Dance, Jazz (voice or instrument), Opera, Pop Voice and Western Classical Music. The academic areas are African music and dance, jazz studies, musicology and ethnomusicology, opera and choral studies, and popular music studies. According to the discipline, it has about 260 undergraduate and 50 graduate students.

At postgraduate level, the BA (Honours) is a one-year qualification that prepares for master's study. UKZN states that it currently offers the MA and PhD in music by research thesis only, and that master's and doctoral programmes in composition and performance are not offered until they have been revised and approved.

Admission, auditions and language

First-time undergraduate applicants apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO). South African applicants need a National Senior Certificate with a bachelor's pass. For the BA in Music, UKZN asks for at least 28 matric points, the equivalent of Grade 5 music theory, experience in practical lessons and performance, an audition and tests in theory and aural skills. UKZN advises applicants to apply for both the BA in Music and its foundation programme.

The first audition round is by video upload: at most 2 videos, each no longer than two minutes. Some applicants are then invited to a live audition. UKZN notes that places for opera, pop and jazz voice are limited.

International applicants follow extra steps:

• Undergraduate applicants must send an evaluation from Universities South Africa stating that their foreign school qualification is equivalent to the South African school-leaving certificate. Its Matriculation Board charges an exemption fee of R1,070 in 2026.
• Postgraduate applicants need an evaluation of their previous qualifications from SAQA.
• Certificates that are not in English must come with official translations.

UKZN is an English-medium university, and applicants must meet its English requirement. The points system used for South African school leavers does not apply to international applicants.

Costs and study permit

For 2027 entry, UKZN's application fee for international applicants is R490 for applicants from SADC countries and the rest of Africa and US$153 for applicants from outside Africa. The pages consulted do not give tuition fees for music; the university publishes them separately each year.

Once an international applicant meets all requirements, UKZN provides the letters needed to apply for a study permit. The application itself is made to the South African authorities, usually through the embassy or consulate in the applicant's country.

Recognition and careers

A degree from a South African public university sits on the NQF. Graduates who want to work or study further in another country should ask the recognition authority there how the degree is assessed.

UKZN says its teaching helps students develop the skills to earn a living by creating music, teaching, doing research, working in sound studios and contributing to community projects. The discipline is linked to the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music, the Opera Studio and the African Music Project, which give students performance experience during their studies.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a music degree in South Africa?

At UKZN the Bachelor of Arts in Music takes three years, or four years through the foundation programme. An honours degree adds one year.

Do I need an audition to study music at UKZN?

Yes. Applicants first upload up to 2 audition videos and may then be invited to a live audition. They also sit tests in theory and aural skills.

Can international students apply with a foreign school certificate?

Yes, but UKZN only considers the application with an evaluation from Universities South Africa confirming that the certificate is equivalent to the South African school-leaving certificate.

In which language is music taught?

UKZN is an English-medium university, and applicants must meet its English requirement.