Bachelor of Popular Music

Summary

Immerse yourself in a world of sound, expression, and innovation. Combine critical study and creative practice in New Zealand's most flexible music degree.

Feel the pulse

Popular music spans the globe. It’s one of the most powerful ways we express ourselves and connect with other people. In all its myriad forms, popular music is a dynamic force that shapes contemporary culture.

Through the Bachelor of Popular Music, you’ll develop the creative, technical, and critical skills you need to flourish in the wide open world of popular music—whether you want to make music, record and produce it, or communicate about it.

Discover new and exciting study areas including electronic music, audio production and recording, popular music studies, and songwriting. The majors in Electronic Music and Popular Music Studies are the first of their kind in New Zealand.

Scholarships for international students

We are currently offering a NZ$15,000 VUW Undergraduate International Scholarship to all eligible international students enrolling in a Bachelor’s degree. Your scholarship will be processed automatically when your programme application is accepted, and the amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.

Flexible study options

This exciting new degree is highly flexible. You can combine creative practice and critical study, while also exploring other subjects you’re passionate about.

You can take a double major within the BPM or add an outside major from one of our other Bachelor’s degrees.

To enter the BPM programme, you don’t need to have any prior musical training—it’s open to students from a wide range of study backgrounds.

Combine your BPM with another degree

You can combine your Bachelor of Popular Music (BPM) with another degree, which means you can complete two undergraduate degrees in a shorter time than if you’d do one degree and then another. This is called a conjoint degree, and an example is Bachelor of Popular Music/Bachelor of Arts (BPM/BA).

Popular pairings with a BPM include:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Law
• Bachelor of Music

Having a conjoint degree can help you find specialised jobs and prepare for changes in your career by giving you a broader range of knowledge and connecting you with a wider professional network.

Find out more

Fill in a form to register your interest and find out more about the Bachelor of Popular Music.

Degree structure

The three-year BPM includes seven core courses that provide a solid foundation in audio production and analysis of popular music. Along with the core courses, you’ll choose a major subject from the following:

• Audio Production and Recording
• Electronic Music
• Popular Music Studies
• Songwriting (from 2026).

The Electronic Music and Popular Music Studies majors are the first of their kind in New Zealand.

Whichever major you choose, you’ll have valuable opportunities for work-integrated learning in your third year.

Learn from experts

The courses that make up this degree are taught by staff in the New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Our staff are internationally recognised for their work as artists, music technologists, industry experts, and researchers.

Connect and explore

As a BPM student, you’ll have the chance to collaborate with peers, engage with musicians from across the NZSM, use our studios and recording facilities, and explore the latest approaches to making, understanding, and learning about popular music.

Careers

A BPM can lead to many careers, including working in the industry as a musical artist, producer, artist manager, publicist, talent scout, or event organiser.

Further afield, BPM graduates may find work in education, research, journalism, policy and government, or in museums and other cultural institutions.

Why Wellington

Wellington is a thriving hub of musical creativity. Every day, local and international musicians perform in venues across the city, while artists work in the city’s many recording and production studios. Wellington is also home to major radio stations, media outlets, archives, and other bodies that shape and support popular music in the country.