Bachelor of Songwriting
Performing
A course by
SAE Creative Media Institute
A three-year NZQA Level 7 Bachelor’s degree focusing on songwriting, music production, performance, and the music industry, designed for those pursuing professional careers in songwriting and music.
NZ$12,900
inc GST
Enquire about international pricing
Core skills this course teaches
Develop advanced songwriting skills
Formulate and apply advanced songwriting techniques across a range of genres and contexts.
Produce music for screen, performance, and commercial settings
Compose and arrange works suitable for film, television, jingles, and live performances.
About This Course
The Bachelor of Songwriting at SAE New Zealand is a three-year accredited programme that equips students with fundamental and advanced skills in songwriting, music production, musical analysis, and collaborative industry practice. Students progress through structured levels covering songwriting technique, arrangement, creative media analysis, work-integrated learning, and engagement with Aotearoa and global music culture. The programme includes significant engagement with live performance, industry partnerships, and professional practice, supporting graduates to pursue careers as songwriters, composers, performers, and music industry professionals.
Course Content
- Songwriting toolkit and writing techniques
- Short-form composition for film and jingles
- Professional practice with industry engagement
- Analysis and interpretation of New Zealand songs
- Dramatic composition and arrangement
- Genre and community analysis
- Production integration and reflective practice
- Song rewriting and re-performance
- Creative media historical/cultural study
- Work-integrated industry experience
- Collaboration in Aotearoa/NZ music contexts
- Avant-garde composition and production
- Global music industry research
- Technical production support for projects
- Creative song specialisation with industry briefs
- Te Ao Māori cultural engagement and reflection
- Capstone interdisciplinary projects
- Peer-led Tuakana-Teina mentorship
Entry Requirements
Build towards these roles
SongwriterComposerMusicianPerformerMusic ProducerMusic DirectorEducator
Build skills in these industries
Creative IndustriesPerforming Arts
SAE New Zealand is an Auckland-based creative media school with a global reputation and over 40 years of history developing working professionals in audio, music production, screen, and songwriting. Their courses are hands-on and studio-based, taught by industry practitioners in purpose-built facilities — and as part of a worldwide network spanning campuses across four continents, the qualification you earn here carries weight far beyond New Zealand.
