The University of Canberra (UC) through its partnership with The Grove Studios Academy will deliver a new Bachelor of Creative Industries (Contemporary Music Practice), giving aspiring musicians a direct pathway from the studio floor to a university degree.
The three-year degree will be delivered at The Grove Studio’s Central Coast campus – Australia’s industry-leading recording facility – and combines hands-on training in music production, technology, songwriting, live sound and performance with the full breadth of a UC qualification.
The Grove Studios is recognised as one of Australia’s most iconic recording studios, with a client list that includes some of the country’s biggest music acts including Silverchair, Vera Blue, Birds of Tokyo, Ocean Alley, DMAs and Julia Jacklin.
The partnership with The Grove Studios Academy marks an important step in UC's approach to working with specialist education and industry partners, drawing on the unique expertise and facilities that The Grove Studios Academy offers, and creating new opportunities in music education. It reflects a shared commitment from both organisations to ensure a bright future for Australia’s creative industries, at a time when access to industry-level training and formal qualifications can prove complex to combine.
Professor Julian Knowles, Executive Dean of UC's Faculty of Arts and Design, said the agreement represented an exciting new model for collaboration and gives students greater career flexibility.
“Combining studio experience with higher education will equip students to take on roles across the wider creative arts industries backed by the skills to be artists and producers, and UC’s research and scholarship,” he said.
Professor the Honourable Bill Shorten, Vice-Chancellor and President of UC said that the partnership aligns with the University’s wider strategy of partnering with industry to strengthen its course offerings and meeting the needs of students.
“This partnership will deliver a new and unique pathway into the music industry for aspiring artists and directly reflects the University’s ambition to ensure that our students are ready to enter the workforce and make their mark in the places they aspire to work in,” he said.
“It is a testament to our commitment to industry and student success that a UC education equips graduates with the skills and experience needed to thrive in their chosen field of work. By recognising prior learning for those with VET qualifications, we are making it easier, faster and more affordable for our students to gain a UC qualification and accelerate their career aspirations.”
Scott Horscroft, CEO of The Grove Studios Academy, A&R, Producer & Studio Engineer for artists including Silverchair, DMA'S, The Presets, Empire of the Sun and Birds of Tokyo, said the partnership marks a significant step forward for music education in the Central Coast and surrounding regions.
“We are very excited about the future of our partnership between The Grove Studios Academy and the University of Canberra,” Horscroft said.
“It's about building a genuine pathway for students in our region to move from the classroom into the industry – developing real creative and entrepreneurial skills while learning in the same studio facility, The Grove Studios, where professional, groundbreaking records have been made for over 25 years. Together, we're building something that hasn't existed here before, and I think it's going to change what's possible for musicians and producers coming up across the Central Coast, Hunter, Sydney and Greater NSW region.”
The Bachelor of Creative Industries (Contemporary Music Practice) at The Grove Studios Academy will be offered from Semester One 2027, with more information available here and an Open Day to be held on November 14 at their Central Coast campus.