With Southern Cross University winding down its Bachelor of Music program on the Gold Coast, many in the local music scene were left wondering what this meant for aspiring artists, producers and sound engineers looking to study close to home.
Fortunately, TAFE Queensland is doing its bit to back the next generation of local talent — offering a comprehensive suite of music programs that not only fill the gap but are designed to meet the real-world needs of today’s music industry.
From July 2025, TAFE Queensland’s Coomera Creative Campus will offer a new mid-year intake for its Diploma of Music Performance, tailored especially for working professionals. Delivered over 12 months across three evening sessions each week (Monday to Wednesday, approximately 4pm–9pm), this program is ideal for musicians who have been juggling day jobs and just couldn’t make the commitment to study. The hands-on diploma builds practical performance skills in a collaborative, industry-focused environment. (Enrolments are now open – just make sure to select Gold Coast as your study location when applying.)
For those looking to take their studies further, TAFE also offers Bachelor of Music pathways, with new intakes for the full three-year degree commencing in 2026. Students who begin with the Diploma of Music Performance or the Diploma of Music – Sound Production can receive a full year’s credit towards the Bachelor degree, effectively shaving 12 months off the study load.
Other mid-year programs starting in July 2025 include the Certificate III in Music (full-time, 6 months) and the Diploma of Music – Sound Production (12 months, 3 days a week), giving students a range of options depending on their interests, goals and schedules.
Students across all programs get access to world-class studio and theatre facilities at the Coomera Creative Campus — a hub purpose-built for collaboration and creativity. But the real drawcard? The teaching team. Every course is led by industry-active professionals currently touring, producing, and working with some of the biggest names in the business — we’re talking national stars Amy Shark, Casey Barnes, Kita Alexander and Tash Sultana — all with strong ties to our region – as well as local stars Eves Karydas, Sunny Luwe and Wharves.
More than just teachers, these are creatives who run their own studios, music schools, advertising agencies and production companies — delivering content and insights pulled straight from the trenches of today’s music industry.
Whether you’re just getting started or finally ready to take music more seriously, these programs are made to fit real lives and real music goals.
Keen to check it out? You can book a tour any time — or reach out to Libby Stevens for a chat. at libby.stevens@tafeqld.edu.au.
More information and enrolments: Diploma of Music Performance.