Tertiary Institutions: Bridging Courses

The music access courses referred to as Bridging Courses or Foundation Courses at several tertiary institutions are specifically oriented towards entry into tertiary undergraduate music programmes. The Endowment’s support of these programmes is to address problems of previously disadvantaged students by providing support to programmes that provide music literacy and skills to prepare students for tertiary education at University and other institutions. Many of the students who have been awarded these bursaries have completed diplomas or degrees.

It is also a way of providing students with access to education and career opportunities in music and the ability to return to their communities as leaders in order to raise the standard of music education.

 Such courses currently supported by the Endowment include two programmes at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal [www.ukzn.ac.za] (one caters specifically for pre-diploma/degree jazz studies and the other one bridges students who are already in the BA or B Mus degree); the Foundation Programme at the University of Cape Town [www.uct.ac.za]  where students receive intensive vocal and instrumental training as well as lectures in the academic components of Music Theory, History and General Music Knowledge; the Certificate Course in Music at the University of Stellenbosch [www.sun.ac.za]  and the Tshwane University of Technology (offering jazz and popular music) [www.tut.ac.za] and the University of the Witwatersrand [www.wits.ac.za] offering courses in Foundation of Music Theory and Performance Studies.  In 2007/2008, these subventions had a total value of R200 000.

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