Music (BMus)
Bachelor of Music
(Faculty of Arts)
If you want a professional career in music, as a performer, teacher, composer, theorist, historian or critic, this program is designed for you. After your first year, you may choose an area of emphasis from amongst Performance, Composition, History and Theory, Integrated Studies, or the Concurrent BMUS/BEd with the Faculty of Education. You will be attending concerts (for credit!), as well as participate in recitals. You have access to practice rooms, studios, a state of the art lab and experienced instructors, as well as lessons on your particular instrument. When finished, you may choose from many occupations, including choir director, critic, fundraiser, lyricist, publisher, or orchestral librarian.
Admission Requirements
Admission to all majors is limited. Therefore, all qualified applicants may not be admitted.
To be considered for admission applicants are required to present the appropriate high school subjects and a competitive average.
Other Admission Requirements (Auditions)
Click here to view the Department of Music website.
Bachelor of Music (BMus)
Audutions will be held on March 2, 5, and 6, 2012.
Only students who audition in March will be eligible for Department of Music scholarships.
Applicants living more than 150 km from Calgary may submit a CD recording. If a CD is submitted, the student may be required to perform a live audition upon arrival.
For more detailed audition information, please visit the Department of Music.
Why take this program?
Musical study begins with a passion for music, followed by a desire to learn as much as possible about the subtle art of combining sounds into structures of enduring beauty. But which music program is right for you? Are you more interested in performing professionally? Do you want to share your knowledge and love of music with others? The U of C offers five areas of specialization in which students can explore their passion for the musical arts. Majors in the Bachelor of Music program can look forward to a challenging musical education that offers musical training enriched through participation in ensembles, and inspired by numerous musical performances by accomplished faculty members and visiting artists.
The U of C offers a supportive and nurturing environment for you. At any time during the academic year, students walking though Craigie Hall will hear the sounds of students practicing, ensembles rehearsing and recordings emanating from various classrooms. They will encounter gatherings of students and faculty discussing musical issues, providing guidance on class work, or simply relaxing as members of a passionate and deeply engaged musical community. The Bachelor of Music degree also provides music majors with the opportunity to work with a talented faculty that includes established performers, composers, scholars and educators in a stimulating and close-knit community.
Music students have access to practice studios and state of the art theatres and recital halls, including the award winning Rozsa Centre. The department also has a number of resources available to students, such as the Electroacoustic Studio (a digital lab with a fully functional MIDI workstation including keyboards, tone generators and a wide range of software), the Integrated Arts Media Lab, an organ studio, instrument collections and music archives. In addition, the Department of Music has its own recording label, UNICAL Records, which produces many critically acclaimed performances by the university’s ensembles, faculty performers and guest artists, as well as faculty composers and alumni.
What will I study in my first year?
You may choose a concentration; you will have lessons on your instrument, and many opportunities to perform. The Concert Hall is a state of the art facility and the faculty are experts in their fields and renowned in the music community. All first year Music students must take theory and composition, history and literature, and performance. Lessons and listening are also part of your first year experience.
What will I study in later years?
Senior courses focus on your area of interest and become more intensive as you work on your skills, research, and performance.
What can I do with this degree?
The great thing about studying music is that you’ll graduate with a number of marketable skills including:
- Ability to manage time wisely
- Performance and presentation skills
- Work closely with others to meet group goals
- Ability to take lead on projects
- Improvisation skills
- Flexible and divergent thinking
Graduates from the BMus program have a number of career options available to them in a variety of industries. Here is what some U of C grads have done with their BMus degree:
- Studio Teacher
- Broadcaster
- Film Score Composer
- Editor (film, music, music magazine)
- Talent Scout
- Technical Director
- Video Music Careers
To see a full list of potential skills, careers and industries available to you, visit the Career Services Career Profiles website
Additional Information
Student Finance
