Music

The School of Music offers a Bachelor of Arts in Music designed for students interested in studying music as one of the liberal arts. The degree is also an alternative to the Bachelor of Music Major in Music Scholarship for students interested in graduate work in music theory, music history, or ethnomusicology. Students wishing to become professional performers, composers, or teachers should, if qualified, consider the appropriate Major in the Bachelor of Music program. For current offerings, consult the School.

For the general course requirements of the Bachelor of Arts, see Degree Requirements.

For information on advanced degrees, see graduate Music.

Students may declare a major or minor in Music after completing 54 credits and passing the required courses listed below. There are no performance requirements.

Students who wish to register for ensembles must audition; they should contact the School of Music in mid-August to sign up for audition times.

Major in Music

First and Second Years

Students take the 12-credit music history sequence, MUSC 120, 121, 220, 221. Students also take MUSC 128 or 165 (3 credits) and a 9-credit music theory sequence, MUSC 100, 101, 200. If students do not take MUSC 165, they must take at least one small or large ensemble course (any of MUSC 150-164). These courses should all be completed successfully by the end of Year 2.

Third and Fourth Years

When entering the Major program at the beginning of the third year, the student must draw up a plan of study for the last 60 credits of coursework, in consultation with a School of Music advisor. Another review by an advisor must precede the final 30 credits.

Students must take a total of 60 credits, including 30 credits of 300- or 400-level Music courses¹.

Honours in Music

First and Second Years

As for Major.

Third and Fourth Years

Students take 48 credits of 300- and 400-level Music courses¹ including MUSC 449 and at least 18 credits in music theory, music history, music technology, or ethnomusicology.

At least 54 credits must be at the upper level.

A minimum 68% average in each year is required.

The Honours program is open only to students who show special aptitude and the capacity to profit from working extensively in this field. The School may terminate a student's candidacy for Honours if, after a prescribed process of evaluation, it decides that an appropriate level is not being maintained, at least a 68% average notwithstanding.

Minor in Music

First and Second Years

First and second years of the program require that students complete:

• MUSC 100, 101, and 200; and
• any two of MUSC 120, 121, 220, 221.

Third and Fourth Years

Students must take 18 credits at the 300 or 400 level.¹

¹Any 300- or 400-level course in music history, music theory, music technology, or ethnomusicology counts toward this requirement. Ensemble and composition courses with 100- or 200-level course numbers will count as 300- or 400-level courses, and hence as part of the upper-level requirements for the Major, Honours, or Minor in Music, when taken in the third or fourth years. At most a total of 12 credits of ensemble courses may be counted toward the Bachelor of Arts, and at most 8 credits of ensemble courses may count as upper-level requirements for the Major, Minor, or Honours in Music.

Minor in Applied Music Technology

The Minor in Applied Music Technology provides knowledge, guidance, and experience to support professional artistic activities involving music and technology. This Minor involves 18 credits of 300- and 400-level courses that explore the use of technology in music and sound creation.

To be considered for admission to this Minor, applicants must have completed prerequisites MUSC 100 and 119, and required courses MUSC 319 and 320 with high standing. Applicants will submit three examples of coursework or independent projects that demonstrate their aptitude and potential for research, software development, and artistic creation using recent and emerging music technologies.

First and Second Years

Prerequisites (6 credits):

• MUSC 100 (3) Principles of Musical Form or MUSC 103 (3) Introduction to the Theory of Music
• MUSC 119 (3) Introduction to Music Technology

Required courses¹ (6 credits):

• MUSC 319 (3) Introduction to Electroacoustic Music
• MUSC 320 (3) Computer Music

Third and Fourth Years

Required courses (6 credits):

• MUSC 419 (3) Interactive Performance Systems
• MUSC 420 (3) Music Technology Capstone Project

Electives (6 credits), to be chosen from the following list, subject to the restrictions of the student's degree and major. Approval of the Music Technology Coordinator is required.

• any 300-level or 400-level MUSC courses including MUSC 419 (3) Interactive Performance Systems which can be taken a second time
• any 300- or 400-level courses in: CINE/FIST, CPSC, ELEC, EECE, MECH, FIPR
• PHYS 341 (3) Physics of Music (Strongly recommended for Music/Arts majors, not for credit in the Faculty of Science)
• ARTH 340 (3) 20th Century Art and Culture: The Triumph and Demise of Modernism
• ARTH 341 (3) 20th Century Art and Culture: The Postmodern
• COGS 300 (3) Understanding and Designing Cognitive Systems
• COGS 303 (3) Research Methods and Cognitive Systems
• LING 311 (3) Studies in Phonology
• LING 314 (3) Instrumental Phonetics
• THTR 308 (3) Sound Design
• VISA 310 (3) Intermediate Digital Arts I
• VISA 311 (3) Intermediate Digital Arts II

Other related third and fourth year electives may be accepted after consultation with – and application through – the coordinator of the Minor in Applied Music Technology.

¹Interested students are encouraged to take MUSC 319 and 320 in second year, but the minor can still be completed in four years by students who take these courses in third year.
²This course can be repeated for credit, as its content is different every year.