Bachelor of Music

General Information

The Department of Music offers various programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Music. Three routes are available: General, Composition and Sonic Arts, and Performance. The General Route allows students to take various options, the Composition and Sonic Arts Route allows students to specialize in composition, and the Performance Route allows students to specialize in performance.

Admission Requirements:

• General Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Route-Specific Admission Requirements:

• Bachelor of Music (General)
• Bachelor of Music (Performance) and Bachelor of Music (Composition and Sonic Arts)

Students entering the BMus program who are not electing a keyboard instrument as a first practical subject will be asked to take a keyboard proficiency examination covering basic technical materials and sight-reading [approximately Grade 4 Conservatory Canada (previously Western Board)]. The requirement may be waived upon presentation of a Grade 6 Conservatory Canada certificate, or equivalent, earned within three years prior to entering the program. Students who choose not to take the examination or are unable to pass the examination can satisfy this requirement by successfully completing MUSIC 129 in the first year. The keyboard proficiency requirement must be met by the beginning of the second year in the program. Students who do not pass a theory placement exam may be required to complete MUSIC 100 (extra to the Degree) before enrolling in MUSIC 155.

Regulations

• General University Policies
• Faculty Regulations

Courses

• A maximum of 57 units at the junior level is permitted in the BMus program
• Up to 9 units in ensemble (small and/or large) will be permitted in each of the second, third, and fourth years of the program.
• MUSIC 440, MUSIC 441 may be taken twice per year up to a maximum of six completions over the degree program (a total of 18 credits).
• MUSIC 443, MUSIC 444, MUSIC 448, MUSIC 492, MUSIC 493 may be repeated. A maximum of three completions of each course is permitted (a total of 9 credits).
• MUSIC 439, MUSIC 442, MUSIC 446, MUSIC 447 may be repeated. A maximum of four completions is permitted (a total of 12 credits).

Options

• The following course has been approved as a Music option: CATS 381.
• The following courses have been approved as specified non-arts options: DAC 160, DANCE 340, DANCE 345, DANCE 446. All options require Departmental approval.

All Courses

Promotion: All Routes

1. To be eligible to continue, students will need a minimum GPA of 2.3 each Fall/Winter.
2. Students in all routes are normally required to complete 33 units during Fall/Winter of the first and second years, and 30 units during the third and fourth years. A reduced course load to 24 units does not require departmental approval, but a course load of less than 24 units requires Faculty approval based on departmental recommendation.
3. Students who fail to meet the requirements for promotion as outlined in (1) above will be required to withdraw from the BMus program. Such students may transfer to another program in the Faculty of Arts or in another Faculty if the entrance and promotion requirements for such a program are met. After transfer, all requirements for the new program must be met.
4. Students who fail to meet the fourth-year requirements in the program will be permitted to fulfil those requirements only with the approval of the Dean of Arts on Departmental recommendation. Otherwise, students must withdraw from the program and, if so desired, transfer to another program in the Faculty of Arts for which they are able to meet entrance and promotion requirements.
5. A BMus program may be interrupted only with Departmental consent, and continuation will be subject to any conditions, including reauditioning and new program requirements, that may be specified by the Department.

Additional Promotion Requirements: Performance Routes

1. To continue in any performance route, students will need a minimum grade of A- in MUSIC 425. If this grade is not met, students will be moved to the General Route, assuming all other promotion requirements outlined above are met.

Residence Requirement

1. Students proceeding toward the BMus degree (General, Composition and Sonic Arts, and Performance) must normally have credit in at least 63 units offered by the University of Alberta.
2. The final year of the program will normally be taken in one regular academic year at the University of Alberta. The Department may recommend to the Associate Dean (Undergraduate) exemption from this regulation.

Graduation Requirements: All Routes

1. To qualify for the Bachelor of Music degree, students must successfully complete relevant curriculum requirements with a cumulative grade point average of 2.3 on all courses completed in the program; residence requirements; and receive Departmental recommendation.
2. Degrees With Distinction shall be awarded to students who achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or more on all the units of course weight credited to the program and on all the units of course weight in Music. Students who have taken part of their program at another university may be granted a degree “With Distinction” at the discretion of the Faculty.

Additional Graduation Requirements: Performance Routes

1. To qualify for the Bachelor of Music degree in any Performance Route, students must present a minimum grade of A- in MUSIC 525. If a student does not achieve this grade, they will be considered for graduation from the General Route, assuming all other graduation requirements outlined above are met.

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Welcome to the U of A!

The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of the top teaching and research universities in Canada, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences.

…knowledge shall not be the concern of scholars alone. The uplifting of the whole people shall be its final goal. HENRY MARSHALL TORY, Founding President

5 campuses in 2 cities

1) North Campus Edmonton

• 150 Buildings
• covers 50 city blocks
• nestled on edge of North Saskatchewan River

2) Campus Saint-Jean Edmonton

• French-language campus
• one-of-a kind gem
• in the heart of Edmonton’s francophone community

3) Augustana Camrose

• historic campus in vibrant rural community
• intimate residential learning environment

4) South Campusn Edmonton

• extensive land for agricultural research
• home to several recreational facilities

5) Enterprise Square

• downtown hub for lifelong learners
• place where entrepreneurs can turn new research into new businesses

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Scholarships & Awards

There are a variety of scholarships and awards available to both Canadian and international students. Canadian students with outstanding academic records are encouraged to apply for federal and provincial government awards. Foreign students are encouraged to apply for awards from their home countries that may be used for foreign study. Be sure to read all application instructions carefully and submit your application by the appropriate deadline.

Major Scholarships & Awards

NSERC Top-ups

Any student who wins a Tri-Council scholarship at the U of A (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) gets an automatic “top-up” from FGSR.

Master’s Tri-Council winners: Walter H. Johns Grad Fellowship (FGSR)

• An amount equivalent to tuition and fees for one year (as determined by the date of admission to the student’s program) is paid directly to the student.
• This top-up award is processed upon activation of the NSERC award and paid out in September. Thus, no action is required from the students other than the submission of their NSERC Payment Activation Form (to activate their NSERC award).

Doctoral Tri-Council winners: President’s Doctoral Prize of Distinction (FGSR)

• $10,000 in the first year that the student holds the NSERC award.
• An amount equivalent to tuition and fees for the Fall and Winter terms in subsequent years that the student holds the NSERC award.
• This top-up award is processed upon activation of the NSERC award and paid out in September. Thus, no action is required from the students other than submission of their NSERC Payment Activation Form (to activate their NSERC award).

Faculty of Science Graduate Scholarship

• $2000 one-time award for students entering our program.

AITF Top-ups

NSERC, Vanier, China Scholarship Council and other external peer-reviewed award holders who win an AITF Graduate Student Scholarship will receive an automatic top-up for the duration of their eligibility ($12 000), and this top-up value may increase to the full scholarship value when the external funding ends, for the remainder of the AITF scholarship terms.

• In order to receive an AITF top-up, students need to apply to the full AITF Scholarship Competition. If they do not apply, they will not receive the AITF top-up even if they get an NSERC.

Outstanding Students From China

The China Scholarship Council and the University of Alberta have signed a collaborative co-funding agreement for sponsoring up to 10 doctoral students to study at the University of Alberta. Please visit Funding Information for International Students on the FGSR webpage for more details.

Additional Awards, Scholarships and Fellowships

• Alberta Citizenship Award
• Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
• Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship
• Google Ph.D. Fellowship Program
• Rhodes Scholarships
• Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada
• W.L. MacKenzie King Memorial Scholarship

Professional Development Awards

• FGSR Travel Awards
• GSA Professional Development and Travel Grants

Financial Assistance and Emergency Funding

Other forms of financial assistance including bursaries and emergency funding as well as student loans are also available. For help with various forms of financial aid, visit the Student Service Centre.

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