School of Fine Art and Music, College of Arts

This program is designed to provide students with experience and breadth of knowledge across the sector. Music offers a contemporary focus with areas of emphasis to support students in research-creation and performance.

Rapid technological change is taken for granted. Rethinking and reimagining the past is changing how we think about ourselves, traditional silos of knowledge are collapsing, and power is shifting. Music reflects and helps shape these continuous changes. The Music program offers an experience that will equip students with the music-making skills, critical ideas and thinking, and inclusive practices that will help them to succeed. The program uses musics from a broad range of styles, genres, and world-wide traditions, musics both old and new, musics traditional and experimental, performative and contemplative, all in equal measure.

Learning Outcomes

Community Engagement and Global Understanding

• Demonstrate a contextual understanding of music focusing on global, historical, and contemporary/current issues.
• Apply and mobilize interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary knowledge that explore the intersections between music and other disciplines.
• Adapt individual voice in response to community or group needs and roles in a collective performance.

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Synthesize and integrate the theoretical, cultural, political, and historical frameworks of music into research and real-world applications.
• Apply critical thinking skills to music and demonstrate the ability to problematize key concepts across a wide range of genres and contexts.
• Develop an individualized inquiry-based praxis by integrating theory and practice, and demonstrating self-direction, autonomy, creativity.

Literacy and Communication

• Demonstrate proficiency in written, oral, and creative modes of communication to engage with a range of communities and audiences about music.
• Demonstrate foundational musicianship skills, including sight-singing, dictation, conducting, keyboard, and improvisation skills.
• Analyze and articulate key concepts, terminology, and theoretical frameworks in music and describe how these have shifted across time and place.

Evaluate and Conduct Research

• Design, conduct and evaluate research in the field of music using different disciplinary methodologies.
• Engage with theories relating to music to formulate and critically analyze topical research questions and problems.

Depth and Breadth of Understanding

• Demonstrate a well-rounded understanding of music and its application in a variety of musical contexts through performance, composition, and analysis.
• Synthesize, integrate, and critically evaluate complex ideas related to music.

Professional Development and Ethical Behavior

• Demonstrate the value of inclusive practices for fostering positive collaborative and professional environments.
• Demonstrate the importance of continual self-reflection and social and cultural awareness in the field of music.

Major Requirements (Honours)

This is a major within the degree: Bachelor of Arts.

Credit Summary 

(20.00 Total Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Core Courses		7.00
Area of Emphasis		3.50
Social Sciences		1.50
Arts (other than MUSC)		0.50
Natural and/or Mathematical Sciences		1.00
Elective Courses		6.50
Total Credits		20

Recommended Program Sequence

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Semester 1		2.25
MUSC*1160	Theory and Musicianship I	0.50
MUSC*1340	Music and Research I: Exploring Society's Sounds	0.50
MUSC*1410	Music and Creative Practice I	0.50
MUSC*1710	Instrumental Ensembles I	0.25
or MUSC*1910	Choral Ensembles I
0.50 electives or distribution requirements		0.50
Semester 2		2.75
MUSC*1170	Theory and Musicianship II	0.50
MUSC*1420	Music and Creative Practice II	0.50
MUSC*1720	Instrumental Ensembles II	0.25
or MUSC*1920	Choral Ensembles II
1.00 electives or distribution requirements		1.00
Research-Creation AoE: 1
MUSC*1200	Introduction to the Music Industry	0.50
Performing Professional AoE:
0.50 electives or distribution requirements		0.50
Semester 3		2.25
MUSC*2340	Music and Research II: Critiquing Society's Sounds	0.50
MUSC*2430	Theory and Musicianship III	0.50
MUSC*2710	Instrumental Ensembles III	0.25
or MUSC*2910	Choral Ensembles III
0.50 electives or distribution requirements		0.50
Research-Creation AoE:
MUSC*2410	Applied Composition I	0.50
Performing Professional AoE:
MUSC*2500	Music and Creative Practice III	0.50
Semester 4		2.75
MUSC*2100	Creating Music on the Computer	0.50
MUSC*2440	Theory and Musicianship IV	0.50
MUSC*2720	Instrumental Ensembles IV	0.25
or MUSC*2920	Choral Ensembles IV
1.00 electives or distribution requirements		1.00
Research-Creation AoE:
MUSC*2420	Applied Composition II	0.50
Performing Professional AoE:
MUSC*2510	Music and Creative Practice IV	0.50
Semester 5		2.25
MUSC*3710	Instrumental Ensembles V	0.25
or MUSC*3910	Choral Ensembles V
1.00 electives or distribution requirements		1.00
Select 0.50 credits from the following:
MUSC*3460	Topics in World Music and Improvisation	0.50
MUSC*3470	Topics in Music Teaching and Learning	0.50
MUSC*3480	Topics in Music and Social Movements: Inclusion and Transformation	0.50
MUSC*3490	Topics in Digital Music	0.50
Research-Creation AoE:
0.50 electives or distribution requirements		0.50
Performing Professional AoE:
MUSC*3500	Music and Creative Practice V	0.50
Semester 6		2.75
MUSC*3720	Instrumental Ensembles VI	0.25
or MUSC*3920	Choral Ensembles VI
1.50 electives or distribution requirements		1.50
Research-Creation AoE:
MUSC*3340	Music and Research III: Issues in Contemporary Popular Musics	0.50
Select 0.50 credits from the following:
MUSC*3460	Topics in World Music and Improvisation	0.50
MUSC*3470	Topics in Music Teaching and Learning	0.50
MUSC*3480	Topics in Music and Social Movements: Inclusion and Transformation	0.50
MUSC*3490	Topics in Digital Music	0.50
Performing Professional AoE:
MUSC*3510	Music and Creative Practice VI	0.50
0.50 electives or distribution requirements		0.50
Semester 7		2.50
2.00 electives or distribution requirements		2.00
Research-Creation AoE:
MUSC*4340	Music and Research IV: Theorising the Contemporary Canadian Music Industry	0.50
Performing Professional AoE:
MUSC*4460	Music and Creative Practice VII	0.50
Semester 8		2.50
MUSC*4000	Honours Capstone Project in Music	1.00
1.00 electives or distribution requirements		1.00
Research-Creation AoE:
0.50 electives or distribution requirements		0.50
Performing Professional AoE:
MUSC*4470	Music and Creative Practice VIII	0.50

¹

'AoE' means Area of Emphasis

Areas of Emphasis

A. Research-Creation

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
MUSC*1200	Introduction to the Music Industry	0.50
MUSC*2410	Applied Composition I	0.50
MUSC*2420	Applied Composition II	0.50
MUSC*3340	Music and Research III: Issues in Contemporary Popular Musics	0.50
MUSC*4340	Music and Research IV: Theorising the Contemporary Canadian Music Industry	0.50
Select 1.00 credits from the following:
MUSC*3460	Topics in World Music and Improvisation	0.50
MUSC*3470	Topics in Music Teaching and Learning	0.50
MUSC*3480	Topics in Music and Social Movements: Inclusion and Transformation	0.50
MUSC*3490	Topics in Digital Music	0.50

B. Performing Professional

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
MUSC*2500	Music and Creative Practice III	0.50
MUSC*2510	Music and Creative Practice IV	0.50
MUSC*3500	Music and Creative Practice V	0.50
MUSC*3510	Music and Creative Practice VI	0.50
MUSC*4460	Music and Creative Practice VII	0.50
MUSC*4470	Music and Creative Practice VIII	0.50
Select 0.50 credits from the following:
MUSC*3460	Topics in World Music and Improvisation	0.50
MUSC*3470	Topics in Music Teaching and Learning	0.50
MUSC*3480	Topics in Music and Social Movements: Inclusion and Transformation	0.50
MUSC*3490	Topics in Digital Music	0.50

Minor Requirements (Honours)

This minor cannot be combined with a major in Music.

A minimum of 5.00 Music credits is required, including:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select 2.00 credits from the following:
MUSC*1160	Theory and Musicianship I	0.50
MUSC*1170	Theory and Musicianship II	0.50
MUSC*1340	Music and Research I: Exploring Society's Sounds	0.50
MUSC*1410	Music and Creative Practice I	0.50
MUSC*1420	Music and Creative Practice II	0.50
MUSC*2100	Creating Music on the Computer	0.50
MUSC*2340	Music and Research II: Critiquing Society's Sounds	0.50
1.00 additional credits in Music at the 3000 level or above		1.00
1.00 additional credits in Music		1.00
Select 0.50 credits from the following:
MUSC*1710	Instrumental Ensembles I	0.25
MUSC*1720	Instrumental Ensembles II	0.25
MUSC*1910	Choral Ensembles I	0.25
MUSC*1920	Choral Ensembles II	0.25
Select 0.50 credits from the following:
MUSC*2710	Instrumental Ensembles III	0.25
MUSC*2720	Instrumental Ensembles IV	0.25
MUSC*2910	Choral Ensembles III	0.25
MUSC*2920	Choral Ensembles IV	0.25

Area of Concentration Requirements (General)

This is an area of concentration within the degree: Bachelor of Arts.

A minimum of 6.00 credits is required. The recommended program sequence is outlined below.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Semester 1		2.25
MUSC*1160	Theory and Musicianship I	0.50
MUSC*1340	Music and Research I: Exploring Society's Sounds	0.50
MUSC*1410	Music and Creative Practice I	0.50
MUSC*1710	Instrumental Ensembles I	0.25
or MUSC*1910	Choral Ensembles I
0.50 electives or distribution requirements		0.50
Semester 2		2.75
MUSC*1170	Theory and Musicianship II	0.50
MUSC*1420	Music and Creative Practice II	0.50
MUSC*1720	Instrumental Ensembles II	0.25
or MUSC*1920	Choral Ensembles II
1.50 electives or distribution requirements		1.50
Semester 3		2.25
MUSC*2340	Music and Research II: Critiquing Society's Sounds	0.50
MUSC*2430	Theory and Musicianship III	0.50
MUSC*2710	Instrumental Ensembles III	0.25
or MUSC*2910	Choral Ensembles III
1.00 electives or distribution requirements		1.00
Semester 4		2.75
MUSC*2440	Theory and Musicianship IV	0.50
MUSC*2720	Instrumental Ensembles IV	0.25
or MUSC*2920	Choral Ensembles IV
2.00 electives or distribution requirements		2.00
Semester 5+		5.00
1.00 additional credits in Music at the 3000 level or above		1.00
4.00 electives or distribution requirements		4.00