Music (BMus)(BA)
Dal’s music program teaches poise, discipline, creativity, and collaboration. These skills work for many careers in and beyond the performing arts.
Why choose this program?
Become a professional in music, or combine your music studies with programs in science, theatre, or information technology. Here at Dalhousie, you'll get the theory and training you need for the future you want. You'll have the opportunity to study with internationally recognized musicians and music scholars and participate in regular performances.
Admission requirements
Minimum admission requirements
To be considered for admission to this program, you must meet minimum academic criteria:
- Completion of secondary school (Grade 12)
- Achievement of the minimum average for your program of choice.
- Completion of Grade 12 English (or equivalent course).
Admission to many Dalhousie programs is competitive. This means that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Program-specific admission requirements
Minimum overall average: 70%
Academic English 12
Four additional academic subjects
All Music major programs require that candidates (including transfer students) apply to both the university and the Fountain School of Performing Arts and audition for Applied Study.
Application and audition details
Financial information
A university education is a significant financial investment. Every student is unique, and so are their financial circumstances. We offer competitive tuition, a robust scholarship and bursary program, and resources and support to help you explore financial options and develop a plan that works for you.
Program options
Our undergraduate options provide a variety of ways to study music: from dynamic and intensive training to prepare you for professional performance; to interdisciplinary studies that allow you to explore music in the context of other fields. In addition to the BMus, we offer Honours, Minors, and many elective classes.
The following Music program options are offered by Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Connect with an academic advisor after you start your studies to explore options such as:
Bachelor of Arts, Music
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science Combined Honours and Double-Majors
Cooperative Degree Programs with University of King’s College
Minors in Music, Musicology, Popular Culture Studies, and Interdisciplinary Minor in Medieval Studies
What you will learn
Through the study of Music, students can develop expertise as listeners, performers, and creators. You'll have the opportunity to take a wide range of courses from one-on-one studio instruction to small seminars and large lectures. You can also study a wide range of instruments as well as voice.
Training in music teaches poise, discipline, creativity, collaboration, and the ability to think on one’s feet. These skills are excellent preparation for many career paths in and beyond the performing arts.
Sample courses may include:
Writing about Performance
Writing about Music
Topics in Music and Cinema
The Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll
The History of Jazz
Vocal Literature
History of Opera
African American Vernacular Music
Topics in Canadian Music
Studies in Medieval Music
Narrative Strategies in 19th-Century Music
The Fountain School of Performing Arts provides a wide variety of programs for students who want to specialize in music studies. Many music elective classes and ensembles are also available to non-majors who want to increase both musical awareness as a listener and involvement as a performer.
Careers
Music grads are creative, articulate, adaptable and confident and have gone on to do outstanding work in a wide variety of areas.
Focused music studies offered in the Bachelor of Music also prepare graduates for further study at the graduate level in many areas, including performance, composition, theory, musicology, and more.
