Bachelor of Music

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A Bachelor of Music (BMus or BM) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. [1] The degree may be awarded for performance, music education, composition, music theory, musicology / music history (musicology degrees may be a Bachelor of Arts rather than a Bachelor of Music), music technology, music therapy, sacred music, music business/music industry, entertainment, music production, or jazz studies. Since the 2010s, some universities have begun offering degrees in music composition with technology, which include traditional theory and musicology courses and sound recording and composition courses using digital technologies.

Contents

In the United States, the Bachelor of Music is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring proficiency in an instrument, voice, or conducting. One of the most renowned is Juilliard School in New York, a professional educational arm of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. [2] Juilliard offers bachelor’s degrees in music, dance, and drama. [3] Berklee College of Music also offers a variety of such degrees, including a four-year professional degree, [4] as well as instrumental and online undergraduate courses. [5] In 2023, Juilliard and Berklee were two of fourteen US campuses named by Niche as frontrunners in the field of undergraduate music degrees. [6]

In Canada, the B.M. is often considered an undergraduate degree. Programs typically last from three to four and a half years. [7]

In the United Kingdom, the Bachelor of Music is generally a first degree lasting three years or four years and consisting of a wide range of areas of study (normally including performance, composition, music theory, musicology/music history), but at the University of Oxford [8] and University of Cambridge [9] it was a one-year postgraduate degree which could only be taken if a student were to have been a graduate in music with honors at those universities; the undergraduate course is in the Faculty of Arts and leads to the Bachelor of Arts (and subsequently the Master of Arts (Oxbridge)). In Scotland, as part of its undergraduate Bachelor’s degree programme, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland offers a BMus in Jazz, [10] while Edinburgh University through its Edinburgh College of Art offers a three year BMus degree, with the option for a fourth ‘Honours’ year, styled ‘BMus(Hons)’. [11]

In Australia, Music Bachelor Degree study programs are available at, among others, the University of Sydney, [12] Monash University, [13] the University of New South Wales, [14] the University of Adelaide, [15] Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, [16] and the University of Tasmania. [17] The University of Canberra offers a 'Bachelor of Creative Industries (Contemporary Music Practice)'. [18]

Abbreviations

After a degree holder's name, as on a business card or a CV, the degree is abbreviated in various ways, including: B.M., BM, B.Mus., BMus, Mus.B., or Mus.Bac. Some recipients add an abbreviation for the name of the institution which granted the degree as well, e.g., "Susan Bhattara, BMus(Oxon)"; Oxon being the Latin abbreviation for Oxford University.

Post-graduation options

Graduates may apply for jobs in performance, teaching, or arts administration. As well, graduates can apply for jobs that require a bachelor's degree in any subject, such as some entry-level jobs in banking, insurance, sales, and administration. Graduates with an interest in teaching in the school system may go on to complete a teaching degree or diploma. Graduates who have achieved a high standard on their instrument, voice, or another specialisation such as composition or conducting may be eligible to apply for a Master of Music (MMus) if their grades are high enough (a B+ or A− average is typically required). BMus graduates can also apply to a range of graduate programs outside of music, such as library science, business administration or public administration; a B+ or A− average is typically required. Some programs may require BMus graduates to complete preparatory or make-up courses in the field of the master's. As well, some programs require the GRE or GMAT (standardized tests). BMus graduates in some fields, such as composition, music theory, or musicology may be able to apply directly to PhD programs if they have a high average and strong recommendation letters.

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A Bachelor of Arts is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years, depending on the country and institution.

A bachelor's degree or baccalaureate is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years. The two most common bachelor's degrees are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science. In some institutions and educational systems, certain bachelor's degrees can only be taken as graduate or postgraduate educations after a first degree has been completed, although more commonly the successful completion of a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for further courses such as a master's or a doctorate.

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A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Undergraduate education</span> Academic programs up to the level of a bachelors degree

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Degree abbreviations are used as an alternative way to specify an academic degree instead of spelling out the title in full, such as in reference books such as Who's Who and on business cards. Many degree titles have more than one possible abbreviation, with the abbreviation used varying between different universities. In the UK it is normal not to punctuate abbreviations for degrees with full stops, although this is done at some universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor of Musical Arts</span> Doctoral academic degree in music

The doctor of musical arts (DMA) is a doctoral academic degree in music. The DMA combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music education. The DMA degree usually takes about three to four years of full-time study to complete, preparing students to be professional performers, conductors, and composers. As a terminal degree, the DMA qualifies its recipient to work in university, college, and conservatory teaching/research positions. Students seeking doctoral training in musicology, teaching, leadership, music administration or music theory typically enter a doctor of music education (DME) or PhD program, rather than a DMA program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berklee College of Music</span> Music college in Boston, Massachusetts

Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including rock, hip hop, reggae, salsa, heavy metal and bluegrass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Master of Music</span> First graduate degree in music awarded by universities and music conservatories

The Master of Music is, as an academic title, the first graduate degree in music awarded by universities and conservatories. The MM combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy. The degree, which takes one or two years of full-time study to complete, prepares students to be professional performers, conductors, and composers, according to their area of specialization. The MM is often required as the minimum teaching credential for university, college, and conservatory instrumental or vocal teaching positions.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elder Conservatorium of Music</span> Australian conservatorium of music

The Elder Conservatorium of Music, also known as "The Con", is Australia's senior academy of music and is located in the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It is named in honour of its benefactor, Sir Thomas Elder. Dating in its earliest form from 1883, it has a history in professional training for musical performance, musical composition, research in all fields of music, and music education. The Elder Conservatorium of Music and its forerunners have been parts of the University of Adelaide since the early 1880s.

The Boston University College of Fine Arts(CFA) is the performing, cinematic, and media arts school of Boston University. Founded in 1872 with the establishment of the College of Music, it is an institution that trains artists, scholars of the arts, and filmmakers. Since the College of Fine Arts is integrated into Boston University, students at CFA may choose courses in the other undergraduate colleges at Boston University. CFA students can also apply for the Boston University Collaborative Degree Program (BUCOP), where students simultaneously earn undergraduate degrees at CFA and in one of 14 undergraduate colleges of the university. The college offers a study abroad program in London, England, and Dresden, Germany. Students can spend a semester at the Royal College of Music, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, or at the Hochschule für Musik "Carl Maria von Weber".

The Bard College Conservatory of Music is part of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Founded in 2005, the program is unique among music conservatories in the United States in that all undergraduate students are required to participate in a five-year dual-degree program, in which both a B.M. in music and a B.A. in a subject other than music are obtained. Many of the Conservatory's faculty also teach at other conservatories such as the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schulich School of Music</span>

The Schulich School of Music is one of the constituent faculties of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 555, Rue Sherbrooke Ouest. The faculty was named after the benefactor Seymour Schulich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music</span>

The University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music offers students an integrated music education based on best international contemporary arts practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UWA Conservatorium of Music</span>

The UWA Conservatorium of Music is a teaching and research school offering undergraduate and postgraduate study in music at the University of Western Australia. It is located at the north-east corner of the Crawley campus and teaches predominately Classical music, with focus in the undergraduate curriculum on performance, as well as overall strength in musicology, composition and electronic music. In 2016, UWA entered the top 100 "Performing Arts" institutions in the world, and in 2017 and 2018 the School improved its ranking to enter the top 50 in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings. The Conservatorium is also well regarded in research. Under the research code "19 Studies in Creative Arts and Writing", the Conservatorium was rated as "4 - Above World Standard" by the Australian Research Council in 2018. Previously, the name of the organisation has been the UWA Department of Music, and the UWA School of Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shenyang Conservatory of Music</span> Music school in Shenyang, China

Shenyang Conservatory of Music is a music college in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China. It is one of nine major conservatories in China. Established in 1938, the school serves approximately 8,000 students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of North Texas College of Music</span> Public school

The University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school among the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. It developed the first jazz studies program in the nation, and it remains one of the top schools for jazz. As one of thirteen colleges and schools at the University of North Texas, it has been among the largest music institutions of higher learning in North America since the 1940s. North Texas has been a member of the National Association of Schools of Music for 84 years. Since the 1970s, approximately one-third of all North Texas music students have been enrolled at the graduate level. Music at North Texas dates back to the founding of the university in 1890 when Eliza Jane McKissack, its founding director, structured it as a conservatory.

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The University of Iowa School of Music is a part of the Division of Performing Arts of the College of Liberal Art & Sciences. The school trains musicians for professional careers in performance, composition, music therapy, music theory, musicology, conducting, and music education. Admission to the school is selective, requiring students to be admitted to the university itself before being able to apply and audition for the school of music, at least at the undergraduate level.

The University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts is composed of four academic units: the School of Art and Visual Studies, the Department of Arts Administration, the School of Music, and the Department of Theatre and Dance. The Singletary Center for the Arts, the college's performing arts facility, supports the School of Music. The University of Kentucky Art Museum has a collection of more than 4,500 objects.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Bret P. (2019-01-08), "Music Assessment Policy and Practice in the United States", The Oxford Handbook of Assessment Policy and Practice in Music Education, Volume 1, Oxford University Press, pp. 396–414, retrieved 2021-10-11
  2. ↑ Juilliard School. Encyclopædia Britannica .
  3. ↑ Academics. Juilliard School Official Website.
  4. ↑ Bachelor of Music in Professional Music. Berklee College of Music Official Website.
  5. ↑ Berklee Undergraduate Courses. Berklee College of Music Official Website.
  6. ↑ ‘’2023 Best Colleges for Music in America’’. Niche (company) . USA.
  7. ↑ Bachelor of Music in Canada. studyinfocentre.com website.
  8. ↑ Regulations for the degrees of Bachelor and Doctor of Music Archived 2008-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ "Chapter VII : Degrees, Diplomas, and Other Qualifications – Degrees in Music".
  10. ↑ ‘BMus Jazz’. Scotland, UK.
  11. ↑ BMus(Hons). Edinburgh University Official Website. Scotland, UK.
  12. ↑ "Bachelor of Music". The University of Sydney. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  13. ↑ "Music - A3702". Study at Monash. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  14. ↑ "Handbook". www.handbook.unsw.edu.au. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
  15. ↑ "Bachelor of Music". University of Adelaide . Australia.
  16. ↑ "Bachelor of Music"]. Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University . Australia,
  17. ↑ "Bachelor of Music". University of Tasmania . Australia.
  18. ↑ "Bachelor of Creative Industries (Contemporary Music Practice)". University of Canberra . Australia.
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