Music

at UBC's

Vancouver Campus

Music is a rich, diverse, and universal art that is profoundly rewarding to study and to perform. Prepare for music-related careers in elementary education, broadcasting and journalism, music therapy, and business by integrating the study of music into a broad academic education in the humanities.

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Program information

  • Campus: Vancouver
  • Faculty: Faculty of Arts
  • Degree: Bachelor of Arts
  • Length 4 yrs
  • Co-op Yes
    You can combine your studies with full-time, paid work at top local and international organizations.
  • Honours Yes
    You can study intense specialization in a single field.

Students wishing to study Music as one of the liberal arts, or who don’t meet the special admissions requirements of the School of Music may pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major, Minor, or Honours in Music. Core music courses are similar to the Bachelor of Music degree, but without individual instrumental or vocal instruction.

Campus features

UBC facilities for Music include the Gessler Multimedia Teaching Studio and the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, recently named one of the world’s greatest concert halls.

Your future

Your career opportunities will vary widely across a range of fields including music performance, composition, conducting, production, distribution, education, festivals, film, television, video games, advertising, arts administration, and others.

Career opportunities vary widely across a range of fields including music performance, composition, conducting, production, distribution, education, festivals, film, television, video games, advertising, arts administration, and others, including:

  • Conductor
  • Instrumentalist
  • Accompanist
  • Archivist
  • Art director
  • Arts and culture association chairperson
  • Journalist
  • Composer

Careers with music

Program requirements

English-language requirements

English is the language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students must demonstrate English-language competency prior to admission. There are numerous ways to meet the English Language Admission Standard.

General admission requirements

IB Diploma Programme

  • Completed IB Diploma, including at least three Higher Level courses.

IB Certificate Courses

  • IB Certificate courses (Standard and Higher Level) may be used in an admissions average if you are graduating from a recognized high school curriculum that can be used as your basis of admission.
  • IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, do not satisfy the math requirement for admission to UBC’s science-based programs, the Faculty of Management, the UBC Sauder School of Business, or the Vancouver School of Economics.

Degree-specific requirements: Arts

  • No specific courses required beyond those needed for general admission

Related courses

The following subject categories are particularly relevant for this degree. Consider taking courses in these areas in your junior year and senior year.

  • Language Arts
  • Mathematics and Computation
  • Second Languages
  • Social Studies
  • Visual and Performing Arts
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