ABachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred asBachelor of Musical Arts) is anacademic degree awarded by acollege,university, orconservatory upon completion of a program of study inmusic.[1] The degree may be awarded forperformance,music education,composition,music theory,musicology /music history (musicology degrees may be aBachelor of Arts rather than a Bachelor of Music),music technology,music therapy, sacred music, music business/music industry, entertainment,music production, orjazz studies. Since the 2010s, some universities have begun offering degrees in music composition with technology, which include traditional theory and musicology courses andsound recording and composition courses using digital technologies.
In the United States, the Bachelor of Music is aprofessional 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 isJuilliard School in New York, a professional educational arm of theLincoln 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 Canada, the BM is often considered anundergraduate degree. Programs typically last from three to four and a half years.[6]
In the United Kingdom, the Bachelor of Music is generally afirst 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 theUniversity of Oxford[7] andUniversity of Cambridge[8] it was a one-yearpostgraduate degree which could only be taken if a student were to have been a graduate in music withhonors at those universities; the undergraduate course is in theFaculty of Arts and leads to the Bachelor of Arts (and subsequently theMaster of Arts (Oxbridge)). In Scotland, as part of its undergraduate Bachelor’s degree programme, theRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland offers a BMus in Jazz,[9] whileEdinburgh University through itsEdinburgh College of Art offers a three year BMus degree, with the option for a fourth ‘Honours’ year, styled ‘BMus(Hons)’.[10]
In Australia, Music Bachelor Degree study programs are available at, among others, theUniversity of Sydney,[11]Monash University,[12] theUniversity of New South Wales,[13] theUniversity of Adelaide,[14]Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University,[15] and theUniversity of Tasmania.[16] TheUniversity of Canberra offers a 'Bachelor of Creative Industries (Contemporary Music Practice)'.[17]
After a degree holder's name, as on abusiness card or aCV, the degree is abbreviated in various ways, including: BM, BMus, MusB, or MusBac. Some recipients add an abbreviation for the name of the institution which granted the degree as well, e.g., "Susan Bhattara, BMus(Oxon)";Oxon is the Latin abbreviation for theUniversity of Oxford.
Graduates may apply for jobs in performance, teaching, orarts 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 ateaching 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 aMaster 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 orpublic 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 theGRE orGMAT (standardized tests). BMus graduates in some fields, such as composition, music theory, or musicology may be able to apply directly toPhD programs if they have a high average and strong recommendation letters.
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