Bachelor of Arts Honors in Music Degree Program Guide

This is a four-year program that allows students to study music in a way that emphasizes academic excellence. The degree is ideal preparation for students considering graduate study in musicology, music theory, ethnomusicology, and popular music studies. Like the BA in Music, the Honors degree allows students to pursue their own individual interests and extends this work into a Honors thesis or research creation project. If you’re interested in graduate studies, working closely with faculty members, and delving deeper into your undergraduate studies, this is the right program for you.

Creative, inquisitive and unique. Have you ever questioned how music functions, communicates, and shapes our social and cultural world? The BA in Music program allows students to follow their interests and curiosities through a range of courses combining critical thinking and personal expression. We offer courses that teach you how to listen in new ways, to consider how music can be an object of study across traditions and cultures, and how technologies shape our experience of music both in the past and present.

Academic Requirements for Music Honors students

General Requirements and Information
  • Honors in Music requires 66 units in MUSIC, 12 units in one approved Language other than English and 12 units in non-MUSIC Arts options. Normally, no more than 66 units in MUSIC may be taken
  • Promotion from year to year requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA of 3.3 in MUSIC courses
  • Graduation with Honors in Music requires a graduation average of at least 3.0 with an average of at least 3.3 on all courses applied to the major completed at the University of Alberta
  • Graduation with First Class Honors requires a minimum GPA of 3.7 on all MUSIC courses in the last two years and a GPA of 3.5 or better on all courses in the two final years or last 60 units
Course Requirements
  • MUSIC 102 - Introduction to World Music
  • MUSIC 155 - Music Theory I
  • MUSIC 156 - Music Theory II
  • MUSIC 255 - Music Theory III
  • MUSIC 256 - Music Theory IV
  • MUSIC 283 - Western Art Music, Ancient-1800
  • MUSIC 284 - Western Art Music, 1800-Present
  • MUSIC 365 - Topics in Ethnomusicology
  • MUSIC 455 - Music Theory V
  • MUSIC 501 - Music History Seminar I
  • MUSIC 504 - Honors Essay
  • MUSIC 505 - Bibliography and Methods of Research
  • 3 units from your choice of Ethnomusicology courses:
    • MUSIC 464 - Topics in Ethnomusicology: Music and Religion
    • MUSIC 465 - Area Studies in Ethnomusicology
    • MUSIC 466 - Topics in Ethnomusicology
    • MUSIC 468 - Area Studies in Ethnomusicology: The Arab World
    • MUSIC 469 - Area Studies in Ethnomusicology: Music and Islam
  • 3 units from your choice of Music History courses:
    • MUSIC 314 - Music in Canada
    • MUSIC 481 - Topics in Contemporary Music and Sonic Arts
    • MUSIC 482 - Studies in Music and Gender
    • MUSIC 483 - Studies in Musical Genre
    • MUSIC 484 - Studies in Music and Society
    • MUSIC 485 - Composer Studies
    • MUSIC 487 - Period Studies
  • 3 units from your choice of Music Theory Seminar courses:
    • MUSIC 555 - Topics in Theory and Analysis
    • MUSIC 556 - Seminar in Music Theory
  • 6 units from your choices of Performance courses:
    • MUSIC 124 - Applied Music
    • MUSIC 126 - Applied Music
    • MUSIC 127 - Applied Music
    • MUSIC 140 - Choral Ensemble
    • MUSIC 141 - Instrumental Ensemble
    • MUSIC 143 - Indian Music Ensemble I
    • MUSIC 144 - West African Music Ensemble I
    • MUSIC 148 - Middle Eastern and North African Music Ensemble I
    • MUSIC 224 - Applied Music
    • MUSIC 226 - Applied Music
    • MUSIC 227 - Applied Music
    • MUSIC 439 - Vocal and Instrumental Chamber Ensemble
    • MUSIC 440 - Choral Ensemble
    • MUSIC 441 - Instrumental Ensemble
    • MUSIC 442 - Specialized Ensemble
    • MUSIC 443 - Indian Music Ensemble
    • MUSIC 444 - West African Music Ensemble
    • MUSIC 448 - Middle Eastern and North African Music Ensemble
  • 15 units in MUSIC options
    • Note: CATS 381 can be taken as a MUSIC option

The University of Alberta Calendar will always contain the most up-to-date degree requirements for your program, and your requirements are determined by the calendar year you were admitted in.

Academic Requirements for Music Combined Honors students

  • In a Combined Honors program, students are required to meet the promotion and graduation standards of each discipline. The requirements for students to take Music Honors as one of their two Combined Honors programs are the same as those outlined above.

What kinds of courses can Music Honors students take?

  • MUSIC 100 - Rudiments of Music
  • MUSIC 103 - Introduction to Popular Music
  • MUSIC 155 - Music Theory I
  • MUSIC 170 - Introduction to Composition, and Sonic Arts
  • MUSIC 203 - Issues in Popular Music Studies
  • MUSIC 206 - History of Jazz
  • MUSIC 314 - Music in Canada
  • MUSIC 365 - Topics in Ethnomusicology
  • MUSIC 413 - Studies in the History of Jazz
  • MUSIC 504 - Honors Essay

What kinds of careers can you pursue with a Music Honors degree?

There are many different fields and career paths that students can pursue with a Music Honors degree. From performing arts to arts and cultural management, graduates are equipped with project management, attention to detail and creative thinking skills to name a few, that are assets in today’s job market. Although there is a list of career options below, it is important to understand that careers are not linear. Intentionally engaging in a variety of activities and following your curiosities will open new opportunities that you might not have expected. To learn more about how you can put your Arts degree to work, stop by the HUB Career Centre (8917 HUB Mall) for more information.

  • Arts Administrator
  • Event Coordinator
  • Communications Specialist
  • Artist Manager
  • Music Promoter & Publisher
  • Composer
  • Music Journalist & Critic
  • Audio Designer
  • Multimedia Specialist
  • Educator (Professor, Secondary or Primary)
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Creative Arts Programmer
  • Music Therapist
  • +More!

Interested in gaining work experience related to your career goals? If so, apply to Arts Work Experience to gain full-time, PAID, work experience before you graduate!

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