Music Studies Major (B.Mus.)

123 credits · Schulich School of Music · 2026-2027 catalogue

Music Studies Major (B.Mus.) as a checklist, with when each course runs in 2026–27. On a computer, check off the courses you have taken or plan to take to add up your credits.

Plan your whole degree in myDegree. It adds your other programs, a Foundation year, electives, prerequisite checks and a term-by-term schedule. Free, no account; your plan stays in your browser. Open myDegree

Program Prerequisites - Foundation Program (21 credits)

Prerequisite Courses

Note: Students who can demonstrate through placement tests or equivalencies that they have mastered the material in any of the courses below will be exempt from them and may proceed to more advanced courses.

Professional Development (2 credits)

2 credits from:

  • MUPD 145 Exploring Interdisciplinary Music Studies 1 (2 credits) · Offered: Fall

Ensembles (4 credits)

4 credits from courses with a MUEN prefix. 15 credits from one of the following two streams:

Classical Stream

  • MUHL 186 Western Musical Traditions (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUSP 140 Musicianship Training 1 (2 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUSP 141 Musicianship Training 2 (2 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MUSP 170 Musicianship (Keyboard) 1 (1 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUSP 171 Musicianship (Keyboard) 2 (1 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MUTH 150 Theory and Analysis 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUTH 151 Theory and Analysis 2 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter

Jazz Stream

  • MUJZ 160 Jazz Materials 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUJZ 161 Jazz Materials 2 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MUJZ 170 Jazz Keyboard Proficiency 1 (1 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUJZ 171 Jazz Keyboard Proficiency 2 (1 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MUJZ 187 Jazz History Survey (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUSP 123 Jazz Ear Training 1 (2 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUSP 124 Jazz Ear Training 2 (2 credits) · Offered: Winter

Required Courses (8 credits)

Music History

  • MUHL 286 Critical Thinking About Music (3 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter

Professional Development

  • MUPD 245 Exploring Interdisciplinary Music Studies 2 (2 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUPD 350 Applied Projects for Musicians (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027

Complementary Courses (46 credits)

10 credits from one of the following two streams:

Classical Stream

Theory

  • MUTH 250 Theory and Analysis 3 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUTH 251 Theory and Analysis 4 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter

Musicianship

  • MUSP 240 Musicianship Training 3 (2 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUSP 241 Musicianship Training 4 (2 credits) · Offered: Winter

Jazz Stream

Theory

  • MUJZ 260 Jazz Arranging 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUJZ 261 Jazz Arranging 2 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter

Musicianship

  • MUJZ 213 Fundamentals of Jazz Improvisation 1 (2 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUJZ 214 Fundamentals of Jazz Improvisation 2 (2 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027

Practical Studies (entry by audition) (12 credits)

12 credits:

  • MUIN 180 BMus Practical Lessons 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUIN 181 BMus Practical Lessons 2 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter
  • MUIN 280 BMus Practical Lessons 3 (2.5 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter
  • MUIN 281 BMus Practical Lessons 4 (2.5 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter
  • MUIN 283 BMus Concentration Final Examination (1 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027

Ensembles

No more than 6 credits from courses with a MUEN prefix.

Music History (3–9 credits)

3-9 credits from courses with a MUHL or MUPP prefix at the 300 level or higher.

Music Education (3–9 credits)

3-9 credits from courses with a MUGT, MUCT, MUIT prefix at the 200 level or higher.

Music Technology (3–9 credits)

3-9 credits from courses with a MUMT or MUSR prefix at the 200 level or higher.

Music Entrepreneurship (3–9 credits)

3-9 credits from courses with a MUPD prefix at the 200 level or higher.

Composition (3–9 credits)

3-9 credits from the following, of which at least 3 credits must be from a course with a MUCO prefix:

  • MUCO 230 The Art of Composition (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUCO 260 Instruments of the Orchestra (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MUHL 375 Introduction to Ethnomusicology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MUHL 385 Early Twentieth-Century Music (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUHL 388 Opera After 1900 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MUHL 391 Canadian Music (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUHL 392 Music since 1945 (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUHL 393 History of Jazz (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUHL 396 Era of the Modern Piano (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUTH 322 Topics in Post-Tonal Analysis (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUTH 526 Methods in Tonal Theory and Analysis (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUTH 528 Schenkerian Theory and Analysis (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUTH 538 Mathematical Models for Musical Analysis (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUTH 539 Advanced Writing Techniques (3 credits) · Offered: Fall

Applied Performance Sciences (3–9 credits)

3-9 credits from the following:

  • MUGT 205 Psychology of Music (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MUGT 350 Introduction to Applied Research in Music (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • MUGT 405 The Musician's Performing Body (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MUPG 300 Music Performance Strategies (3 credits) · Offered: Fall

Elective Courses (48 credits)

6 credits of Non-Music Electives. 42 credits of Free Electives.

Source: McGill Course Catalogue. myDegree is an independent student project, not affiliated with McGill University.