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Arts advising
Arts Academic Advising supports the academic success of the Faculty’s 14,000 undergraduate students.
From the point of admission, advising provides programs and services to help you make informed and thoughtful decisions about your academic path throughout your degree program.
Music advising
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Wellbeing
As musicians with demanding classes and busy practice schedules, we might not think too much about our physical and mental wellbeing until that ache in our wrist makes practicing difficult or anxiety about performing prevents us from getting on stage.
The School of Music recognizes that wellness is an integral part of musicians’ practice — when we’re thriving and struggling. We are committed to providing students, faculty, and staff with the resources to reach their full potential as performers, scholars, and teachers.
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Choosing a minor for BMus students
Students enrolled in the BMus program can combine their major with a major or minor of the BA program. Some programs require departmental approval; most do not. Explore the Arts minor options and contact the School of Music Student Advisor for application information.
A very limited number of BMus students may choose the minor in commerce. Eligibility is restricted. To apply, e-mail the School of Music Student Advisor by May 31st.
BMus students may minor in science. Please note that the minor is shown on your transcript as "Minor in Science," not in a specific field. Being a minor does not guarantee access to upper-level courses.
Transferring to the BMus degree
- No more than 50% of the total credits required for your UBC degree program are allowed (approx. 63 to 68, depending on your BMus major).
- Courses you have completed at a Canadian college or university will be assessed for transfer credit on a course-by-course basis at admission; however, many Canadian university courses have been evaluated and approved for transfer to UBC. If a course you have taken has not been approved for transfer to UBC, you may be asked to provide a copy of the course description from your previous university's calendar.
- UBC transfer credit search: search courses from your institution and how they transfer to UBC. The results shown are for reference only and are subject to change.
- Transfer credits for post-secondary institutions within British Columbia: Be sure to review the BC Transfer Guide -- used by UBC and other institutions within British Columbia.
- Transfer credits for post-secondary institutions outside of British Columbia: after admission to UBC, music courses taken outside of British Columbia are assessed for transfer credit individually by Dr. John Roeder (Tel: 604-822-3715).
- Note: For this assessment, a transcript (faxed copy acceptable) and available course descriptions and outlines of relevant courses must be submitted (web links to online course descriptions may be acceptable).
- International Baccalaureate (IB) enriched secondary school program.
- Advanced Placement (AP) enriched secondary school program.
- Note: The six credits awarded by UBC for the AP Music Theory 12 exam may be counted as elective music credit in the BMus program. They do not, however, exempt the student from taking the required first-year Music Theory courses at UBC, which cover the material in greater depth and at a more advanced level.
- After admission to the UBC BMus program, students who wish to study at another institution for transfer credit to their UBC BMus degree must receive permission to study on a Letter of Permission before registering at another institution. Students who complete studies elsewhere without a Letter of Permission may have their request for transfer credit denied.
Which year transfer students are admitted to in the BMus is based solely on performance at the audition, not on transfer credits.
Opera performance transfer students are often accepted into second-year even though they may have finished two years of college.
- If you are applying to UBC as a transfer student who has taken 60 or more transferable credits, we strongly recommend that you have passed three credits of instruction on writing in the disciplines from the following: ASTU 150 (Arts Studies in Writing), English 100 (Reading and Writing about Literature), CAP (Co-ordinated Arts Program), Arts One, or an approved equivalent.
- If you already have 60 credits, but do not have credits that fulfill the writing requirement, you must satisfy the writing requirement in your first winter session in the BMus program, regardless of how many other credits you are taking during that session.
- Once you have commenced your BMus program at UBC, you must complete any required writing requirement credits at UBC.
- To prepare for the writing classes or if you are returning to university and wish to refresh your writing skills, the Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication is an educational support unit at UBC Vancouver that provides writing support to students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, and faculty.
- Before transferring to UBC, third-year transfer students must have met the applicable UBC BMus continuation requirement. Specifically, first-year musicianship (ear training, sight-singing) must have been passed before taking third-year lessons.
- After transferring to UBC, students are subject to all 'BMus continuation requirements.'