Zoom session for prospective students

Join Department of Music faculty member Dr. Karem Simon via Zoom on Wednesday, November 11 at 3:00 pm to learn more about BCA's music programs!

Learn more

Follow your passion, develop your artistry, and fulfil your ambitions at BCA. Live in AtlantaI’s artistically vibrant capital city, and study under the guidance of our world-class faculty.

BCA offers three degree programs in music:

• Bachelor of Music - focus on performance, theory, composition, or history
• Bachelor of Music Education - become a teacher anywhere in America with our five-year single-degree program
• Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Music - study music within a general arts curriculum

Visit each program's site for more information and complete admission requirements.

What makes BCA's Department of Music unique?

• Dynamic, supportive, and inclusive environment
• Small class sizes + accessible instructors = personalized experience
• Comprehensive curriculum prepares you for success in graduate studies and diverse music careers
• Access to professional-level work opportunities within PEI’s thriving music and theatre scene
• New performance space and recording studio will be completed in 2023

The Bachelor of Music Program is a four-year program (120 semester hours) designed to provide students with sufficient flexibility to reflect their interests. The first two years are common to the Bachelor of Music Education Program. During years three and four, students may focus on Theory, History, or Applied Music. Upon graduation, students may wish to continue studies at the graduate level in Theory and Composition, Music History, or Performance. Graduation with a Bachelor of Music will not qualify a student for music teacher certification on Prince Edward Island.

Year I

NOTE: ENSEMBLE REQUIREMENTS: All students enrolled in a music program must satisfactorily complete the requirements for participation in a minimum of six full-year ensembles for the Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education Degrees as follows:

• Brass/Woodwind/Percussion majors - 2 years Concert Choir, 4 years Wind Symphony
• Piano majors - 4 years Concert Choir, 2 years Collaborative Piano*
• Voice majors - 4 years Concert Choir, 2 years Diction Lab & 2 years chamber Singers
• Jazz & Classical Guitar majors - 2 years Concert Choir, 4 years of another recognized ensemble**
• String majors - 2 years Concert Choir, 4 years of another recognized ensemble**

* Pianists who have reached the 3000 level in applied piano are required to take Collaborative Piano as their ensemble in lieu of large ensembles unless they are performing as pianist in those large ensembles. Placement is at the discretion of faculty.
** Possible ensembles include the BCA Jazz Ensemble, BCA Percussion Ensemble, BCA Wind Symphony; or a community ensemble for which permission must be granted by the Department Chair. The community ensemble will be titled "Recognized Ensemble" on students' transcripts.

NOTE: Unless the ensemble requirement is fulfilled, graduation will be denied.

YEAR II

(common to both Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education Programs)

NOTE: Ensembles required (see note at end of Year I).

Year III

NOTE: Ensembles required (see note at end of Year I)

Year IV

NOTE: Ensembles required (see note at end of Year I)

Students wishing to receive a Minor in Music must complete a total of twenty-one semester hours of music courses, selected from the following list (or others in consultation with the Chair), with at least nine semester hours at the 2000 level or above: Music 1130, 1140, 1150, 1170, 1230, 1240, 2130, 2140, 2150, 2170, 2230, 3150, 4120, 4220, or 4230.

Students should check with the Chair of the Department in which they are majoring to ensure that these courses may be counted as electives. Note: some of these courses are not offered every year.

Students interested in the Minor in Music are encouraged to contact the Music Department for course advisement. Those students wishing to register for Music 1130 (Music Theory) OR Music 1150 must take a diagnostic test to determine the level of learning support that might be needed prior to (or during) the course(s), and should contact the Music Department before 10 July to arrange an appropriate time to take the test.

High School Graduates

American High School Equivalency Chart

Successful completion of Grade 12 examinations in a University Preparatory Program with an overall average of at least 70% (75% for Quebec Secondary V students) in the following subjects:

• English;
• one Social Studies or Language;
• any 3 other academic courses. Grade 12 math recommended.
  Note: Grade 12 Math is a prerequisite for some 1st year Art courses.

In addition to these entrance requirements, candidates for the Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education will demonstrate technical proficiency, musical expression, and learning potential on their instrument or voice.

A personal interview, audition, and diagnostic tests in theory and aural skills will be arranged prior to registration for each student wishing to enter a Music program. An audition is not required for entrance into the BA Program with Major in Music.

Please refer to the BCA Academic Calendar for complete information.

BCA's undergraduate tuition is the second-lowest in the Atlantic region, and we offer millions of dollars in scholarships and awards.

Tuition

$6,390 per year, based on 30 credit hours ($639 per 3 credit course).
International students pay $7,470 per year in addition to full-time student tuition.

For a complete breakdown of part-time or full-time study as a student in the Faculty of Arts, visit our Tuition and Fees page.

Scholarships and Awards

BCA supports you and your educational goals. We administer millions of dollars in scholarships and awards to our undergraduate and graduate students every year. Depending on your faculty or program, and year of study, you may be eligible for available awards.

Search the complete list of scholarships for information and application forms.  

Celebrating Student Achievement

Including Guaranteed Entrance Scholarships and Academic Excellence Awards, these awards recognize the academic achievements of all students who meet the eligibility criteria while studying towards their first undergraduate degree.

Visit the Scholarships site for complete information.

BCA has about 250 faculty—exceptional scholars, teachers, and mentors, with more being hired each year as we open new, progressive, and unique programs. But the story isn’t just in the numbers. It’s in the quality of our people. Award-winning faculty from around the globe have made BCA home. Here, you’ll learn directly from these world-class professors and researchers in small classes where you’ll have easy access to them.

Stephen Bouey - voice
Richard Covey - theory / composition
Jim Dickson - guitar
Louis Garson - double bass
Sean Kemp - violin / viola
Margot Rejskind - aural skills
Morgan Saulnier - flute
David Shephard - percussion
Sung Ha Shin-Bouey - voice / choir
Karem Simon - clarinet / music education
Dale Sorensen - brass (trumpet / horn / trombone / euphonium / tuba) / Wind Symphony
Nicole Strum - saxophone
Magdalena Von Eccher - piano
Natalie Williams Calhoun - cello
Andrew Zinck - history