Music
York's Music program provides an uncommon opportunity to explore the depth and breadth of the art form through a remarkably flexible curriculum that enables students to pursue creative and scholarly work across a wide range of musical genres and traditions, tailored to each individual's unique talents and aspirations.
York's Music program is known for pioneering post-secondary studies in jazz, world, classical and digital music. Students may specialize or generalize according to their interests, developing expertise in a particular area of vocal or instrumental performance or composition, or working in a variety of musical practices and cultural forms. Options include solo, small and large ensemble performance; composition and arranging; education and community arts development; ethnomusicology; and the growing field of musoc media production for cinema, gaming and motion media.
All first-year Music students enter the BFA program. After first year, students whose interests centre on music history, criticism and scholarly research may choose to move to the BA program.
Program Highlights
Courses and workshops in popular music and in non-western performance traditions, such as South Indian, Chinese orchestra, Indonesian gamelan, Caribbean, West African drumming and Celtic Canadian, are a regular feature of the program.
Performance Opportunities
Presenting more than 100 student and faculty conerts a year, as well as master classes with renowned Canadian and international artists, the Department of Music offers countless opportunities to perform and collaborate. In addition to the many student-led ensembles, students can be part of numerous formal ensembles, including:
- Symphony Orchestra
- Jazz Orchestra and Choirs
- West African Drums
- Concert and Chamber Choirs
- Celtic Canadian Folk Ensemble
- New Music Ensemble
- Chinese Classical Ensemble
- Gospel Choir
- Wind Symphony
- Escola de Samba
- Rhythm & Blues Ensemble
- Chamber Strings
and many more.
Featured Facilities:
- 325-seat recital hall
- Four digital music studios
- Piano/practice modules
- MIDI studios
- 18 teaching/rehearsal studios
- 44 practice rooms
- Two recording studios
- Ethnomusicology and jazz archives
- York's Sound and Moving Image Library (SMIL) houses a multidisciplinary media collection available to the York University community for educational, research and personal use. SMIL collections include 100,000 CDs and DVDs for loan, 150,000 audio and video files for online access, and a large archive of historial formats for research. The SMIL's Sound Collection has a particilarly strong collection of jazz and world music recordings.
Sample Schedule (First-year)
- Performance (Strings, Brass, Woodwinds, Piano, Percussion and/or Voice)
- Theory & Musicianship
- Music & Cultures
Possible Career Paths
Explore what you can do with your degree- musician
- composer/arranger
- music director
- music teacher
- sound designer
- producer
- music curator/presenter
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- A maximum of 30 possible transferable credits may be granted for successful completion of the Baccalauréat Général. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- A maximum of 30 possible transferable credits may be granted for successful completion of the Baccalauréat Général. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- Minimum overall result of “Bien/Buena/Bueno/Good” on all academic courses.
- Some programs require a higher GPA.
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- Minimum overall result of “Bien/Buena/Bueno/Good” on all academic courses.
- Some programs require a higher GPA.
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- A minimum overall average of 3 out of 7 is required. Higher grades required for certain programs.
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- CAPE 2-unit courses, with results of 3 or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- A minimum overall average of 3 out of 7 is required. Higher grades required for certain programs.
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- CAPE 2-unit courses, with results of 3 or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- Extra courses will be assessed for transfer credit. Applicants with the DEC may be awarded up to one full year of transfer credit.
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- Extra courses will be assessed for transfer credit. Applicants with the DEC may be awarded up to one full year of transfer credit.
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- Some programs require higher. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 4.0 or 70%.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- GCE A2 examinations with results of "C" or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- GCE A2 examinations with results of "C" or better, are eligible for transfer credit, up to a maximum of 18 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- IB Diploma with passes in six subjects: three passes at the Standard-level and three passes at the Higher-level, or two passes at the Standard-level and four passes at the Higher-level
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- Transfer credit is granted for IB courses with Higher-level final grades of 5 or better, to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- IB Diploma with passes in six subjects: three passes at the Standard-level and three passes at the Higher-level, or two passes at the Standard-level and four passes at the Higher-level
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- Transfer credit is granted for IB courses with Higher-level final grades of 5 or better, to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
- Some programs require a higher average. Please review the requirements for your program below.
- Prerequisite courses should not be below a grade of 55%.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- All-India Senior School Certificate (AISSCE)
- Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
- Indian School Certificate (ISC)
- Intermediate Examination Certificate
- Pre-University Examination Certificate
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- All-India Senior School Certificate (AISSCE)
- Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
- Indian School Certificate (ISC)
- Intermediate Examination Certificate
- Pre-University Examination Certificate
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- June 15, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- June 15, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- June 15, 2020, for Fall 2019 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- June 15, 2020, for Fall 2019 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- June 15, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- June 15, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
Minimum Requirements
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- SATs/ACTs are considered in combination with high school grades.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- AP College Board examinations are eligible for transfer credit, for results of 4 or 5, up to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
- AP College Board examinations are eligible for transfer credit, for results of 4 or 5, up to a maximum of 30 credits. Please click here, then click “Transfer Credit Requirements” for details.
Required Documents for Preliminary Review
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
BFASchool of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design
- February 5, 2020, for Fall 2020 entry
You are required to provide official evidence of academic achievement in secondary education. This can be demonstrated through:
- Final grades under the Ontario curriculum (obtained through correspondence, night school or through TVO)
- Credentials through other curricula, such as results from Advanced Placement (AP) or Advanced-level courses in the General Certificate of Education (GCE). (Students may register to sit for the AP and GCE examinations as private candidates.)
In the absence of final grades in courses:
- You must submit the results of standardized tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) with a minimum combined total of 1170 on the Critical Reading and Math components or a composite American College Testing (ACT) score of 24.
- Your application will be reviewed by an admissions sub-committee. If admitted, you will not be eligible for entrance scholarships. You will be considered for continuing student scholarships at the end of your first year of study, if you satisfy those criteria.
You may also be required to provide proof of language proficiency. You will be considered for entrance scholarships on the basis of your overall averages in the six 4U/4M (Ontario curriculum) or equivalent courses.