Programs and Admissions > Undergraduate > - How to Apply & Housing
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Applicants to the Bachelor of Music degree program must successfully meet the admission requirements of BOTH:
1. The University of British Columbia (UBC); and,
2. The UBC School of Music.
LATE APPLICATIONS MAY BE ACCEPTED: If you are interested in applying after January 31st, you must contact music.advisor(at)ubc.ca for approval.
HOW TO APPLY -- FOR SEPTEMBER 2013 ENTRY
You will have a two-part application: Part A is an application to UBC Admissions; and, Part B is an application to the School of Music.
- LEARN ABOUT UBC & THE UBC ADMISSIONS PROCESS (INCLUDING REQUIREMENTS)
Contact:
- E-mail UBC Admissions
- Visit UBC's Welcome website for prospective students. Contact or drop by the Welcome office.
- UBC Profile - mild climate = no snow.
- Find out when UBC Student Recruiter-Advisors might be visiting your community (click on links at left).
- Register for an in-person campus tour or take an online virtual tour. Visit and stay in on-campus accommodation including St. John's College and the Vancouver School of Theology.
International Applicants:
- Required Curriculum
- English Language Requirement
- Access UBC's International Undergraduate Viewbook Introduction, Programs, Applying;
- International Guides: Awards, Scholarships, Financial Aid Guide; International Student Pre-Arrival Guide; International Student Handbook and, International House website.
UBC Entrance Requirements:
- UBC Undergraduate Admission Requirements
- English Language Requirement
Scholarships:
- UBC Admissions Scholarships & Financial Support
- Music Scholarships
How to Apply to UBC:
- How to Apply to UBC for Undergraduate Admission
- application fee is CDN $62.00 for students in Canada and CDN $104 for students outside of Canada
- Note: important dates.
- APPLY TO UBC
DEADLINE to apply: January 31, 2013
If you are interested in applying after January 31st, you must contact music.advisor(at)ubc.ca for approval.
APPLY: After August 15, 2012, complete the online Application for UBC Undergraduate Admission.
Hint: For your Faculty/School and Program, indicate as your first choice "Arts/Music", "B.Mus.". Since we are never able to admit all qualified students into our B.Mus. program, we recommend that you consider the Bachelor of Arts majoring in Music as an alternative.
Hint: Make sure that the spam and junk-mail filters on your computer do not reject e-mail from our domain - UBC.CA; otherwise you may miss important messages about your application.
- APPLY TO THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC
DEADLINE to apply: January 31st, 2013
If you are interested in applying after January 31st, you must contact music.advisor(at)ubc.ca for approval.
APPLY: After September 1, 2012, complete the online Supplementary Application for the BMUS available through the UBC Student Service Centre.
Supplemental Application Fee: $62.00 (payable online as application is submitted).
When you log onto the Student Service Centre, go to the ADMISSIONS drop-down menu and select SUPPLEMENTARY APPLICATIONS. Fill out the BMUS application and submit.
Hint: The B.Mus. application requires you to write some long responses to questions. Write your responses first in a word-processing program, and save them as a separate file. Then copy them and paste them into the on-line application form.
Hint: Current UBC students who wish to transfer to the BMUS program must submit a Change of Program Application in order to gain access to the BMUS Supplemental Application -- both located in the UBC Student Service Centre). Deadlines same as above.
- TRANSCRIPTS
Hint: If any of your educational documents are not provided in English or French, you must submit a certified literal English translation. The translation must be prepared by a recognized translation agency.
A) SCHOOL OF MUSIC - Deadline: January 31st High School transcript
The School of Music requires an original, unopened hard copy of your high school transcript, unless:
a) You have attended a post-secondary institution in full-time studies for at least one full year.
College/University transcript(s)
The School of Music requires an original unopened interim hard copy transcript from each college and university you have attended, unless you have never attended a college or university.
Hint: If you submit a hardcopy interim college(s) transcript and are admitted to the BMUS program, the School of Music requires a hardcopy of your final college(s) transcript by April 30th in order to assess transfer credits prior to course advising and registration.
B) UBC ADMISSIONS OFFICE
After you submit your Application to UBC, you will receive an email that lists the documents you need to submit to the UBC Undergraduate Admissions office. Please note that UBC Admissions prefers to receive electronic transcripts from eligible institutions.
Mailing address for the UBC Admissions office is 2016 - 1874 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1.
- RECOMMENDATIONS
Deadline: January 31st
We require two recommendations, one from each of the following:
a) MUSIC TEACHER: All applicants must arrange to have this evaluation form (word; pdf) completed and submitted by a music teacher with whom they have recently studied.
b) ANY TEACHER: All applicants must also arrange for a second teacher to submit a confidential letter of recommendation to the School of Music
. The teacher may be another music teacher or not. Music teachers must use the evaluation form (word; pdf). All other teachers must write a free-form letter.
Forms and letters must be signed paper originals (emailed or faxed letters are not acceptable). Teachers should mail the reference letters themselves. Only if the seal on the reverse of the envelope has been signed by the writer of the reference may an applicant themselves mail-in a reference letter. Mail to: School of Music.
- AUDITION
- Click for audition requirements as well as downloads of applicable materials.
- To audition on more than one instrument (or voice plus instrument(s)), note your other instrument(s) or voice (including voice type) in the Additional section of the BMUS Supplementary Application.
A) IN-PERSON AUDITION DATES 2013
March Audition Dates
Note: Auditions for each instrument or for voice may be held only on specific days of the auditions, not everyday. - When will you receive your audition date and time?
- If you are travelling from outside Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, please contact the Admissions Advisor at the School of Music and you will be provided with an audition date and time immediately.
- For all other applicants, the School of Music will e-mail the exact date and time of their audition approximately January 31st.
Collaborative Pianists (accompanists)
The School of Music supplies a collaborative pianist (accompanist) for vocalists only; however, any instrumentalist or vocalist may bring their own collaborative pianist or hire a School of Music collaborative pianist.
B) DISTANCE AUDITION
Although we strongly prefer you to audition live, applicants living outside of British Columbia's Lower Mainland and Southern Vancouver Island, may submit a video (DVD or VHS) with good sound quality (Hint: use an external microphone not the camera microphone.) in lieu of auditioning in person. Applicants unsure of their eligibility to submit audition videos should contact the School of Music. Deadline: January 31st.
- THEORY ENTRANCE EXAM
Carefully review the theory entrance exam guidelines and view a sample exam. Remember: If you perform poorly on the Theory Entrance Exam, you may still be considered for admission; however, if admitted you may be required to take remedial theory courses.
- FOR PROSPECTIVE PERFORMANCE LEVEL MAJORS ONLY
Please note that if GENERAL STUDIES is selected as first choice, PERFORMANCE is NOT possible for a second choice. Refer to the difference in audition requirements and majors of these two program options.
- FOR PROSPECTIVE COMPOSITION MAJORS ONLY
Submit 3-6 original scores to the School of Music, which are bound double-sided paper copies, plus corresponding labelled CD recordings to the School of Music. Please submit copies (NO hand-written pencil or ink masters) of original scores.
Deadline: January 31st
- FOR PROSPECTIVE MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP MAJORS ONLY
Students applying to transfer into the third year of the Music Scholarship major must:
a) Submit original research papers on historical or analytical topics to the School of Music. One paper is sufficient, but two (good papers) give a better idea of your range of skills, especially if one paper is a history essay and the other a musical analysis.
Deadline: January 31st.
b) Include an explanation of interest in the Music Scholarship specialization when completing the BMUS Supplementary Application Personal Goals essay question.
- TRANSFER APPLICANTS
If you are transferring from a college or university: Review the School of Music's transfer guidelines.
- HOUSING
a) Standard Campus Housing: Immediately apply for on-campus housing (if applicable) -- information and application. Choose PLACE VANIER as your first choice as it is very close to the School of Music building and has at least four 24-hour practice rooms. The cost of renting an off-campus apartment in Vancouver can be quite high; so, we recommend that applicants who require housing stay on-campus.
Some applicants are eligible for PRIORITY ACCESS to housing. If you are, you must fully complete your UBC housing application by May 1st and, upon admission to UBC, pay your registration fee by the June 1st housing deadline. If you do not complete each of these tasks by the applicable deadline, you will lose your priority access status.
b) Other Campus Housing: Sorority; Fraternity; St. Andrew's Hall (sponsored by the Presbyterian Church in Canada.); and, Panhellenic House (serves as a place where young women from diverse backgrounds can share interests, knowledge and experiences with each other and with alumni; it will be a place that is a safe and secure residence for undergraduate women to live, study and socialize).
c) Off-campus Rental: UBC Alma Mater Society Rentsline; Vancouver craigslist (not UBC affiliated - use at your own risk).
- MUSIC EDUCATION
If you are a prospective elementary or secondary school teacher, review: Music Education.
SUMMER MUSIC PROGRAMS
a) Summer Music Institute (including Vocal Workshop) - Each July, several hundred students spend a week or two on campus under the leadership and guidance of the performance faculty of the School of Music, and other distinguished music educators from British Columbia and the United States.
b) Chamber Music Program
- RESULTS
Remember, you must meet the admission requirements of both UBC and the School of Music.
UBC ADMISSIONS
UBC Admissions will continually update your UBC application status on the UBC Student Service Centre. Continue to check this site and remember, the UBC admissions office must receive all required documentation prior to evaluating your file. If you have questions about your UBC application, contact the UBC Admissions office at telephone 604-822-3014 or in person, at 2016 - 1874 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z1.
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
School of Music results are sent both by e-mail and by post in mid-April for March auditions. Note: No updates on the status of your School of Music supplementary application will appear online in the Student Service Centre. The supplementary application is a separate admissions process and you will be contacted directly by the School regarding your supplementary application and status.
