UBC School of Music admission requirements: English 12, audition, two references and a January 15 supplement

UBC's music program page lists one named Grade 12 course. Ontario students need ENG4U. BC students need English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12. The same page lists the audition, a portfolio for composition students, and letters of reference as degree requirements.

UBC's general rules also apply. You need to graduate from high school with at least 70% in Grade 11 or Grade 12 English. UBC lists Language Arts, Second Languages and Visual and Performing Arts as the subject areas most related to music. Plan your Grade 11 and 12 courses in our course planner.

UBC does not publish a recommended grade range for the BMus. When you pick Ontario or BC on the program page, the grade range field is empty. UBC's calendar says admission is limited and is based on your audition, your academic record and your letters of reference.

UBC also says its process is competitive and comparative. It looks at your grades in all academic Grade 11 and 12 courses, with special attention to courses related to your degree. UBC does not publish an acceptance rate for music. Track your grades with our Top 6 average calculator, and see our UBC acceptance rate page for school-wide data.

After you apply to UBC, you fill in the BMus supplemental application. It asks for your audition format, your instrument or voice part, your planned repertoire, the majors you want and your musical history. You also choose a first and second choice of major.

The form has three short-answer questions of 250 to 400 words each: your most significant musical experience, your goals for a BMus degree, and why you want UBC Music. The form asks for clear prose and correct grammar. It also asks about any music theory exams you've passed, such as Royal Conservatory exams.

Music applicants don't write UBC's general personal profile. UBC's personal profile page lists Music as an exception. UBC Music's pages don't state a separate rule on outside help. The answers should still be your own.

All BMus applicants audition. Domestic applicants are expected to audition in person at UBC. If you can't travel, or have extenuating circumstances, you can send a video audition by January 27, 2027. Each piece must be an unedited performance recorded in the past six months. Each instrument has its own repertoire sheet on the admissions page.

Composition applicants send a portfolio and audition. UBC lists the composition portfolio deadline as early January 2027 and has not posted the exact day yet.

You need two letters of reference. Referees use UBC's form, and you can't fill it in for them. UBC says references usually come from private studio teachers and ensemble directors.

The UBC Academic Calendar says auditions are normally held in the first half of March. It also mentions a theory entrance examination. The School of Music admissions page lists auditions from January 30 to February 7, 2027. It doesn't mention a theory entrance exam, though the supplement asks about your theory exam history.

Follow the School of Music page for dates, since it names the 2027 cycle. Ask music.admissions@ubc.ca whether you'll write a theory test.

Every BMus student takes a core in music history, aural skills, theory and music technology. First-year courses include MUSC_V 120 and 121 in music history, MUSC_V 105 and 106 in aural skills, MUSC_V 100 and 101 in theory, and MUSC_V 119 for music technology. You also take MUSC_V 128 or 165 for the Music and Human Experience core.

General Studies students take private lessons through MUSC_V 182 in first year and a large ensemble each year. If piano isn't your main instrument, you may be placed in Class Piano, MUSC_V 141. Each spring you play a jury. A grade below B- puts you on probation.

The General Studies degree totals 120 to 127 credits. Other majors are performance, composition, music scholarship and music education.

UBC's General Studies program page lists co-op as available. The School of Music points students to Arts Co-op, which gives 12 months of paid work across three full-time work terms. Intake is every September for students in second and third year. You don't apply for co-op from high school.

UBC's calendar lists Music tuition at $206.69 per credit for Canadian students. International students who start in 2026-27 pay $1,434.70 per credit. UBC says domestic tuition has risen about 2% a year recently.

Our estimate: a 30-credit year costs about $6,201 in tuition for a Canadian student, and about $43,041 for an international student. That's our math from the per-credit rate, not a UBC figure. Student fees, housing, books and your instrument are extra.

New BMus students are automatically considered for audition merit awards. There's no application. International BMus applicants are considered for School of Music international scholarships instead of UBC's main international entrance awards.

UBC also lists need-based awards that do need an application, such as the Centennial Scholars Entrance Awards and the Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Program, both due in early December. See our scholarship finder for more.

Pick the BMus if you want private lessons, ensembles and a path into performance, composition or teaching. Pick the BA in Music through the Faculty of Arts if you want to study music without an audition. The BA has a major, honours and minors, with core courses close to the BMus but without private lessons.

For the BA, you only meet Arts admission rules. You declare music after you reach second year standing. UBC also has dual degrees with Science and Education. Compare other schools on our U of T Music and McGill Music pages.

The music supplement is due the same day as the UBC application. References come five days later. If your child lives outside the Lower Mainland, plan travel early or ask about the video option.

Read our UBC guide for residence and campus context.