About Schulich School of Music
The Schulich School of Music of McGill University is internationally renowned for its leadership in combining professional conservatory-style musical training, humanities-based scholarship, and scientific-technological research at the highest levels. Its programs encourage musicians and music researchers alike to push boundaries and explore new possibilities. The School’s facilities are a physical affirmation of our commitment and belief in the future of music, artists, creators, and researchers, and they encourage multimedia productions and trans-disciplinary collaborations. Among the most notable facilities are:
- a music library that houses one of the most important academic music collections in Canada;
- four concert halls;
- the Digital Composition Studio;
- sound recording studios;
- the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music, Media and Technology (CIRMMT); and
- a research network that links the Faculty with other University departments and research institutes.
Nestled in the heart of the city, the School also draws on the rich cultural life of Montreal—a bilingual city with a celebrated symphony orchestra, dozens of annual festivals, and hundreds of live music venues hosting world-class concerts.
The Master of Arts degree (M.A.) is available as a thesis option in Music Education, Music Technology, Musicology (with an option in Gender and Women’s Studies), and Theory (with an option in Gender and Women’s Studies).
The thesis may take one of two forms in Music Education and Theory: the standard thesis and the research paper-based thesis (includes a more substantial course load). Students in Music Technology and Musicology only have a standard thesis available as an option.
The Master of Music degree (M.Mus.) is available in Composition, Performance, and Sound Recording. Specializations offered within the performance option are: piano, guitar, orchestral instruments (including orchestral training), organ and church music, conducting, collaborative piano, opera and voice, early music, and jazz.
The Graduate Certificate in Performance – Choral Conducting is designed for choral conductors wishing to perfect their technical, pedagogical, and musical skills. This flexible program allows conductors to develop their craft while maintaining their professional activities.
The Graduate Diploma in Performance is a one-year graduate diploma that allows excellent musicians to refine their technique and master repertoire through intensive coaching, practice, and performance projects.
The Post-Graduate Artist Diploma in Performance is the uppermost diploma offered at the Schulich School of Music. It is tailored for artists wishing to achieve the highest level of artistry in their craft.
The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus.) is offered in Composition and Performance Studies.
The Doctor of Philosophy degree (Ph.D.) is available in Applied Performance Science, Composition, Interdisciplinary Studies, Music Education, Musicology, Music Technology, Sound Recording, and Music Theory. A Gender and Women's Studies specialization is possible in Music Education, Musicology, and Music Theory.
Funding
The Schulich School of Music has several sources of funding for graduate students.
Entrance Excellence Scholarships for highly ranked graduate students typically range in value from $5,000 to $20,000; some two- and three-year packages are available at the master's and doctoral levels, respectively (see mcgill.ca/gps/funding). A limited number of differential fee waivers are also available for the most highly ranked incoming international students. The Scholarships and Student Aid Office offers information and options for out-of-province, American, and other international students (see mcgill.ca/studentaid).
Returning students are eligible for a small number of in-course scholarships awarded annually to recognize excellence in academic and performance achievement.
The Schulich School of Music also has a renowned mentoring program that helps students develop applications for a wide variety of external funding for national, international, and university competitions (CIRMMT Research, DAAD, Fulbright, NSERC, NSERC Discovery, Connection grants, SSHRC, Vanier, etc.), including various arts and cultural organizations (recordings, commissions, production artistic development). Some provide for multi-year funding, others funding for individual projects.
Opportunities for funding through Work Study and as teaching assistants also provide professional training. Positions include TAs, invigilators, apprentice writers for program notes, sound recording technicians, library assistants, stage hands, Opera Studio, and front-of-house staff, among others. Positions for teaching assistantships are advertised each semester by departmental announcement. Typically there are few, if any, TA positions available for students in their first year of study. Posts are advertised through the Music Research and Performance Departments at the beginning of each semester and through the Work Study website.
A variety of research assistantships in selected areas are also available. Inquiries should be directed to the supervisors, the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in Music, and the Associate Dean for Research (see mcgill.ca/music/people-research/staff-directory).
Opportunities for paid performances in the community for soloists, choristers, chamber ensembles, organists, orchestral and jazz musicians, and piano collaborators are facilitated through the Booking Office (see mcgill.ca/music/about-us/hire-student-musicians/gig-list).
The Schulich School of Music also provides travel funding for conferences and special performance and research initiatives. Graduate students may apply once per academic year; see mcgill.ca/music/student-resources/competitions-awards.
Admission Requirements and Application Procedures
Admission Requirements
Master’s Degrees
Applicants for the master's degree must hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent (as determined by McGill University), typically with a Major in music, including considerable work done in the area of specialization.
Applicants found to be deficient in their background preparation may be required to successfully complete one or more undergraduate courses.
All applicants (except those for Performance, Musicology, and Sound Recording) will be required to take placement examinations.
All M.Mus. Performance applicants are required to pass an audition. Applicants can attend a live audition or submit recorded material.
Conducting, voice, and jazz applicants who apply for the live audition option must submit screening material for pre-selection. Following a review of these materials, selected applicants will be invited to attend a live audition. For more information, see mcgill.ca/music/admissions/graduate/graduate-auditions.
Specific admission and document requirements for each program are outlined at mcgill.ca/music/admissions/graduate.
Certificate in Performance: Choral Conducting
Applicants for the Certificate in Choral Conducting must hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent (as determined by McGill University), typically with a Major in music, including considerable work done in the area of specialization.
All applicants for the Certificate in Choral Conducting are required to pass an audition. Applicants can attend a live audition or submit recorded material.
Applicants who apply for the live audition option must submit screening material for pre-selection. Following a review of these materials, selected applicants will be invited to attend a live audition. For more information, see mcgill.ca/music/admissions/graduate/graduate-auditions.
Specific admission and document requirements for each program are outlined at mcgill.ca/music/admissions/graduate/how-apply/application-materials.
Graduate Diploma in Performance
Applicants for the Graduate Diploma in Performance must hold a B.Mus. or a B.A. degree with a Major or an Honours in music, a Licentiate, or an M.Mus., including considerable work in the area of specialization. All diploma applicants are required to pass an audition. Applicants can attend a live audition or submit recorded material. Voice and jazz applicants who apply for the live audition option will be required to submit screening material for pre-selection. Following a review of these materials, selected applicants will be invited to attend a live audition; see mcgill.ca/music/admissions/graduate/graduate-auditions. Specific admission and document requirements for each program are outlined at mcgill.ca/music/admissions/graduate/how-apply/application-materials.
Post-Graduate Artist Diploma
Applicants for the Post-Graduate Artist Diploma must hold a M.Mus. or D.Mus. in music, including considerable work in the area of specialization. All diploma applicants are required to pass an audition. Applicants can attend a live audition or submit recorded material. Specific admission and document requirements are outlined at mcgill.ca/music/admissions/graduate/how-apply/application-materials.
D.Mus. Degree
Applicants for the D.Mus. degree in Composition must hold an M.Mus. degree in Composition, or its equivalent, and must submit scores and/or recordings of their compositions at the time of application.
Applicants for the D.Mus. degree in Performance Studies must hold an M.Mus. degree in Performance, or its equivalent, and are required to submit screening material, samples of written work, and a statement of proposed artistic research interests by the specified application deadlines. Following a review of these materials, selected applicants will be invited to attend a live audition.
Ph.D. Degree
Applicants for the Ph.D. degree in Composition must hold an M.Mus. in Composition or equivalent and must submit scores and/or recordings of their compositions at the time of application, and a written description (no more than two pages) of the research path(s) they wish to follow.
Applicants for the Ph.D. degree in Applied Performance Science, Music Education, Music Technology, Musicology, Sound Recording, Music – Gender and Women's Studies, or Theory must hold a master's or a bachelor's degree equivalent to a McGill degree in Music Technology, Music Education, Musicology, Theory, or Sound Recording. Applicants with a bachelor's degree will normally be admitted to the M.A. program for the first year and may apply for admittance to the Ph.D. program after the completion of one full year of graduate coursework. Qualified applicants who have already completed an appropriate master's degree will be admitted to the second year of the Ph.D. program.
English Language Proficiency
For graduate applicants whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized Canadian or American (English or French) institution or from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction, documented proof of English proficiency is required prior to admission. For a list of acceptable test scores and minimum requirements, visit https://mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/international/proficiency.
Application Procedures
McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply.
See the Application Procedures section for detailed information. Please also consult mcgill.ca/music/admissions/graduate for detailed application procedures and document requirements.
Additional Requirements
The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department:
- $82.12 audition fee for Performance degrees and diplomas.
Application Dates and Deadlines
Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the Schulich School of Music and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate McGill departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.
Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.
Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.