Bachelor of Music Interdisciplinary Music Studies (Jazz)
Overview
What to expect
Personalize an exciting learning program with jazz music at its centre! This four-year degree program features a solid, multi-disciplinary core of required music courses and offers students the freedom to design part of their studies around individual interests, whether these span multiple fields within music or include other disciplines. IMS students emerge as independent thinkers, strong musicians, and informed professionals ready to take on the world.
Why it stands out
Breadth, flexibility, and autonomy set this program apart. IMS gives students exceptional freedom to enrich their understanding of jazz music through studies in a wide choice of subjects. In the third and fourth years of the program, students have the option to explore electives of their choice. These courses can be selected in one or more areas within music or include areas of study in the Faculty of Arts & Science. Within the minimum 20 full credits required for graduation, up to eight credits may be Arts & Science courses.
Who it’s for
This program appeals to intellectually flexible, curious, imaginative students with wide-ranging interests. Ideal candidates are those who seek a creative, self-directed interdisciplinary approach to studying music, or who seek to combine music studies with intensive studies in one or more other areas. The supportive, welcoming IMS student community consists of motivated, collaborative individuals who are each unique and different, yet joined by a shared passion for music, creativity, and professional growth.
Outcomes
Opportunities for study
Entrants join a diverse cohort of peers taught and mentored by distinguished faculty with wide-ranging expertise. They choose electives from a large pool of Music and Arts & Sciences courses and have access to the largest Canadian and third-largest North American academic library. Opportunities to create, innovate, and share work exist throughout the program, including at events such as the Faculty of Music’s annual Student Research Showcase.
Opportunities after graduation
This program equips students with the agility to respond to a continually changing professional landscape by developing the combined skills of creativity, focus, flexibility, and discipline that are highly prized by employers in any profession. The combination of a core music program emphasizing disciplinary breadth and flexibility, strong research and writing skills, along with creative self-awareness and individuation opens up a wide range of careers, professional programs, and graduate study options. In music, such areas can include performance, scholarly research, composition, education, community work, arts administration and management, music journalism, entertainment law, music and health, and technology, to name a few.
Postgraduate opportunities
Given the flexibility of the Bachelor of Music in Interdisciplinary Music Studies, students can pursue a wide range of programs after graduation depending on the courses they have taken. Course-based, faculty, and peer mentorship is built into the programme from the first year to the last. Graduates can apply to pursue further study within Music, or professional programs such as business, medicine and law.
Being able to learn and work with some of the incredible Faculty here is what truly makes studying at U of T worth it. Not only are they experts at their craft, but they bring real-life experiences to the classroom, and a massive sense of inspiration.
– Riley Kelly
Bachelor of Music 2025 - Comprehensive Studies (Jazz Trumpet)
Core courses include music history courses from global and Western art music perspectives as well as jazz history courses. Jazz IMS students complete comprehensive studies of melody and harmony, receive solid training in jazz theory and ear training, participate in ensembles, and receive individual instrumental or vocal instruction.
Students complete Building the Creative Path in Year 1. This practical, activity-based course explores some key qualities, insights, and skills required to build a career in a creative discipline. Students will learn how to develop ambitious, flexible, and realistic professional goals that align with their interests, and how to identify and connect to the people and opportunities most likely to support them. Creative Identities in Music I is required in Year 2, where students learn how to develop and express clear and authentic visions of themselves as creative people, and build professional artefacts, experiences, and relationships that bring their visions to life.
Music & Breadth Electives
Interdisciplinary Music Studies requires the completion of a specific number of electives in three categories: Music Electives, Free Electives and Breadth Electives. A Music Elective is any Faculty of Music course (excluding any Basic Music Course) that is not required for the program. A Breadth Elective is a course offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science (up to one full credit of designated Music courses can be counted towards this requirement). Free Electives can be any combination of Music and/or Arts & Science electives.
Options within the Degree
Music: IMS students can take courses outside of core music programming that lead to Certificates granted in conjunction with their degree. Currently these Certificates are offered in Health Applications in Music, Music Technology, Popular Music Studies and Ethnomusicology, Piano Pedagogy, and Music Entrepreneurship. There are also Minor programs offered in History and Culture, Composition, and Historical Keyboard.
Arts & Science: Within the Breadth Electives, students have the option of completing requirements towards a Minor or a Major from the Faculty of Arts & Science in a discipline they are interested in.
For further details on any of the above options, please refer to the Jazz Core Curriculum
