New Undergraduate Students Get Prepared
Once you have accepted your offer, there are some important next steps and resources to help you prepare for your first year at U of T. If you have any questions, join one of our events or contact our Admissions & Recruitment team — we are here for you!
Get a head start
Your TCard is your official University of Toronto photo identification. It will be your library card, access pass to athletic facilities, and general ID card for when you write exams and pick up official documents.
The first step is to submit your identity and legal status documentation on the TCard website. After your identity and legal status documentation have been approved, you will receive an email with instructions about activating your UTORid (see below). You will then pick up your TCard on campus.
You will need to convert your JOINid to a UTORid by following the instructions provided in the email received once your documentation has been processed through the TCard Office. UTORid and password provide access to online services like email (UTmail+), some course content on Quercus, library resources, Microsoft365 (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint), WiFi on campus, and more.
You will also be required to enrol in UTORMFA (U of T’s multi-factor authentication system) within two weeks of converting to the UTORid, otherwise you will not be able to login to any services until this is resolved.
You will also be issued a university e-mail address but it is your responsibility to activate your account. Be sure to add your new UTMail address on ACORN. U of T uses e-mail to communicate with you. It is your responsibility to update your e-mail on ACORN and to check your UTmail account daily.
Note on Name Changes
The University of Toronto has a way for students to have their first name changed on their academic records and ACORN. If you use a different name than the one indicated on your photo ID and legal status documentation, contact the Music Registrar’s Office to request the Change of Name or Gender Request Form. New students must complete this step before beginning the UTORid activation process.
For more information and detail on the name change process, please visit the U of T Identification page on the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office website.ACORN is the University of Toronto’s user-friendly and intuitive student web service. You will use it to enrol in courses, access your grades, order transcripts, determine how much you owe on your fees account, update your personal contact information, and much more. You can access ACORN before setting up your University accounts using your JOINid and password; once you have activated your UTORid, your UTORid and password become your new login credentials.
Make a plan to Choose your Courses and get ready with the Enrolment Cart.
Quercus is U of T’s online learning management platform. It helps organize your courses in one place and allows you to connect with your classmates and instructors online.
Find support and make your plan
Orientation activities will take place between August 25-29, 2025. You will receive an invitation to register for Orientation Week, organized by the Faculty of Music Undergraduate Association (FMUA), which is filled with fun social activities and city adventures!
In addition to the FMUA’s events, the Registrar’s Office will be a hosting a number of helpful information sessions. These will be scheduled for the mornings of August 27-29; no registration is required. The goal of these sessions is to assist you with the transition to university and familiarize you with the expectations of the Faculty and the University at large. Attendance is strongly recommended as these sessions will provide you with all the basics and tools that you need to be successful in your first year!
The mission of Student Life is to offer all students support in reaching your academic goals while finding community and belonging. This includes preparing you for university academics by introducing available resources, teaching time-management skills and effective learning and study habits. They’re here to support your mental and physical health with virtual and in-person appointments, workshops to teach you wellness skills, and peer support in a range of areas. They can also help you with accessibility and accommodation issues. Student Life provides all kinds of resources to help with your career, from work study positions and on-campus jobs, to resources to help you develop resume and interview skills. For international students, they provide a range of supports from information about immigration, health coverage and work permits, to advice on transitioning into Canadian life. They also have all the information you’ll need about study abroad programs.
Make sure you familiarize yourself with these services in order to take advantage of the opportunities!
Visit Start with Student Life
Students who have a documented disability may be able to receive special accommodations to enhance their study at the University of Toronto by being registered with Accessibility Services. An accommodation is any change that enables students with disabilities to participate equally in the environment and activities of either a particular class or university life in general. This includes making changes to course delivery, assessment methods, the types of resources provided, and physical access to a class. It involves removing barriers of all kinds. Accommodations are determined based on available information regarding your functional limitations and their impact on your program of study.
You are urged to initiate the process immediately and submit your intake package no later than July 14 at 5p.m. in order to have the necessary accommodations (if appropriate) in place before classes begin.
You can still register at any point during the school year but your accommodations will begin after the start of the Fall 2025 semester.
Refer to the Academic Calendar for a comprehensive list of resources at the Faculty of Music and on campus.
Prepare for classes
See all of the important dates for enrolment, registration, courses drop/add dates on the sessional dates.
Mark them in your calendar!
Review all the materials regarding course selection and course enrolment to get you started. With everything from understanding course load and program charts, to how to read the timetable and steps to enrolling we have you covered!
Registration happens in August - learn everything you need to know about getting your invoice to paying fees as well as financial aid and scholarships!
See Finance.
All students are required to participate in a Major Ensemble for at least the first two years of study. Major Ensemble Placement Auditions will be done in-person during the first week of classes to determine in which ensemble you will placed.
Classical students will be placed in either a choir (Chamber Choir, MacMillan Singers, Soprano/Alto Chorus, and Tenor/Bass Chorus) or instrumental ensemble (Contemporary Music Ensemble, Guitar Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Wind Symphony). Jazz students will be placed in the Hybrid Ensemble, Jazz Orchestra, Small Jazz Ensemble(s), or Vocal Jazz Ensemble.
Classical pianists, organists, and accordionists will be scheduled for a choir audition. However, if you are proficient on another instrument, you are welcome to request a second audition for one of the instrumental ensembles. If accepted, that can count toward your ensemble requirement for the academic year. If you wish to audition on a secondary instrument, please contact performance.music@utoronto.ca.
The Performance Office provides excerpts that you will prepare for the audition. These excerpts, along with individual placement audition dates/times will be found under Major Ensembles & Placements in early July.
During Orientation Week, you will get access to practice spaces in both the Edward Johnson Building and Faculty of Music South. These spaces are secured with a fob system, which is managed by the Registrar’s Office.
To get your fob, you will need to order it online and pay a $30 deposit using a credit card. Details about how to order and when to pick up your fob will be shared in August. At the time of pick-up, don’t forget to bring your TCard; you may also collect any other keys you might need then. You’ll keep your fob for the entire time you are studying at the Faculty of Music.
Specialized Practice Spaces: If you play one of the following instruments - harp, bassoon, double bass, percussion, tuba, jazz double bass, or jazz drums, you may request access to specialized practice or storage rooms. Where applicable, you may be required to pay a $20 non-refundable fee for these specialized rooms each academic year.
Private Studio Access: Some applied teachers allow students to use their private studios for practice. If your teacher approves, you will need to get their authorization and pay a $20 non-refundable fee for access during the academic year.
Fob and key order forms will be sent out in August; your UTORid must be activated in order to access the forms. You must order and pay online before you can pick up a fob/key.
Classical
All students coming into a Classical programs will be required to write the Music Theory Baseline Assessment, which is a 30-minute assessment during Orientation Week. It includes some questions on musical rudiments as well as more advanced questions involving analysis and four-voice writing. Just do your best; most will not finish the assessment. The results help us to place students with similar skills in the same tutorial for TMU130H1 Music Theory and Skills classes, which improves the learning experience for everyone.
View a sample of the Music Theory Baseline Assessment.
The test is scheduled on Friday, August 29, 2025 from 9-9:30am in room 330; no pre-registration is required. There will be no alternate sitting provided, so please ensure that you are attend at this time. Please note that there might be a slight change to your course schedule, based on the assessment outcomes.
Jazz
All new students will be required to do a Placement Test to determine if they are required to attend the tutorial for JMU100Y1 Jazz & Trad Materials and/or JMU101Y1 Jazz Ear Training.
The Placement Tests will be held during the first class for these courses; details will be posted on Quercus prior to the beginning of classes.