Programmes > Bachelor of Music Curriculum

BACHELOR OF MUSIC CURRICULUM

Our undergraduate degree,
the Bachelor of Music
(Honours), is at the centre
of what we do.

Students embark on a four-year full-time programme which builds out from a focus on one of 20 specific music majors. With enrolment kept to just 55 each year from Singapore, Asia and around the world, each student receives individualised attention in helping them shape their distinctive artistic identity, and is part of a multicultural, diverse student body. All undergraduates receive generous support that covers all financial costs, thanks to the Government of Singapore, the Yong Loo Lin Trust, and other benefactors.

The BMus programme is driven by two key aims: nurturing artistic identity as a driver and compass for excellence; and engaging the broader ecosystem to give music greater resonance. We envision the four years in terms of overlapping spheres of activity, which inform and enrich each other. Encompassing all these endeavours is the act of listening, which connects and opens up ever-new meaning in our musical journeys.

The Major Study

The major forms the core of the BMus programme and builds specialised expertise in one of 20 areas in instrumental performance, Piano, Voice, Composition, Audio Arts & Sciences, Music & Society, and Music, Collaboration & Production. Students receive one-to-one instruction with close guidance from our faculty, alongside core and elective class and ensemble options.

For full degree requirements, please refer to the respective majors under Programmes.

Beyond the studio, students are also
encouraged to engage in
the Conservatory’s calendar of around
200 events annually, to gain applied
experience and exposure.

Electives

While the major forms the core of the BMus programme, we believe artistic identity is reflected in – and developed through – the educational choices that each student makes. As such, a significant part of the programme involves students building up their own portfolio of additional courses from within the Conservatory as well as across NUS, depending on their capacities and preferences.

Music Studies

Courses in Analysis & Composition and Contextual Studies are designed to broaden and deepen each student’s connection to music. Following introductory courses in each of the two areas, students have considerable freedom to pursue subjects according to their interests and future directions.

Collaborative Activity

Outside of their solo practice, students engage in collaborative activity with their peers through involvement in ensemble music-making, community engagement and professional integration projects, as well as self-curated initiatives. Collaborative platforms include the Conservatory Orchestra, OpusNovus (our dedicated contemporary music ensemble), and the Collaboratory (for self-initiated realisations of student compositions, experimentations and improvisations). Through such activity, they hone their ability to work in different settings and teams, and in the process enrich their own musical understanding.

Professional Integration

An important challenge for any musician is finding one’s own special place in the music industry ecosystem. Professional Integration courses are designed to help students develop core professional, pedagogical and communication skills, and to define their own distinct pathways outside of the Conservatory.

University Requirements

General Education courses are
collectively offered by various faculties
in NUS and aim to develop
well-rounded knowledge.

As with all undergraduate NUS students, Conservatory students take courses across diverse areas of study beyond their major to develop well-rounded knowledge. In addition to Conservatory courses, students are free to explore the extensive range of courses offered across NUS faculties and schools. Learn more about General Education at NUS here, and academic areas offered at NUS here.

“Extracurricular” Music Activity

Artistry goes beyond the boundaries of the degree programme. We encourage students to engage in their own explorations and collaborations, and actively create their own bodies of work outside of YST – which in the process enriches their learning within the Conservatory.

Bachelor of Music

Second Major Outline