BM vs BA in Music: What Differs

Applicants to US-style programmes meet two common titles: the Bachelor of Music (BM, sometimes B.Mus) and the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in music. The titles hint at a difference in emphasis, but the details belong to each school. This guide helps you read the titles; it does not say that one is better, and it makes no claim about admission or outcomes.

What the titles usually signal

A BM is generally the professional or performance-oriented bachelor's degree, with a large share of the course devoted to music. A BA in music is generally a liberal-arts degree where music is the major but a larger share of credits goes to subjects outside music, which leaves room for a second major or minor. These are tendencies, not definitions. Always check the course structure on the school's page.

Berklee College of Music illustrates the pattern. It describes the Bachelor of Music as its main degree, which pairs a major with liberal arts courses, and it also offers two Bachelor of Arts programmes: Black Music and Culture, which requires an audition, and Music Industry Leadership and Innovation, which requires no audition or instrument proficiency. So even within one school, the BA may be a very different programme from the BM and may have different entry rules.

Majors inside a BM

A BM usually has a named major. At Berklee, majors listed under the Bachelor of Music include performance, composition, songwriting, music production and engineering, music business/management, film and media scoring, music education and music therapy. Schools of music inside universities, such as Eastman and Indiana's Jacobs School, also organise study by area. If you want to teach or work in therapy, read music education and teaching qualifications and music therapy education pathways: a major with a similar name does not by itself confer a professional credential.

What to compare in the curriculum

Ask for the full requirements list and compare:

• Principal study. Hours of private lessons, recitals or juries required.
• Ensembles. Which are required and how placement works.
• Music theory, aural skills and history. How many semesters.
• Non-music courses. How many credits are general education or free electives.
• Electives and double majors. Whether you can add a second subject, and whether it extends the length.
• Capstone. Recital, thesis, portfolio or project.

Two programmes with the same title can differ greatly in these areas.

Length and credits

Length depends on country. In the European credit system a bachelor's programme is typically 180 or 240 ECTS credits, a year being 60 credits, according to the European Commission. In many US programmes four years is common, but the school decides. The RNCM describes a four-year conservatoire-based undergraduate degree in its popular music school, for example, while other UK degrees can be shorter or longer. Check the school's own length and credit information.

Titles in other countries

Naming is not uniform. The UK uses titles such as BMus and BA, and a framework from the Quality Assurance Agency describes levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Scotland has its own. Many European institutions use their own national titles within the Bologna structure. Awards named alike differ by country, and no equivalence is claimed between them. For a general guide, see certificates, diplomas and degrees.

Which questions decide it

Rather than choosing by title, answer these for yourself:

1. How much of my time do I want in the practice room and in ensembles?
2. Do I want to study another subject alongside music?
3. Is a performance audition a core part of the entry I am preparing for? See preparing for auditions.
4. Do I plan graduate study? Check what the target programme requires; see MM versus MA.
5. Do I need the degree for a regulated profession? Confirm with the regulator, not the school's marketing.

Admission and audition differences

Some BA programmes require an audition and some do not, as the Berklee example shows. Some BM programmes require prescreening recordings first. Read prescreening versus final auditions and the individual programme page.

Using this site

Browse the bachelor's in music directory and the conservatoire versus university guide, then verify the curriculum on the school's page. Our methodology explains what the listings include and how corrections work. For a full framework, see choosing a music school.