Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music - Composition Major

at MacEwan University Canada

At MacEwan University, social work students learn how to create meaningful change. You are the catalyst in the lives of others that helps them move forward in a positive manner. In this constantly evolving field, MacEwan University prepares students with the competency and professional skills to practice in a social work setting.

For more than 45 years, the university has earned a reputation for graduating skilled, compassionate and professional social workers. Social workers assess and respond to human problems at both an individual and a societal level.

MacEwan University combines a strong academic approach to social work with direct practice field placements and university level electives. Diversity and work with different cultures is integrated into all aspects of the program.

The Bachelor of Physical Education Transfer program offers first and second-year courses that may be used toward obtaining a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree offered at the University of Alberta.
MacEwan University offers a student-centred focus in the delivery of the program by offering small classes and opportunities to participate in intramural and interscholastic athletic activities.
Admission to the program is competitive and is subject to a quota. The competitive admission average may be considerably higher than the posted minimum.

The Bachelor of Music focuses on the study of jazz and contemporary popular music, responds to the current demands of the industry and combines a high degree of professionalism along with the academic rigour required for further education at the graduate level. The opportunity to study with internationally renowned professionals while following a challenging academic curriculum will give you the skills, insights, competency and credentials to pursue a career as a performer, creator and leader in the evolving music industry.

All Bachelor of Music students share a common curriculum in the first year that focuses on individual study (voice, piano, guitar, bass, drums, winds, brass or violin), performance ensemble, theory (jazz and traditional), aural skills, and musicology. After successful completion of the first year, students pursue a major route (specialized program of study).

The General major follows a prescribed program of study in addition to the common core courses students take in their first year. Students choose from music options and non-music electives to customize their program. 

Students can remain undeclared or declare a minor:

• Undeclared
• Music Career Management
• Music Education
• Music Technology and Production1

Project-based course work, creative research, visiting artists, off-campus activities and arts and culture venues—as a Studio Arts major at MacEwan University, you receive a truly hands-on education. Let your artistic expression soar, while learning to manage the many paths your career will take you.

Our dedicated faculty maintain a range of professional art and research practices, sharing their skills in performance and sound art, painting, drawing, video, sculpture, fibres and more. In this interdisciplinary environment, you are challenged to think critically and creatively about contemporary art.

What to expect
After building a rigorous and comprehensive foundation in the first two years of the program, you can choose from three pathways in the Studio Arts major:

• Two-dimensional art
• Three-dimensional art
• Intermedia/extended media art

The technical and theoretical foundations supporting each pathway prepare you for both traditional and emerging media and concepts.

Starting in the fourth term, you choose to focus in one area or to combine paths for greater breadth. As you progress academically and develop the flexibility and fluidity prevalent in contemporary art practice, you also take courses from the other arts and communications disciplines.

In your final term, you undertake a project that prepares you for a contemporary, multi-dimensional career or for future studies at the graduate level.

Theatre Arts is an intense, two-year diploma with an emphasis on musical theatre actor training. The first year is spent in studio, private coaching, and classroom instruction, mastering the basics of all three disciplines while studying music theatre history, textual analysis, music theory and ear training.

The year culminates with workshop productions of a play and musical for invited audiences. In the second year, studio and laboratory courses continue while students apply their training in public productions in our new state of the art performance spaces.

To gain admission to this program, applicants must meet the academic admission requirements and be successful at an audition, demonstrating an aptitude in all three disciplines of acting, singing and dancing. A diagnostic will assess applicants’ basic skills in music theory and ear training.

The Massage Therapy program offers a unique blend of scientific theory and clinical practice. It offers a comprehensive clinical education that develops well-rounded massage therapists able to practice in a wide range of medical and therapeutic environments. The program teaches soft tissue manipulation techniques for the assessment and treatment of stress, pain and a variety of physical conditions. With challenging courses in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, pathology and communication, students gain a foundation of knowledge that carries them through dynamic field placement experiences and professional practice at MacEwan University’s public massage clinic.

The program prepares students to become a registered massage therapist (RMT) with a provincial association. With MacEwan University’s reputation as a leader in massage education, graduates may be eligible for registration across Canada and internationally.

Succeeding in the insurance industry means meeting clients’ diverse needs and running an efficient operation. Whether you’re an entrepreneur who wants to own your own brokerage, or someone looking for a large corporate environment, you’ll be sure to draw on your skills in business, management, finance, communication and problem solving.

This program is an accelerated program, with students studying continuously for a 13-month period to earn a full diploma. The Insurance and Risk Management program integrates business studies with industry-specific courses.  Business topics include: management, finance, communications and accounting -- along with specialized courses in insurance principles, underwriting and claims.

Career prospects are exceptional in the insurance and risk management field, with a graduate employment rate at almost 100% - and you can block transfer your credit to MacEwan's Bachelor of Commerce degree, graduating with a specialized diploma and a degree.

Criminals are getting more sophisticated, the world is changing rapidly and technology is constantly evolving. All of this creates a strong demand for educated professionals in investigations and public/private security.

This two-year diploma program equips you with the knowledge and skills to investigate, analyze and act using a combination of intuition, expertise and communication skills. Field placements provide insight into professional security and investigative environments, and a crime lab allows you to practice the investigative techniques as you learn them.

Success in today’s business world depends on sound decisions based on timely, accurate and well-directed financial information. Successful accounting students have good analytical skills, are able to work in a team environment and are self-motivated. In addition, they need effective oral and written communication skills for success.

The Accounting and Strategic Measurement diploma provides a comprehensive overview of accounting procedures and principles. Students in the program learn about management, cost and financial accounting, finance, taxation, computer applications and management skills, providing them with intermediate level accounting knowledge.

Become a musical theatre professional in our innovative, interdisciplinary Bachelor of Fine Arts program.

Train in world-class facilities alongside fellow students who share your passion for performance. Take specialized classes in acting, singing, dancing, music theory, ear training, auditioning, stage combat, career management and more. You graduate from the program with the skills, experience and professional connections you need to succeed in a career in musical theatre.

Guided by experienced theatre mentors, you explore your authentic artistic voice in a learning environment that encourages creative risk taking. Then, you showcase your talents in smash-hit Broadway musicals and cutting-edge contemporary plays for public audiences.

What to expect
The Music Theatre Performance major prepares you for a career in music theatre through an intense, conservatory-style program of training in acting, singing and dancing.

Early in the program, you are immersed in the fundamentals of these performance skills. As you progress through the four years, you refine, experiment and acquire the skills to create and perform in a variety of theatrical styles and venues.

From your first year, you are introduced to the theory and practice of musical theatre, guided by educators who are also working professional theatre directors, actors, musical directors and choreographers. Learning is intense, and the pace is demanding but also highly satisfying in this hands-on program. You graduate as a strong advocate of theatre and all arts, prepared for a long-term career in the local, national and international communities of theatre artists.