Applicants for the Bachelor of Arts do not need to audition, since performance ability is not an essential criteria for admission.

The Bachelor of Art, does not include studio lessons in the degree requirements, but applicants are expected to have strong musical background in either pop or classical music and classical experience equivalent at least to Grade 8 conservatory level.

The BA (Major in Popular Music Studies) is a module unique to Western that engages students with the interdisciplinary nature of the study of popular music.

The program incorporates three dimensions:

In addition to courses in popular music and culture, the program includes post-1945 popular music, musical theatre, jazz, and more advanced courses indigenous musics and musics of the world, film studies, literature, and sociology. Introductory and advanced courses in songwriting and desktop music production allow students to compose, produce, and record their own music.

NOTE: Please note the English scores listed are minimum requirements. Meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission. Students with low English scores may be admitted to the English BOOST Program, a 9 week training program for conditional admission to their chosen program.