Bachelor Programme
Instrumental Music (Performance)
The Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music, from the School of Music in the College of Fine & Applied Arts, is a performance degree on one principal instrument. Students can major in piano, organ, harpsichord, guitar, violin, viola, cello, double bass, harp, electric violin or viola, flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, horn, euphonium, trombone, tuba or percussion. The degree combines applied lessons and ensembles with a music core in theory, musicianship and musicology. Students apply through the Common App to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, choosing this major in the College of Fine & Applied Arts, followed by the School of Music's Music Supplement and an audition.
University
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Country
United States
Level
Bachelor
Field
Arts & Humanities
Duration
4 years full-time (120 credit hours)
Language
English
Campus
Urbana-Champaign campus
Degree
Bachelor of Music (BMus) in Instrumental Music
Intake
Fall (August). Illinois publishes first-year application dates for fall entry only; spring entry is for transfer applicants
Application Deadline
Fall 2027 entry (first-year applicants, Common App, US$75 application fee or waiver): Early Action closes 1 November 2026, with all required materials due by 7 November (non-binding; decisions 29 January 2027). Regular deadline is 5 January 2027, with materials due by 11 January (decisions 26 February 2027). Honors and scholarship decisions arrive by 1 April, and the commitment deadline is 1 May 2027. Music deadlines: for Early Action, the Music Supplement and any audition recording or other materials are due 5 November 2026 (or a live audition by 14 November 2026); for Regular admission, they are due 10 January 2027 (or a live audition by 6 February 2027)
Tuition Information
2026-27 tuition for a full-time undergraduate (two semesters, 12+ hours; Fine & Applied Arts rate): US$14,912 for Illinois residents, US$37,588 for out-of-state (nonresident) US students and US$38,630 for international students. This major pays the Fine & Applied Arts tuition differential; the campus base rate is US$13,252 resident, US$35,928 nonresident and US$36,970 international. Campus fees add US$5,182 a year for everyone, including the US$876-a-semester student health insurance fee. With the university's estimated on-campus food and housing (US$15,858), books and supplies (US$1,200) and other expenses (US$2,500 resident, US$2,840 nonresident and international), the 2026-27 cost of attendance is about US$39,652 (resident), US$62,668 (nonresident) and US$63,710 (international). Under Illinois's Undergraduate Guaranteed Tuition Program, a student's entry-year tuition schedule is fixed for four years of continuous enrolment in the same major; rates for students entering in fall 2027 are not yet published and will probably be higher. The Illinois Commitment covers tuition and campus fees for Illinois residents with a family income of US$75,000 or less. Applicants are considered automatically for merit scholarships, and federal need-based aid (FAFSA) is only for US citizens and eligible non-citizens
Admission Requirements
- College: College of Fine & Applied Arts. Application: Common App with first-choice and optional second-choice majors, Illinois essay prompts, activities and a self-reported academic record (official transcripts only on enrolment). Admission is to the major, so the choice of major affects the review. International applicants self-report their coursework and exam results
- High school courses: 4 years of English, 3 years of math (4 recommended), 2 years each of social science, lab science and one language other than English, and 2 flexible academic units (4 years of each recommended)
- Testing: test-optional for all first-year applicants, including international students. Applicants who report scores give their highest ACT composite or SAT total (no superscoring); official scores are only needed on enrolment
- English proficiency: applicants who have not completed the last three full years of secondary school in an approved English-speaking country must submit TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic (or IELTS Indicator) or Duolingo English Test scores if they apply without SAT/ACT, and are strongly encouraged to submit them even with SAT/ACT. Scores must be from within two years of enrolment, and subscores are considered. Illinois does not publish a minimum first-year score. The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is accepted for fall 2027; TOEFL MyBest, IELTS General and IELTS One Skill Retake are not
- Audition required: applicants who list Music as their first-choice major are emailed a link to the School of Music's Music Supplement 24-48 hours after submitting the Common App. The supplement records the instrument and program choices and is used to schedule a live audition, or applicants can submit a video audition if they cannot attend in person. Program-specific repertoire requirements are set by the School of Music