Bachelor of Music (B.M., B.Mus., Mus.B. or Mus. Bac.) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a proficiency performing an instrument. Such a program lasts three to four and a half years.
The degree of Bachelor of Music may be awarded for music performance, music education, composition, music theory, musicology / music history, music technology, music therapy, music ministry, music business, music entertainment, music production or jazz studies. Recently, some universities have begun offering degrees in Music Composition with Technology, which encompasses traditional theory and musicology coursework, but also adds the element of engineering in a studio, and becoming proficient at full-scale studio production.
The earliest firmly-authenticated Bachelor of Music degree was awarded to Henry Abyngdon at the University of Cambridge in 1464.