Honours Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour - Music Cognition Specialization (B.Sc.)

Admission Notes

1. Completion of CHEM 1A03  and one of BIOPHYS 1S03 , PHYSICS 1B03 , 1L03  is required by the end of Level II, however, at least one of BIOPHYS 1S03 , CHEM 1A03 , PHYSICS 1B03 , 1L03  is required for admission. It is recommended that both CHEM 1A03  and one of BIOPHYS 1S03 , PHYSICS 1B03 , 1L03  be completed in Level I. Concepts from PHYSICS 1BB3  are particularly useful for understanding neuroscience, mathematical modelling, and perception. Students interested in these areas are encouraged to take PHYSICS 1B03  followed by PHYSICS 1BB3 . Effective, September 2015, completion of CHEM 1A03  and one of BIOPHYS 1S03 , PHYSICS 1B03 , 1C03 , 1L03  is required by the end of Level II, however, at least one of BIOPHYS 1S03 , CHEM 1A03 , PHYSICS 1B03 , 1C03 , 1L03  is required for admission. It is recommended that both CHEM 1A03  and one of BIOPHYS 1S03 , PHYSICS 1B03 , 1C03 , 1L03  be completed in Level I. Concepts from PHYSICS 1BB3  or 1CC3  are particularly useful for understanding neuroscience, mathematical modelling, and perception. Students interested in these areas are encouraged to take PHYSICS 1B03  or 1C03  followed by PHYSICS 1BB3  or 1CC3 .
2. MATH 1B03  and STATS 2D03  are recommended for students intending to pursue graduate work in psychology or neuroscience. PHYSICS 2G03  is recommended for students interested in neuroscience, cognition and perception, and for students intending to pursue graduate work in psychology.
3. MUSIC 1A03  or 1AA3  is required for admission, however, both are required for degree completion.
4. Students who have completed Grade 3 History (History 1) or Grade 5 History (History 3) from the Royal Conservatory of Music, with a grade of at least 70%, are not required to complete MUSIC 1AA3 , and those students who have similarly obtained at least 70% on RCM Grade 4 History (History 2) are not required to complete MUSIC 1A03  either for admission to the Music Cognition Specialization or to fulfill their degree requirements.
5. Students having completed Grade 4 Theory (Harmony 4) from the Royal Conservatory of Music with a grade of 70% or better can receive advanced credit for MUSIC 1CC3 A/B  (Harmony 1).
6. Completion of either PSYCH 1F03  or 1X03  is required by the end of Level II.

Admission

Admission to the program requires Advanced Rudiments (or Grade 2 Rudiments) from the Royal Conservatory of Music (a grade of 80% or above, within the last two years), or MUSIC 1C03  (with a grade of at least B), or a grade of 65% or above on a qualifying music theory exam administered by the School of the Arts (SOTA).

Enrolment in this program is limited and possession of the published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Selection is based on academic achievement but requires, as a minimum, completion of any Level I program with a Cumulative Average of at least 6.0 including:

Admission (Effective September 2015)

Admission to the program requires Advanced Rudiments (or Grade 2 Rudiments) from the Royal Conservatory of Music (a grade of 80% or above, within the last two years), or MUSIC 1C03  (with a grade of at least B), or a grade of 65% or above on a qualifying music theory exam administered by the School of the Arts (SOTA).

Enrolment in this program is limited and possession of the published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Selection is based on academic achievement but requires, as a minimum, completion of any Level I program with a Cumulative Average of at least 6.0 including:

Program Notes

1. Entrance into MUSIC 1CC3 A/B  requires Advanced Rudiments (or Grade 2 Rudiments) from the Royal Conservatory of Music (a grade of 80% or above, within the last two years) or MUSIC 1C03  (with a grade of at least 75%) or a grade of 65% or above on a qualifying music theory exam administered by the School of the Arts (SOTA). Appointments can be made with SOTA to write the exam on specific dates between February and May. The content of the exam is summarized at: http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/audition/index.html.
2. The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour pre-registration ballot will be done in two phases. The first phase will include the thesis courses (PNB 4D06 A/B , 4D09 A/B ), and the individual study courses (PNB 3Q03 A/B , 3QQ3 A/B , 4Q03 A/B , 4QQ3 A/B ). Students wishing to take these courses must complete and submit a ballot by mid February. Students will be informed of the outcome of the first phase by mid March. The second phase will include lab courses (PNB 3DV3 , 3EE3 , 3L03 , 3LA3 , 3MM3 , 3RM3 , 3S03 , 3V03 ). Students wishing to take these courses must complete and submit a ballot by mid April. Specific dates will be announced during the fall term. Ballots can be obtained from the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour web site at http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/pnb/.
3. PSYCH 3AB3 , 3AC3 , 3AG3 , 3BA3 , 3CB3 , 3CD3  may only be used as electives.
4. Students who entered prior to September 2013, may substitute one of LINGUIST 3PS3 , MUSICCOG 3QQ3 A/B , PNB 3DV3  3EE3 , 3L03 , 3LA3  3LL3, 3MM3 , 3QQ3 A/B , 3S03 , 3V03 , 4QQ3 A/B , PSYCH 3PS3  for PNB 3RM3 . In this case, PNB 3QQ3 A/B  or 4QQ3 A/B  must be completed under the supervision or co-supervision of a faculty member in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour.
5. Both MUSIC 1A03  and 1AA3  must be completed for degree completion.
6. Students are encouraged to complete both PSYCH 3A03  and 3H03  as part of the Psychology Course List requirement.
7. Students who entered the program prior to September 2013, may use 6 units from PNB 3HP3 , 3I06 A/B , 4A03 , 4B03, 4G03 , PSYCH 4BN3 , 4KK3 , 4L03, 4MH3 , 4R03 , 4Y03  to fulfill the 6 units required from the Capstone Course List.

Capstone Course List

• MUSICCOG 4D06 - Thesis in Music Cognition
• MUSICCOG 4QQ3 A/B - Experimental Laboratory in Music Cognition II
• PNB 4D06 A/B - Senior Thesis
• PNB 4J03 - Inquiry in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour
• PNB 4Q03 A/B - Advanced Individual Library Study
• PNB 4QQ3 A/B - Advanced Individual Lab Study
• PNB 4SC6 A/B - Science Communication

Psychology Course List

• BIOLOGY 3P03 - Cell Physiology
• BIOLOGY 4T03 - Neurobiology
• HTH SCI 4BB3 - Neuroimmunology
• KINESIOL 3E03 - Neural Control of Human Movement
• KINESIOL 4P03 - The Brain and Human Movement
• LIFE SCI 3K03 - Neural Control of Human Movement
• LINGUIST 2PS3 - Psycholinguistics
• LINGUIST 3NL3 - Cognitive Neuroscience of Language
• MUSIC 2MT3 - Introduction to the Practice of Music Therapy
• MUSICCOG 3QQ3 A/B - Experimental Laboratory in Music Cognition I
• all Level III and IV PNB courses, and,

Requirements

120 units total (Levels I to IV), of which no more than 48 units may be Level I