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Music Major & Minor

The Department of Music will implement a new curriculum this Fall 2021, which is meant to welcome students with a variety of interests and backgrounds. This curriculum redesign was motivated by three fundamental goals:

  1. removing hidden barriers, performance and theory prerequisites, and non-credit bearing classes
  2. implementing a curriculum that invites students from all musical backgrounds into the department
  3. providing sufficient curricular flexibility so that a wide variety of student goals and interests can be served.

Students who enter the music major or minor already capable of reading music notation and singing or playing an instrument will continue to have meaningful pathways for developing those skills in our new model. Additionally, students interested in composition will continue to have relevant courses and opportunities to develop their skills. The exciting change is that students who are interested in music production, music technology, song writing, music business, music criticism, music scholarship, or music journalism will now be able to assemble a series of MUS courses that serve their educational goals. **Note that students already enrolled in the pre-fall 2021 curriculum can continue to follow those pathways. Please contact the chair with any questions.

The Music Major

Note: A grade of C- (1.7) or better is required in each course comprising the major or minor.

12 units, including:

Theory/Composition

MUS 110 Tonal Harmony I: Common Practice Period or MUS 111 Analysis and Composition of Popular Music

MUS 200-level or above theory course or MUS 306 Introduction to Composition

Musicology, two units chosen from:

MUS 226 Music and Media in Popular Culture

MUS 228 Historical Musicology

MUS 229 Cultural Musicology

Performance

Applied music, one unit chosen from: 

  • Any MSAP couse(s)
  • MUS 130 Class Guitar
  • MUS 131 Class Piano
  • MUS 132 Class Voice
  • MUS 230 Class Guitar II
  • MUS 232 Intermediate Class Piano

One unit of music ensemble (MSEN) or MUS 202 Global Rhythms

Five units of music electives, of which up to one unit may be MSAP

Capstone

MUS 400 Capstone Seminar

MUS 401 Capstone Project

No more than two units of transfer work may apply to the major.

The Music Minor

Note: A grade of C- (1.7) or better is required in each course comprising the major or minor.

Six, including

Performance

.5 unit of applied music, chosen from:

  • any MSAP course
  • MUS 130 Class Guitar
  • MUS 131 Class Piano
  • MUS 132 Class Voice
  • MUS 230 Class Guitar II
  • MUS 232 Intermediate Class Piano

.5 unit of music ensemble (MSEN) or MUS 202 Global Rhythms

Theory/Composition

MUS 110 Tonal Harmony I: Common Practice Period or MUS 111 Analysis and Composition of Popular Music

One additional unit in theory/composition

Musicology

One unit, chosen from:
  • MUS 226 Music and Media in Popular Culture
  • MUS 228 Historical Musicology
  • MUS 229 Cultural Musicology
One additional unit in musicology

One elective in music

No more than one unit of transfer work may apply to the minor.

Honors Program

The music honors program recognizes the most distinguished majors, who complete an advanced course of study, culminating in an honors thesis. Successful applicants will be assigned an advisor to guide their work and monitor their progress.

Students should declare their intention to seek honors and meet with the honors coordinator in their sophomore year.

Students must have completed 18 or more units of course work and at least four or more units in music (excluding prerequisites) with an overall grade point of at least 3.3 or above. Honors candidates must be recommended by at least one full-time member of the Department of Music.

Application for departmental honors must include:

(1) a one-page letter from the student describing how the program requirements will be met,
(2) a letter of recommendation from a full-time faculty member of the music department,
(3) the student's transcript, and
(4) a writing sample consisting of a paper written in a music course.

Applications must be submitted to the department chair by November 1 (March 1 for the spring term applicant) of the junior year, approved by the music faculty and submitted to the arts and sciences honors committee by November 15 (March 15 for the spring term applicant).

To earn departmental honors, students must complete 3.5 units of honors course work, including MUS 400, MUS 401 / MUS 402, and two honors independent study courses or two standard elective courses with special work above and beyond the norm.

Units earned from MUS 400, MUS 401, and MUS 402 are in addition to the 12 units required for the music major. Honors students are to maintain a grade point average of at least 3.3 while participating in the program.