Music, BA

The Bachelor of Arts with a major in music is intended for undergraduates who have a strong background in music, and who wish to major in music as part of a broad liberal arts education irrespective of specific career aspirations. The curriculum includes musicianship, performance, and electives.

The program is designed for students who have solid abilities and interest in music but are not necessarily planning on careers as musicians, or for those who wish to pursue a double major or earn more than one bachelor's degree. Students must audition and be accepted into a performance area. They develop musicianship and performance skills, and they select from a wide variety of music electives.

Students in many areas, from engineering and physics to history, art, and English, find that a BA in music is a good addition to their studies. Other students pursue the degree to complement coursework in business (especially the minor in business administration), a world language and literature program, or interdisciplinary fields such as American studies. Some students combine their BA with undergraduate preparation to study law or medicine.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the BA program in music will be able to:

  • demonstrate the ability to hear, identify, and work conceptually with the rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, and structural elements of music;
  • identify compositional processes, aesthetic properties of style, and artistic and cultural forces in music;
  • demonstrate a broad acquaintance with music literature, musical genres, and cultural sources;
  • demonstrate the ability to read and write critically about music; and
  • demonstrate the ability to sight read, prepare for performance, interpret, and perform both solo and ensemble music in a variety of musical styles.