Music Major (BMus)

Program Requirements

• Total Units Required: 51-79 
• Grade Requirement: C– or higher; Pass/No Pass grades do not count for the major.

Declaration of this major must be approved by the department before the end of a student's sophomore year. In addition to the required courses, majors must complete a minimum of 12 to 30 units in advanced courses, depending on the area of concentration. Students may earn the BMus degree with concentration in performance, composition, music theory, or music history and culture, or they may pursue a general program that combines two or more of these areas.

Each concentration requires a major senior capstone, such as a thesis, recital, lecture-demonstration, or composition portfolio. All majors must also pass a keyboard proficiency examination.

Required Courses

Lesson and Ensemble Requirements

In addition to the courses listed above, BMus students must also register for music lessons (1-2 units) and at least one ensemble (1 unit) every semester once the major has been declared (no later than the second semester of their sophomore year). Note: Students with a performance emphasis must take at least 2 units of music lessons per semester; all other students must take at least 1 unit per semester.

Elective Courses

Each of the five BMus concentrations includes additional requirements, as follows:  

Performance Emphasis

Theory Emphasis

Composition Emphasis

History and Culture Emphasis

General Emphasis

Additional Information

• Courses taken Pass/No Pass and courses in which a student earns less than a C– do not fulfill the major requirements.
• A maximum of 6 credits earned via study abroad and/or transfer are allowed upon department approval.
• Music majors may take advantage of music-focused study abroad programs in Italy, Ireland, France, South Africa, or other countries upon request and approval. To learn more about these opportunities, please visit the Overseas Programs page of the Arts & Sciences website.

Becoming a Music Major

Students who plan to declare a major in music should consult with the department as early as possible. Students interested in pursuing a Music major should begin the appropriate course sequences in music theory, music history, keyboard skills, and musicianship. All Music majors must complete a senior capstone, which could take the form of a thesis, recital, lecture-demonstration, composition portfolio, or 4000-level course.

Senior Honors

Music majors are encouraged to work toward Latin Honors. To qualify, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.65 at the end of the sixth semester, complete all core Music requirements by the end of the junior year, and satisfactorily complete a senior honors capstone project, including an oral examination with a faculty committee. Project proposals are due at the end of the junior year.