The Bachelor of Arts in Music degree is specifically designed to permit a student to concentrate on music within the context of a liberal arts program. The unique feature of this degree is the approximately 40 percent required degree credits in music courses. This percentage allows the student ample opportunity to pursue music studies as well as a broad range of liberal arts subjects.
The required musicianship courses consists of music theory, form and analysis, counterpoint, music history, and four to six music elective courses chosen from an array of course offerings within Townsend School of Music. Eleven musical performance credits are required consisting of keyboard skills and applied music lessons.
While recognizing that students often pursue the Bachelor of Arts in Music irrespective of specific career goals, Townsend School of Music encourages students in the Bachelor of Arts program to choose an area of emphasis beyond the degree requirements. Students develop these interests by choosing as electives music courses related to their areas of emphasis.
Students in pursuit of the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music may elect for the senior project a recital like that described above, or may choose a research project which might involve any of the following: a 45- to 60-minute recital; the writing and presentation of a paper or lecture; the writing and presentation of a lecture-recital; a conducting project/performance; the composition and performance of an original piece; or any valid presentation or project approved by the dean of Townsend School of Music. Because students pursuing the bachelor of arts frequently major in more than one subject, the senior project may be interdisciplinary in topic, theme or approach.
