Theory and Composition (Theory) ,BMUS
Arranging, Brass, Composer, Horn, Keyboard, Musician, Orchestration, Percussion, Performance, Strings, Theorist, Woodwind, composing, conducting, voice
Cultivate your curiosity about how music works by exploring interdisciplinary approaches to understanding musical structure and experience. With skills in analysis, research and critical thinking, you'll be equipped to excel in music-focused jobs across diverse career fields.
When you pursue the Bachelor of Music program in theory and composition, you choose a concentration in either theory or composition.
The theory concentration provides opportunities for you to dive into the science behind how people perceive and understand music while developing fluency with the theoretical foundations of musical analysis. You collaborate with expert faculty members and peers who share your curiosity for how music interacts with critical aspects of human experience, such as memory, emotion, culture and meaning. Through coursework, you learn techniques to analyze form, melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre across diverse styles of music, and you develop research skills to generate new insights about musical experience.
If you are interested in the composition concentration, you can look into the BMus in theory and composition with a concentration in composition program for more information.
- College/school:
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
- Location: Tempe
- Second language requirement: No
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
- First
required math course:
MAT 114 - College Mathematics
or any math course that meets the MATH designation. - Math
intensity: General
What If: See how your courses can be applied to another major and find out how to change your major.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
First-year | Transfer | International | Readmission
Additional requirements:
Important: Applicants must submit an ASU application for undergraduate admission in addition to a separate School of Music, Dance and Theatre application. Admission to the School of Music, Dance and Theatre is based on an audition. Auditions take place in November (spring admission) and in January and February (fall admission) of each year.
Admission to the music program is highly selective and based on the audition process. Students are admitted as music audition students and must successfully complete the audition before enrolling in music major courses. Upon admission to both ASU and the School of Music, Dance and Theatre, the applicant's major is changed to music. If a student is admitted to ASU but not to the School of Music, Dance and Theatre or misses the audition deadline, the student remains a music audition major and must successfully pass the music audition milestone in the first semester to gain admission into the program.
Application Deadlines: Students should review the complete music deadline information.
Spring admission: The deadline to apply for admission to this program is October 15.
Fall admission: The deadline to apply for admission to this program is January 5.
Transfer admission requirements:
Transfer applicants: Transfer of courses from other accredited institutions is subject to the existence of parallel and equal courses in the college's curriculum and to departmental or school evaluation of studio and class piano courses with respect to performance standards. Every candidate for the bachelor's degree must earn a minimum of 30 hours in resident credit at ASU. Transfer students enrolled in the institute must complete a minimum of 15 resident credit hours in the major as approved by the faculty. Application deadlines: Students should review the complete music deadline information. Spring admission: The deadline to apply for admission to this program is October 15. Fall admission: The deadline to apply for admission to this program is January 5.
An ASU student who would like to change majors to this program should reference the audition requirements listed in the admission requirements section above.
Students should visit the Change of Major form for information about how to change a major to this program.
ASU is committed to helping students thrive by offering tools that allow personalization of the transfer path to ASU. Students may use MyPath2ASU® to outline a list of recommended courses to take prior to transfer.
ASU has transfer partnerships in Arizona and across the country to create a simplified transfer experience for students. These pathway programs include exclusive benefits, tools and resources, and they help students save time and money in their college journey.
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:
- Analyze key creative and artistic processes from at least two musical styles and historical periods.
- Critique specific musical products within the context of a specific historic or cultural tradition.
- Conduct scholarly research on topics in music theory resulting in scholarly papers and/or presentations.
Students may deepen their understanding of music theory through ASU's study abroad experiences. They gain an enhanced understanding of how music affects culture and how they can communicate globally through music.
With more than 300 programs around the world available to them, students can build the experience most suited to their personal goals and skill sets.
Graduates find work in many fields, such as arts administration, media production, music technology, music business, publishing and marketing.
Graduates are prepared to work in various professional capacities, including:
- arranging and composing
- music research and data analysis
- performing in ensembles in a variety of styles and traditions
- teaching in a private studio or community program
- teaching music theory
Many graduates pursue a master's degree or doctorate in music or another related professional field (e.g., psychology, musicology, music business).
Example job titles and salaries listed below are not necessarily entry level, and students should take into consideration how years of experience and geographical location may affect pay scales. Some jobs also may require advanced degrees, certifications or state-specific licensure.
| Career | *Growth | *Median salary |
|---|---|---|
|
1.7%
|
$78,620
|
|
|
-0.3%
|
$73,710
|
|
|
1.4%
|
$46,420
|
|
|
1.1%
|
Not available
|
School of Music, Dance and Theatre
|
MUSIC E167
MDTAdmissions@asu.edu
480-965-5069
Program term definitions
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
