Music (Music and Culture) ,BA
ETHNOMUSICOLOGY, Music History, Music Theory, World Music, music, musicology
Let your imagination and love of music guide your future. Explore how music shapes cultures and connects communities. You'll sharpen your creative and analytical skills and prepare for a career where communication, creativity and cultural understanding open doors to rewarding work.
The Bachelor of Arts program in music with a concentration in music and culture is a broadly based liberal arts program offering the most elective flexibility of any ASU music major.
You develop artistic and research skills by performing, composing and writing about music of all genres, including the classical and popular music of Western Europe and the United States, and a variety of forms and genres from the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa.
You may also focus on concepts across diverse cultures and styles, such as theories and practices of listening, acoustics, advocacy of wellness through music, ecomusicology, dance as musical embodiment, and teaching about music. You explore music as a cultural artifact, through the lenses of human history and social behaviors, and engage in interdisciplinary thinking and academic research and writing. You may tailor both the general studies courses and the music electives to suit your career goals. The program supports you in your wide-ranging explorations, while emphasizing verbal and nonverbal thought and communication skills.
- College/school:
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
- Location: Tempe
- Second language requirement: Yes
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
- First required math course: MAT 117 - College Algebra 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 an 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.
The audition process for admittance to the music and culture concentration comprises the following:
- Students must submit a writing sample, which is evaluated by all musicology faculty members.
- Students must submit evidence of musicianship broadly defined (basic notational literacy plus live audition on, for example, didgeridoo, or gospel-style composition, or documented transdisciplinary installation including music), which is evaluated by all musicology faculty.
- Students must attend an interview with at least two musicology faculty members.
- Students who wish to take studio lessons as part of the degree must audition for the appropriate performance faculty members. Students should follow the audition requirements for the BA in music.
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.
Students who want to change their major to this one 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.
- Analyze specific musical products within the context of new musical fields, cultures, or practices.
- Write research papers applying the conventions of scholarly discourse in music.
With more than 300 Global Education program opportunities available to them, music and culture students are able to tailor their experience to their interests and skill sets. Whether in a foreign country, in the U.S. or online, students build communication skills, learn to adapt and persevere, and are exposed to research and internships around the world, increasing their professional network.
Graduates have skills applicable to careers in music and many other fields (e.g., librarianship, arts festival management or production, criticism, audience education, recruitment, artist representation, publishing and development, and creative writing). The program prepares graduates for potential careers in fields that require skilled written communication, the ability to conduct research in both electronic and print media, critical and logical thinking, the dissection of an argument, and careful time management. In addition to the careers listed below, graduates may pursue jobs in music and medical humanities or copyright and entertainment law.
Graduates are prepared to work in various professional capacities, including:
- community and professional ensemble performance in a variety of styles and traditions
- music criticism and research, ethnomusicology and musicology
- music entrepreneurship, concert management and promotion
- music in culture, music blogging
- music librarianship
- music publishing, program annotation
- private studio or community program teaching
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
2.2%
|
$76,750
|
|
|
1.7%
|
$68,270
|
|
|
7.0%
|
$63,420
|
|
|
-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.
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