Apply

Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts degree will complete approximately one-third of their work in each of three areas: Freshman Studies and General Education, a major, and elective study. The Freshman Studies and General Education Requirements are designed to promote the breadth of study central to a liberal arts education, perspective on issues critical to a diverse America and an interconnected world and the development of skills essential for success in any discipline or profession. The completion of a major provides focused, in-depth work in a single discipline. Elective study affords students opportunities to develop secondary interests, work in areas complementary to their primary discipline, or explore new fields of study.

The Bachelor of Music is a professional degree. Courses in music represent approximately two-thirds of the curriculum, while one-third is devoted to Freshman Studies and General Education Requirements.

Professional study in music and study in the liberal arts may be combined in a five-year program leading to both Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts degrees, the latter with a major other than music. Both degrees are awarded at the conclusion of the five-year program. Interested students should discuss this possibility with their advisors as early as possible.

Approximately half of the curriculum is devoted to the study of music — completion of the music core and requirements for a major in performance, music education, or theory/composition. The other half of the curriculum mirrors that of the Bachelor of Arts program, emphasizing breadth of study central to a liberal arts education, focused study in the college major and elective study to complement other work or explore other fields of interest.

Certain majors in the Bachelor of Arts degree program (for example, some laboratory sciences) may be difficult to combine with the Bachelor of Music degree program into a five-year double degree program, especially if the student’s objective is to maintain serious options for graduate or professional work in both areas after graduation. Such combinations may require that course overloads be taken to complete minimum requirements in each major in a timely and satisfactory manner. Early and regular consultation with advisors in both the college and the conservatory is imperative. Further, students who seek certification for purposes of teaching a subject other than music are urged to see the associate dean of the conservatory.