Programs of Study
The Major in Music
Please note that these guidelines are effective as of Fall 2010.
Advisers
Members of the Department
Adviser for Study Abroad
Peter Bloom
Requirements
Ten semester courses: the basis (102, 110, and 202), six further classroom courses above the 100 level, and 325 in the senior year. Of the six further classroom courses, at least one must be taken in three of the following areas:
- History of Western music
- American music
- World music
- Music theory and analysis
- Composition and digital music
In World music and in American music, 101 and 106, respectively, may be substituted for a further classroom course above the 100 level. In Music theory and analysis, students who place out of 110 — a placement test is administered at the opening of the fall semester — are welcome to take in its stead any classroom course in music as they complete the ten courses required for the major.
Students who are contemplating graduate work in any branch of music should consult an appropriate member of the department for advice in selecting elective courses. Students interested in graduate work in music are urged to acquire some knowledge of German, French, or Italian (for studies in the Western tradition) or of a relevant foreign language (for studies beyond the Western tradition).
Music Major with a Concentration in Performance
Majors who have demonstrated an extraordinary level of achievement in performance may, before March of their junior year, seek via audition before a representative committee of the department to substitute 940y (for 8 credits) in their senior year for one of the "six further classroom courses above the 100 level" required for the major.
The Minor in Music
Advisers
Members of the Department
Requirements:
Six semester courses: the basis (102, 110, 202), and three further classroom courses of which at least two should be above the 100 level.
Students who place out of 110 — a placement test is administered at the opening of the fall semester — are welcome to take in its stead any classroom course in music as they complete the six courses required for the minor.
Five College Certificate in Ethnomusicology
The Certificate Program in Ethnomusicology will provide a coherent framework for navigating course offerings and engaging with ethnomusicologists throughout the Five Colleges. While "music" is the nominal cornerstone of the certificate program, the wide range of topics that appear under the rubric of "ethnomusicology" extend far beyond "music in a cultural context" to include anthropology, history, political science, economics, evolution, science and technology, physiology, media studies, and popular culture studies, among others.
Requirements
To obtain a Five College certificate in Ethnomusicology, students must successfully complete a total of seven (7) courses distributed as indicated in the following four (4) categories:
- Area Studies or Topics courses: at least two courses
- Methodology: at least two courses
- Performance: at least one course
- Electives: negotiated in consultation with the student's ethnomusicology advisor, including introductory and upper level ethnomusicology courses.
Since ethnomusicological research and related musical performance may require understanding of and competence in a foreign language, students are encouraged, but not required, to achieve relevant language proficiency. Other areas that students are encouraged to explore include experiential learning, a study abroad or domestic exchange experience, in depth study of a single musical tradition, or comparative studies of several musical traditions.
