College of Charleston Music Department

Bachelor of Arts in Music

Students may earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in music, with a concentration in Performance (piano, voice, strings, classical guitar, orchestral instruments, jazz), Music Theory/Composition, or Music History/Literature.

Forms for declaring a major in music are available at this link or from the administrative assistant in room 315B, Simons Center for the Arts. In addition to completing the standard College-wide form for declaring a major in a specific department, music majors need to be accepted through an audition (if majoring in a performance area) or a conference with a faculty member (music theory & composition or music history).

Degree Requirements

  1. Music Core (22 hours):
    Theory I, II MUSC 246, 247 (6)
    Theory Labs MUSC 238, 239, 338, 339 (4)
    Music History I, II MUSC 381, 382 (6)
    Theory III, IV MUSC 481, 482 (6)
  2. Applied Music (8 hours):
    At least four semesters in one area of MUSP 201-299 and/or MUSP 401-499 (study of an instrument or voice).
    NOTE: All music majors must pass a piano proficiency exam or take at least two semesters of piano or class piano.
  3. Ensembles (3 hours):
    At least three semesters in one of the departmental ensembles.
  4. Concentrated Work in one of the following areas (9 hours):
    1. Applied Music:
      Nine additional hours with at least six hours at the 400 level (any combination of MUSP 401-499 and MUSC 475).
    2. Theory/Composition:
      Seminar in Composition: MUSC 351, 352 (6)
      Independent Study in Composition: MUSC 460 (3)
    3. History/Literature:
      Selected Topics in Music History: MUSC 444 (3)
      Independent Study in Music History: MUSC 445 (3)
      History of Art from Renaissance through Modern Times: ARTH 102 (3)
      (Normally as preparation for graduate work in music history or musicology, the student is urged to seek additional language training, especially German, plus French or Italian if possible.)