Music Minors and Concentration

Students may select from a range of academic minors in music, including: Music; Piano Pedagogy; Jazz and American Music Studies; and Music Business Recording and Production. The department also offers a Concentration in Music for students enrolled in the School of Education.

Additional Preprofessional Studies Minors are available to advanced students interested in applying to graduate and professional school in music education or conducting. To enter either preprofessional minor, students must be a declared major in music (performance track) and then complete the additional coursework described below.

Minor in Music

Total Credits: 21-22

Musicianship Requirement

  MUSC 139, 140 Piano I, II  (2 credits)

  MUSC 189  Elements and Music Theory (3 credits)

  MUSC 256  Harmony I: Elements of Polyphony; or

  MUSC 258  Harmony I: Elements of Jazz Harmony (3 credits)

Critical Histories and Methods

  MUSC 236  Thinking through Music I (3 credits)

  Two courses selected from:

  MUSC 217  Jazz in America

  MUSC 226  Music History I: Music and the European City, 1685-1803

  MUSC 227  Music History II: Key Figures in Music History, Beethoven to Beyoncé

  MUSC 231  Introduction to Ethnomusicology

  MUSC 232  Folk Music in America

Electives in MUSC

  Two, 3-credit music courses which may not include MUSC 110 or 120; OR

  One, 3-credit  music courses which may not include MUSC 110 or 120 and a total of 3 credits of MUSC 160/5 Performance Organization and/or three semesters of applied study.

Minor in Piano Pedagogy

Total Credits: 22-23*

MUSC 189 Elements and Music Theory (3 cr)

MUSC 226  Music History I: Music and the European City, 1685-1803

MUSC 227  Music History II: Key Figures in Music History, Beethoven to Beyoncé

MUSC 240  Piano (two semesters)** (2 credits)

MUSC 256  Harmony I: Elements of Polyphony

MUSC 259  Elements of Figured Bass

MUSC 340  Piano (two semesters) (2 credits)

One course from

  • MUSC 257  Harmony II (3 cr)
  • MUSC 376: Piano Teaching Practicum (2 cr)
  • MUSC 393: Honors Project In Music (3 cr)

* Audition required

**Prerequisite of MUSC 140 Piano II or equivalent experience

Minor in Jazz and American Music Studies

Total Credits: 21-22

Required courses (9 credits)

  MUSC 217 Jazz in America  (3 cr)

  MUSC 232  Folk Music in America  (3 cr)

  MUSC 236  Thinking through Music I  (3 cr)

Electives in music chosen from (5-9 credits):

  • MUSC 165  Jazz Ensemble or String Band (1-3cr)
  • MUSC 222  History of American Musical Theatre (3cr)
  • MUSC 258  Harmony I: Elements of Jazz Harmony (3cr)
  • MUSC 291  Music and Ideas (when applicable; 3cr)
  • MUSC 332  Music, Gender, and Sexuality (when applicable; 3cr)
  • MUSC 337  Music, Race, and Ethnicity (when applicable; 3cr)
  • MUSC  338 Folk Music in New York State (3cr)
  • MUSC 339 Folk and Popular Music Studies (when applicable; 3cr)
  • MUSC 346  Jazz Harmony and Improvisation I (2cr)
  • MUSC 347  Jazz Harmony and Improvisation II (2cr)
  • MUSC 439  Portfolio Review (2-3cr)

Related Requirements outside of MUSC (3-7cr)

  • HIST 164  African American History from 1844 (4cr)
  • AMST 201 Topics in American Studies (4cr)
  • BLKS 200 Introduction to Black Studies (3cr)
  • ENGL 318 Black British Literature and Culture (4cr)
  • ENGL 337 African American Literature (4cr)
  • ENGL 439 American Ways (when applicable; 4cr)
Minor in Music Business, Recording, and Production

Total Credits: 20

Musicianship Requirement, one course from 

  • MUSC 110  Basic Musicianship (3 cr);
  • MUSC 182  Musicianship I for Musical Theatre (3 cr); OR
  • MUSC 189  Elements of Music Theory (3 cr)

Music Business, Recording, and Production courses (14 cr)  

  MUSC 102  Introduction to Music Technology (3 cr)

  MUSC 202  Music Entrepreneurship (3 cr)

  MUSC 302  Music Recording and Production (3 cr)

  MUSC 303  Film and Game Scoring (3 cr)

  MUSC 495  Capstone: Recording and Production Internship (2 cr)

One course from

  • ACCT 102  Introduction to Financial Accounting; OR
  • ECON 110  Introduction to Microeconomics (3cr)
Concentration in Music (School of Education; new requirements beginning Fall 2021!)

Total Credits: 30

Musicianship Requirement

  MUSC 189  Elements and Music Theory (3 credits)

  MUSC 256  Harmony I: Elements of Polyphony; or

  MUSC 258  Harmony I: Elements of Jazz Harmony (3 credits)

Critical Histories and Methods

  MUSC 236  Thinking through Music I (3 credits); and

  Three courses selected from:

  • MUSC 217  Jazz in America (3 credits)
  • MUSC 226  Music History I: Music and the European City, 1685-1803 (3 credits)   
  • MUSC 227  Music History II: Key Figures in Music History, Beethoven to Beyoncé (3 credits)
  • MUSC 231  Introduction to Ethnomusicology (3 credits)  
  • MUSC 232  Folk Music in America (3 credits)

Electives in MUSC

  Two, 3-credit music courses at the 200 or 300 level that do not include performance organization        or applied study (6 credits).

Applied Study in MUSC 

  MUSC 160/165 Performance Organization and/or MUSC 140, 141, 142, 143,144,145, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, and 245 (6 credits).  

Preprofessional Studies Minor in Music Teaching, K-12

Total Credits: 21cr

MUSC 141: Voice for the General Student (1cr)                                                             

MUSC 240: Piano (2 cr)                                                                       

MUSC 257: Harmony II (3cr)                                                     

MUSC 259: Elements of Figured Bass (1cr)

MUSC 340: Piano (2 cr)                                                       

MUSC 365, 366: Conducting I & II  (6cr)                                                       

SPED: Introduction to Special Education (3cr)

Students must also complete 3 of the following methods courses in trumpet, clarinet, percussion, high strings, and low strings selected from: 

MUSC 142: Woodwinds for the General Student (1cr)                                                     

MUSC 143: Brass for the General Student (1cr)                                                        

MUSC 144: Strings for the General Student (1cr)                                                       

MUSC 145: Percussion for the General Student (1cr)

Preprofessional Studies Minor in Music Conducting

Total Credits: 21cr

MUSC 141: Voice for the General Student (1cr)                                                             

MUSC 240: Piano (2 cr)                                                                       

MUSC 257: Harmony II (3cr)                                                     

MUSC 259: Elements of Figured Bass (1cr)

MUSC 317: Orchestration (3cr)

MUSC 340: Piano (2 cr)                                                       

MUSC 365, 366: Conducting I & II  (6cr)                                                       

Students must also complete 3 of the following methods courses in trumpet, clarinet, percussion, high strings, and low strings selected from: 

MUSC 142: Woodwinds for the General Student (1cr)                                                     

MUSC 143: Brass for the General Student (1cr)                                                        

MUSC 144: Strings for the General Student (1cr)                                                       

MUSC 145: Percussion for the General Student (1cr)

note: Students beginning their minor coursework prior to the fall 2021 semester should consult the previous requirements here.