Program Overview

Music Associate in Arts Degree Program

Career Opportunities

Students who complete this AA may be interested in careers in music marketing or music production.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students completing this program will be able to:

• Apply critical thinking in the creative process.
• Use the language of the discipline; demonstrate a command of critical vocabulary
• Describe the roles of creative expression in human cultures
• Create music in performance and composition.
• Use critical thinking in evaluating works of art in intrinsic terms, expressive content, and social context

Program Overview

The music department at Cañada College provides a variety of courses to introduce students to the many ways of knowing music. The selection of courses in the music major gives a student several different creative outlets and prepares an open mind for the wide array of possibilities in the rapidly changing music world. Courses focus on the intersection of music and social contexts of its production. Note that this major does not specifically support transfer into most four-year degree music programs, which require ensemble performance experience and other courses available in the district.

Requirements

AA Degree Requirements Major: Core and Selective Requirements

Complete Core Courses - Music Fundamentals and Composition, 6 units

• MUS. 100 | Fundamentals of Music | 3 units
• MUS. 120 | Songwriting Workshop I | 3 units

Selective Courses, choose a minimum of 15 units from the following:

List A (Music Traditions other than American Popular Music), choose 3 units from the following:

• MUS. 215 | Music, Culture and History | 3 units
• MUS. 240 | Latin American Music | 3 units
• MUS. 250 | World Music | 3 units

List B, choose 9 units from the following:

• Select any course in List A not already used | 3 units
• MUS. 202 | Music Appreciation | 3 units
• MUS. 210 | Histories of Popular Music and Rock | 3 units
• MUS. 275 | History of Jazz | 3 units

List C (introductory applied music), choose a minimum of 3 units from the following:

• MUS. 301 | Piano I | 2 units
• MUS. 302 | Piano II | 2 units
• MUS. 303 | Piano III | 2 units
• MUS. 304 | Piano IV | 2 units
• MUS. 371 | Guitar I | 2 units
• MUS. 372 | Guitar II | 2 units
• MUS. 373 | Guitar III | 2 units
• MUS. 374 | Guitar IV | 2 units

Total Required Major Units: 21

And required General Education coursework and electives as needed to meet the minimum 60 units required for the Associate degree.

Please refer to the AA/AS Degree Requirements for more information.