Program Overview

Bachelor of Arts in Music

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Music program at the University at Albany prepares students for a professional career in music, whether in teaching, performance, arts administration, or the music industry. The program allows students to expand their knowledge and further their technical skills, with graduates working in non-profit and commercial settings such as choral organizations, churches, opera houses, orchestra management, recording studios, and educational institutions of all levels.

Program of Study

Hands-on learning is at the heart of the music program, whether through coursework or performance. As a performer, students can participate in orchestra, chamber ensembles, choral groups, percussion ensemble, or a variety of bands. All students can take advantage of facilities including practice rooms, rehearsal spaces, the department library, and two concert halls.

Core Courses

• Theory I-IV
• Introduction to Music
• Music History: Common Practice Era
• Research Seminar
• Aural Skills OR Aural Skills for Vocalists
• Keyboard Harmony and Performance OR Secondary Performance (Keyboard)
• 4 upper-level electives with at least 3 credits in musicology

Ensemble

2 semesters of ensemble. Choose from:

• Chamber Ensembles
• Marching Band
• University Percussion Ensemble
• Pep Band
• University-Community Jazz Ensemble
• University-Community Symphony Orchestra
• University-Community Symphonic Band
• University-Community Chorale
• University Chamber Singers

Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Option

Students can save time and money by beginning their graduate degree coursework while still enrolled as an undergraduate student. Up to 12 academic credits, billed at the undergraduate rate, will count towards both degrees – so students will complete their combined program in only 5 years and spend less than they would if they completed each program separately.

Combine the Music degree with the MS in Information Science program. This ALA-accredited master's program covers a broad range of interdisciplinary topics related to library science, information processing, information management, and data analysis.

Career Paths in Music

Graduates work in non-profit and commercial settings that include choral organizations, churches, opera houses, orchestra management, recording studios, and educational institutions of all levels.

Students can also embark on graduate study after earning a bachelor's to pursue a professional career in music.

Career Paths

• Performance
• Teaching
• Arts Administration
• Music Industry

Student Learning Objectives

Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.

Bachelor of Arts

• Demonstrate fluency in reading and writing musical notation and analyzing the formal structure and technical language of composition.
• Be able to identify the major composers and repertory of each style period in European music history and to discuss the cultural and political context of each era.
• Acquire specific knowledge of music as a form of artistic and cultural expression through examination of diverse repertories (i.e., beyond European art music).
• Demonstrate basic performance skills at the keyboard, sight-singing, and in ensemble. Departmental concentrators apply the technical and interpretive skills necessary for effective solo performance on an instrument or voice.
• Apply skills learned to independent creative projects demonstrating interpretive techniques and individual expression.