Bachelor of Arts In Music

Music has existed for as long as humankind has. In the Western European tradition, music expresses emotion. But in other traditions, the sound of music often plays a different role.

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Engage Your Love of Music, and Develop a Voice to Express It

Music thrives as a performance and cultural practice in the U.S. and abroad. The Bachelor of Arts in Music is a dynamic program for the study of music within a liberal arts curriculum. The B.A. program is distinctive in its treatment of music as a worldwide performance and cultural phenomenon, offering students the opportunity to define their degree track with courses and performance ensembles that meet and enhance their interests in music. The program is flexible, allowing students to focus on performance or musicology.

What Does Music Mean to You?

Are you writing songs to reach people? Does the stage beckon? Can you be a great session player? Or do you envision yourself as a scholar of music? Our program meets you at your goals and aspires to pique your interests further and develop your capabilities. You will be guided and encouraged to channel your musical aptitude in a chosen direction and provided the enrichment of a liberal arts curriculum.

Our graduates have pursued careers as performers, studio musicians, composers, music publishers, music critics and journalists, educators, curators, and librarians. A degree in music has practical applications that support your love of listening, composing, and performing.

Engage With Professionals

The professors and instructors in our department are more than teachers. They are current performers, composers, and scholars of music who are acknowledged by their peers. As such, students get access to both theory and practice in preparation for prospective career opportunities. Our music instructors collaborate closely with our students. Educators take time, both in and out of the classroom, to get to know students to provide useful guidance and support.

Join Our Creative Community

Our course offerings are intended to engage every students’ desire to explore and learn about music. Because music is a social practice that creates community, we foster an environment for students to play and create outside of class requirements. Our Music majors start bands, get booked to play shows by Music Industry majors, and collaborate with Music and Sound Recording majors to make recordings. On or off campus, every student is supported and encouraged by the University’s music department.

Ensembles
  • Marching Band
  • Concert Band
  • Jazz Band
  • Harmonies
  • Brass Ensemble
  • Percussion & Chamber Ensemble
  • African Drumming
  • Brazilian Drumming
  • Groove Haven R&B Revue

Learn from professors who are dedicated to your success.

Our faculty are leaders and innovators in their fields, bringing both deep professional experience and academic rigor to the classroom.

Meet Our Faculty

Envision Your Future

The information below is designed to show the many possible careers you could pursue with your major. The research is provided by Encoura, the leading research and advisory firm focused exclusively on higher education. It includes median national salaries and industry growth projections over the next decade. Click here to view the full report.

$62K

Talent Manager

13% Growth 2017-2027

$100K

Account Manager

9% Growth 2017-2027

$58K

Music Teacher

8% Growth 2017-2027

Selected Courses and Programs

  • This course will chronicle hip-hop music and culture from its antecedents to its current status. A historical examination of hip-hop’s sonic and social aspects as a product of 20th century America.

  • In this course we will listen to old time music, bluegrass, early country, country music and Appalachian folk music. All of these genres are considered American either because they are native to the United States or because they developed here, from foreign origins. "Roots music" served as the basis for many American music genres. By listening to ballads, lullabies, work songs, battle cries, love songs, topical verse, and children’s songs, we will study how these traditions are passed from one generation to another and how songs have reflected and impacted history.

  • The growth of Western art music from its beginnings to the present day. Analysis of musical masterpieces on a technical and conceptual basis.

  • Development of practical skills essential to performers and ensemble directors: ear training, sight singing, dictation, transcription, arranging, notation, score writing.

  • The University of New Haven offers a wide variety of in-depth courses that create a transformational educational experience for our students. To view the complete list of courses you'll take while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Music, check out the Academic Catalog:

    Music, B.A.

    Music Minor

Charger Advantage

Get an inside look at what differentiates the University of New Haven and how your experiences as a student will prepare you for success.

Nationally Recognized Center for Career Development

All University of New Haven students have access to the many resources available through the University’s Career Development Center, which has been named one of the best in the nation by The Princeton Review.

From career assessments, networking, and job shadowing to on-campus interviews and salary negotiation, the Career Development Center provides the skills and connections to identify a meaningful career and an opportunity to pursue your passion.

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Unique Opportunities
Rein Records

Rein Records is the University of New Haven's student-run record label

We are a devoted group of individuals full of passion and creativity. For our student-run team, we use experiential growth, applying our skills and experience in new and innovative ways, and challenging ourselves to work smarter and stronger with every new endeavor we take on.

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Nashville Study Away

Nashville Study Away

The University of New Haven is proud to partner with Blackbird Studio to offer a study-away program designed for students in our music majors. Nashville is the creative center of the American music business and a source for artists, songwriters, producers and engineers across the musical spectrum.

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Next Steps

  • Whether you're still in high school or are transferring from another college, we offer full- and part-time opportunities for undergraduates from inside the U.S. and abroad. The admission process can begin as early as the end of your high school junior year.

    The Application Process

  • We offer a comprehensive financial aid program, with students receiving assistance in the form of grants, scholarships, student loans, and part-time employment. Funds are available from federal and state governments, private sponsors, and from university resources. More than 85 percent of the University's full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance.

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