The BA program is for students who wish to major in music within a broad liberal arts degree program. Students gain a solid foundation in music and join a vibrant community of students with an astonishingly diverse range of interests. BA majors are assigned to a faculty advisor based on their interests in music and career goals. Together they develop an appropriate trajectory of course selections that support the student’s aspirations in the study of music and career objectives. Students who pursue the music BA choose to specialize in one of two sub-plans: academic emphasis or applied emphasis. Applied Emphasis (see sample plan) The BA in music with applied emphasis is for students seeking a liberal arts degree that embraces both applied study on a primary instrument in lesson and ensemble courses with the flexibility of elective coursework and foundational studies in music theory, musicology, keyboarding. This degree affords students the opportunity to hone performance skills and gain an increased knowledge of applied pedagogy. This emphasis requires a School of Music entrance application and audition. Academic Emphasis (see sample plan) The BA in music with an academic emphasis is designed for students who want a liberal arts education with significant rigor in the academic study of music. Students will focus on music theory, music history, world music, and choose a program concentration in an academic music field. While emphasis does not require a School of Music entrance audition, students need to complete a brief Statement of Interest after meeting with a School of Music during the major declaration process in order to be paired with a faculty advisor. Program Advising Due the nuances unique to the discipline and study of music, students must work in close consultation on a semesterly basis with the department advisor to ensure adequate and timely degree progress. Music programs involve careful sequencing of core courses and applied music study to progressively build musical competencies and techniques. Introductory courses support not only the key concepts needed for success in the next course in the sequence but also the adjacent core course sequences as well. For example, the music history sequence is highly dependent on the concepts addressed in the accompanying courses in music theory, ear-training, sight-singing, and keyboarding

The academic emphasis does not require an entrance audition to the School of Music. Admission to the applied emphasis is contingent upon passing an audition. Auditions are competitive with students normally having studied privately for a number of years on the primary instrument. Auditions are held in the spring for fall semester entrance, and in the fall for spring semester entrance. Some instruments require a pre-screening video round. Please visit the School of Music website for more information about auditions.

CLA BA degrees require 18 upper division (3xxx-level or higher) credits outside the major designator. These credits must be taken in designators different from the major designator and cannot include courses that are cross-listed with the major designator. The major designator for the Music BA is MUS. For students in the Academic Emphasis sub-plan, at least 12 upper-division credits in the major must be taken at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. For students in the Applied Emphasis sub-plan, at least 13 upper-division credits in the major must be taken at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Students may earn no more than one undergraduate degree from the School of Music: a BA or a B.Mus or a minor. Students may earn more than one major within the B.Mus degree, but may not earn more than one emphasis within the BA degree. All incoming CLA first-year (freshmen) must complete the First-Year Experience course sequence. All incoming CLA first-year (freshmen) students earning a BA, BS, or BIS degree must complete the second-year career management course CLA 3002. All students must complete a capstone in at least one CLA major. The requirements for double majors completing the capstone in a different CLA major will be clearly stated. Students must also complete all major requirements in both majors to allow the additional capstone to be waived. Students completing an additional degree must complete the capstone in each degree area.