Bachelor of Arts Options
Music Industry Studies
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Music Therapy
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Breadth Studies in Music
Music Education
About the Degrees Offered
The Music Department at California State University, Northridge offers two degree programs with several options for the undergraduate student, and two graduate degrees.
BACHELOR OF ARTS
A BACHELOR OF ARTS degree is given with emphasis in Music Education, Music Industry Studies, Music Therapy, and Breadth Studies in Music. The latter degree, a flexible program with a minimum performance requirement, allows students to combine studies in music with other fields of interest. Entrance auditions are required for all BA options.
BACHELOR OF MUSIC
The BACHELOR OF MUSIC degree is intended for students planning careers as performers, conductors, composers & arrangers, and university teachers. Areas of emphasis include Orchestral Strings, Classical Guitar, Winds, Percussion, Keyboard (piano and organ), Vocal Arts, Composition, Commercial and Media Writing, and Jazz Studies. Entrance auditions are required for all BM options.
The Department of Music also offers two graduate degrees: a MASTER OF ARTS in Music Education, and a MASTER OF MUSIC in Composition, Conducting (choral or instrumental), or Performance (guitar, organ, percussion, piano, strings, winds, voice). For those students anticipating study beyond the master's level, the Master of Arts normally leads to the Ph. D. or Ed. D. degrees, and the Master of Music normally leads to the D.M.A. degree. Graduate study may include intensive work in the performance area, continuing development of knowledge in music history and music analysis, philosophical and pedagogical training, and opportunities for electives and independent study in various areas of interest.
The Department of Music is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. For further information, please consult the requirements listed in the current CSUN catalog. You can also request information by sending an e-mail to the Music Department at music@csun.edu (undergraduate programs), or Graduate info: david.sannerud@csun.edu (graduate programs).
New Students
The Department of Music admits new students to the program every Fall and Spring semesters and offers a wide range of scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students. All students are required to pass an entrance audition, and all undergraduate students must also complete a Musicianship and Keyboard placement exam. Here at CSUN Music Department, we offer several entrance audition dates throughout the calendar year, as well as scholarship auditions for incoming freshman and transfer students during the Spring semester auditions.
For more information, please download the Prospective Music Student Handbook (in PDF format), or visit the CSUN Prospective Students/Parents Page.
ALL APPLICANTS TO THE MUSIC PROGRAM ARE REQUIRED TO:
Meet all eligibility requirements for admission to California State University, Northridge either as a freshman or transfer student. Deadline for freshman applicants is November 30th.
Submit a Music Department audition/scholarship application (found under audition dates).
Successfully pass the performance entrance audition.
Take the musicianship and keyboard placement exams (tests are offered once per semester).
Meet with faculty area coordinators to discuss course selection.
MUSIC INDUSTRY STUDIES -- Introduction
Welcome
The Music Industry Studies (M.I.S.) Option is intended for students wanting to pursue executive and administrative careers in the Music Industry. Unlike Music Business degrees at many other universities, CSUN’s M.I.S. students must begin by passing an entrance audition, an interview, and an essay requirement. After having been admitted to the Option, students are educated on a variety of Music Industry-related subjects including music copyright, recording, music sequencing, management, business law, major and indie recording labels, as well as operations regarding the functions of Performing Rights Organizations, managers, agents, attorneys, and more. Plus, all our students graduate with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Music.
Our Graduates
Graduates of CSUN’s Music Industry Studies Option move into all facets of the Music and Entertainment Industries. Recent graduates are experiencing successful careers at major and indie record labels, motion picture studios, music libraries, music production companies, music publishing companies, software development firms, and advertising firms, just to mention a few. Each year, several students use their M.I.S. education as a springboard to enter law school with the intention of practicing Entertainment Law.
Based on feedback from the Music Industry, CSUN's M.I.S. Option offers a unique blend of both the art of music and the discipline of business. Graduates of the CSUN M.I.S. Option are rapidly becoming leaders in the Music and Entertainment industries. They will, without a doubt, help shape the future of the Music Industry in this country and abroad.
