The Bachelor of Arts in Music at Northeastern University engages students in the study of how music works and the many contexts in which it is created and received.
Students encounter a wide range of musical repertoires, theoretical approaches, and research strategies. While many students opt to major in music alone, many others enroll as part of a double major. This is especially true of young scholars who are aiming for careers in engineering, sciences, business, and fields in the humanities and social sciences who still want to pursue their interests in music. Students in the BA degree program take a variety of classes in history, theory, and ethnomusicology, and they may be active performers, participating in our many ensembles and taking private lessons. Students also participate in a wide array of co-ops and are encouraged to explore opportunities that conform to their interests.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
BA Language Requirements
All BA students are required to complete the BA language requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
- NUpath requirements Creative Expression/Innovation (EI) and Interpreting Culture (IC) are met through the major course requirements.
- NUpath requirements Formal and Quantitative Reasoning (FQ), Natural and Designed World (ND), Societies and Institutions (SI), Analyzing and Using Data (AD), Differences and Diversity (DD), and Ethical Reasoning (ER) may be met through electives in the major.
Introduction to College
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MUSC 1000 | Music at Northeastern | 1 |
Music Theory and Musicianship
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Music Theory Placement | ||
| All students must take a music theory placement exam. Students who do not place into MUSC 1201 must first take the following course: | ||
| Fundamentals of Western Music Theory | ||
| Required Music Theory | ||
| A grade of C or higher is required in each course. | ||
| MUSC 1201 | Music Theory 1 | 4 |
| Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
| Fundamentals of Western Music Theory | ||
| Music Theory 2 | ||
| Algebra and Geometry of Music | ||
| Jazz Improvisation | ||
| Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Music | ||
| Music Perception and Cognition | ||
| Music Analysis Seminar | ||
| Analyzing Popular Genres | ||
Music in Context
Complete one course from each category below. From the categories Western Art Music, Global Music/Ethnomusicology, and Contemporary/Popular Music, at least two must be at the 2000 level or higher. Courses may not double count across the five areas. Many, but not all, Music in Context courses at the 2000 level or higher fulfill the writing-intensive in the discipline requirement. Please check the writing-intensive status of courses as needed.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Class | ||
| MUSC 1002 and MUSC 1003 | Music in Everyday Life and Lab for MUSC 1002 | 4 |
| Western Art Music | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Topics in Western Music | ||
| Beethoven | ||
| Music and Technology: Stone Age to Digital Age | ||
| Songs That Made History | ||
| Topics in Western Art Music | ||
| 40,000 Years of Music Technology | ||
| Divas, DJs, and Double Standards | ||
| The World of Choral Music | ||
| Sounding Human | ||
| Global Music/Ethnomusicology | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Topics in Diverse Musical Cultures | ||
| Black Popular Music | ||
| Music of Asia | ||
| Topics in World Music | ||
| Musical Communities of Boston | ||
| Music and the Racial Imagination | ||
| Sound and the Sacred | ||
| Music and Social Justice | ||
| Global Music Industries in Context | ||
| Hip Hop in the Music Industry | ||
| Ethnography in Creative Industries | ||
| Contemporary/Popular Music | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Jazz | ||
| Film Music | ||
| Wired for Sound | ||
| Black Popular Music | ||
| Making a Musical: Analysis, Craft, and Creation | ||
| Popular Music Since 1945 | ||
| Topics in American Music | ||
| Punk Rock | ||
| 40,000 Years of Music Technology | ||
| Divas, DJs, and Double Standards | ||
| Music, Sound, and the Screen | ||
| The World of Choral Music | ||
| Sounding Human | ||
| Music and the Racial Imagination | ||
| Topics in Music since 1900 | ||
| Sound and the Sacred | ||
| Global Music Industries in Context | ||
| Hip Hop in the Music Industry | ||
| Creative | ||
| Complete one of the following 4-semester-hour courses or complete four 1-semester-hour ensembles and/or lessons from the list below: | 4 | |
| Making a Musical: Analysis, Craft, and Creation | ||
| Jazz Improvisation | ||
| Conducting | ||
| Introduction to Songwriting | ||
| Introduction to Music Technology | ||
| Introduction to Composition | ||
| Sound Design | ||
Ensembles and Lessons | ||
| Music Lessons 1 | ||
| Music Lessons 2 | ||
| Chorus | ||
| Concert Band | ||
| Orchestra | ||
| Wind Ensemble | ||
| Jazz Ensemble | ||
| Rock Ensemble | ||
| Blues/Rock Ensemble | ||
| Create Your Own Music | ||
| Chamber Ensemble | ||
| Jazz Choir and Combo | ||
| World Music Ensemble | ||
| Fusion Ensemble | ||
| Pep Band | ||
Capstone
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Music Research Capstone | ||
| Seminar in Music Industry | ||
| Ethnography in Creative Industries | ||
| Music Technology Capstone/Senior Recital | ||
Music Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete three additional courses in music (MUSC, MUSI, or MUST). At least two must be at the 2000 level or higher. | 12 | |
Major Credit Requirement
Complete 49 semester hours in the major.
Major GPA Requirement
Students must maintain at least a 2.667 GPA (B– average) in the requirements of the major and also complete all required music courses with grades of at least C. Students who fail to meet the above standards will be placed on departmental probation; those who remain on probation for two consecutive semesters will be dropped from the major.
Program Requirement
128 total semester hours required
Sample Four Years, No Co-op
| Year 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MUSC 1002 and MUSC 1003 | 4 | Music theory course | 4 |
| MUSC 1201 | 4 | Music in context course | 4 |
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | Music elective | 4 |
| MUSC 1000 | 1 | Elective | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | ||
| 17 | 16 | ||
| Year 2 | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Music in context course | 4 | Music in context course | 4 |
| Music elective | 4 | Music elective | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Year 3 | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Music in context course | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| Music theory course | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Year 4 | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Elective | 4 | Capstone course | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours: 129 | |||
Sample Four Years, Two Co-ops
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| MUSC 1002 and MUSC 1003 | 4 | Music in context elective (1) | 4 | Elective | 4 | Vacation | |
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | MUSC 1201 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
| MUSC 1119 | 4 | Language (2) | 4 | ||||
| MUSC 1000 | 1 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Language 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 16 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Music in context course (2) | 4 | Co-op 1 | Co-op 1 | Elective | 4 | ||
| Music elective (1) | 4 | Elective (online) | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
| Music theory course | 4 | or Dialogue | |||||
| Language elective (3) | 4 | ||||||
| EEAM 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| 17 | 0 | 4 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Music in context course (3) | 4 | Co-op 2 | Co-op 2 | Elective | 4 | ||
| Music elective (2) | 4 | Elective (online) | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
| Elective | 4 | or Dialogue | |||||
| ENGW 3314 | 4 | ||||||
| 16 | 0 | 4 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Music in context course (4) | 4 | Music capstone | 4 | Vacation | Vacation | ||
| Music elective (3) | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Music theory course | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total Hours: 130 | |||||||