The Bachelor of Science in Music and Communication Studies with Concentration in Music Industry, the first such undergraduate program offered in Boston, is designed for students with an interest in all aspects of the music industries, including songwriting, recording, production, technology, products, label operations, promotion, marketing, social media, management, finance, economics, data analytics, legal issues, licensing, and intellectual property. Our program encourages learners to become entrepreneurial thought leaders and ethical change agents in the music industries. Communication studies offers students an opportunity to obtain the communication skills and the understanding of the communication process required to thrive in a complex and changing society.
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.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
NUpath requirements Creative Expression/Innovation (EI), Interpreting Culture (IC), Societies and Institutions (SI), and Ethical Reasoning (ER) are met through the major course requirements.
NUpath requirements Natural and Designed World (ND), Formal and Quantitative Reasoning (FQ), Analyzing and Using Data (AD), and Differences and Diversity (DD) may be met through electives in the major.
Music Industry Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to College | ||
| MUSC 1000 | Music at Northeastern | 1 |
| Music Core | ||
| MUSC 1002 and MUSC 1003 | Music in Everyday Life and Lab for MUSC 1002 | 4 |
| Music Theory Placement | ||
| All students must take a theory placement exam. Students who do not place into MUSC 1201 must first take the following: | ||
| MUSC 1119 | Fundamentals of Western Music Theory | 4 |
| Music Theory Requirement | ||
| MUSC 1201 | Music Theory 1 | 4 |
| Introductory Music Industry | ||
| MUSI 1230 | Introduction to Music Industry | 4 |
| Music in Context | ||
| Complete one course from one of the following categories: | 4 | |
| Western Art Music | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Sound and the Sacred | ||
| Topics in Music since 1900 | ||
| Global Music Industries in Context | ||
| Hip Hop in the Music Industry | ||
| Special Topics in Music Industry | ||
| Music Industry Electives | ||
| Complete three of the following: | 12 | |
| Making a Musical: Analysis, Craft, and Creation | ||
| Introduction to Songwriting | ||
| Advanced Songwriting | ||
| Music and the Racial Imagination | ||
| Analyzing Popular Genres | ||
| Demo Production for Songwriters | ||
| Music Licensing for Media | ||
| Music Recording 1 | ||
| Festivals | ||
| Copyright in the Creative Industries | ||
| Performing Arts Administration | ||
| Music Recording 2 | ||
| Music Supervision 1 | ||
| Special Topics in Music Industry | ||
| Artist Management | ||
| The Record Industry | ||
| Music Industry Marketing and Promotion | ||
| Concert Promotion and Venue Management | ||
| Music and Social Justice | ||
| Global Music Industries in Context | ||
| Hip Hop in the Music Industry | ||
| Music Entrepreneurship | ||
| Seminar in Music Industry | ||
| Ethnography in Creative Industries | ||
| Introduction to Music Technology | ||
| Business Course | ||
| ACCT 1209 | Financial Accounting and Reporting | 4 |
Communication Studies Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Studies Common Requirements | ||
| COMM 1101 | Introduction to Communication Studies | 4 |
| COMM 1112 | Public Speaking | 4 |
| or COMM 2301 | Communication Research Methods | |
| Foundation Course | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Persuasion and Rhetoric | ||
| Principles of Organizational Communication | ||
| Communication Theory | ||
| Communication in a Digital Age | ||
| Cluster Course | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Sex, Relationships, and Communication | ||
| Global and Intercultural Communication | ||
| Communication and Gender | ||
| Communication Law | ||
| Free Speech in Cyberspace | ||
| Writing-Intensive Courses | ||
| Complete two of the following: | 8 | |
| Mobile Communication | ||
| Health Communication | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Communication and Inclusion | ||
| Political Communication | ||
| Great Speakers and Speeches | ||
| Communication Criticism | ||
| Public Relations Principles | ||
| Environmental Issues, Communication, and the Media | ||
| Free Speech: Law and Practice | ||
| Communication and Sexualities | ||
| Theories of Conflict and Negotiation | ||
| Nonverbal Social Interaction | ||
| Youth and Communication Technology | ||
| Crisis Communication and Image Management | ||
| Communication Studies Electives | ||
| Complete three COMM courses. | 12 | |
Integrative Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete one of the integrative options below. If a communication studies course is taken, an additional music industry course is required, chosen from the list of music industry electives above. | 4-8 | |
| Music Option | ||
| Complete one of the following: | ||
| Music Entrepreneurship | ||
| Seminar in Music Industry | ||
| Ethnography in Creative Industries | ||
| Communication Studies Option | ||
| Complete two of the following. One communication studies course is required: | ||
| Strategic Communication Capstone | ||
or COMM 4625 | Online Communities | |
MUSC 2000 to MUSC 5999 | ||
MUSI 2000 to MUSI 5999 | ||
MUST 2000 to MUST 5999 | ||
Communication Studies Major Grade Requirement
No more than two grades below a C in communication studies courses may be used to satisfy degree requirements.
Music Major Grade Requirement
Students must maintain at least a 2.667 GPA (B– average) in the requirements of the music half of the combined 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 Plan of Study: Four Years, Two Co-ops
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| MUSC 1000 or COMM 1000 | 1 | ENGW 1111 | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| MUSC 1002 and MUSC 1003 | 4 | MUSC 1201 | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| MUSI 1230 | 4 | COMM foundational course | 4 | ||||
| COMM 1101 | 4 | Music in context elective | 4 | ||||
| COMM 1112 or 2301 | 4 | ||||||
| 17 | 16 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| COMM cluster course | 4 | COMM elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | Co-op | |
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||
| Music industry elective | 4 | Music industry elective | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| EEAM 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| 16 | 17 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| Co-op | ENGW 3314 or 3315 | 4 | COMM elective | 4 | Co-op | ||
| COMM elective | 4 | COMM writing-intensive | 4 | ||||
| ACCT 1209 | 4 | ||||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 16 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| Co-op | COMM writing-intensive | 4 | |||||
| Music industry elective | 4 | ||||||
| Integrative course | 4 | ||||||
| Capstone | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 130 | |||||||