Music & New Media (BA)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2024–Spring 2025 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Arts in Music with Emphasis in New Media
Unit: Music 
Academic Plan Code(s): MUSIBA_MNM

Program Information

The Music & New Media program provides training in digital media concepts and skills necessary for the creation and production of sound for public performance, music albums, digital video, internet applications, interactive media, cinema, commercials, video games, theater, dance, and software development.

Students have the flexibility in the curriculum to focus on their own goals and interests after completing the minimum requirements of the program in audio engineering, acoustics, sound design, electronic music, sound analysis, video generation, sound art, and creative new media projects. Students design and realize a Capstone project with direct faculty oversight. These projects reflect the student’s own focus, interests, and goals.

The program is designed to prepare students for careers in music and new media arts that emphasize presentation, performance, and research with technology, including audio and video production for multimedia communications, music recording, audio and video post-production, video art, sound engineering, sound design for film and gaming, sound art, sound and image research, public performance, and computer music composition.

Degree Summary

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Departmental Admission Requirements

Students in this unit are admitted directly into their degree program.

General Education Requirements

College/School Requirements

Program/Major Requirements

Upper Division Assessment

All students enrolled in a music degree program will be reviewed at the approximate midpoint of the selected program in order for students to achieve Upper Division status. Students must meet the standards of this review to register for 400-level courses in music. Both the elements and standards of the review are established by the faculty and include credit for MUS 242 Musicianship IV or (MUS 347 Analysis I for BA General, MUS 349 Jazz Analysis for BA Jazz Studies, MUS 350 Analysis of Electronic Media for BA Music & New Media); MUS 361 Music Literature I (1000-1750); 4 semesters of Applied Instrument at the course numbers required for the degree; Piano Proficiency Examination; MUS 97 Recital Attendance, with a grade of S for 4 semesters; Ensemble participation; cumulative 2.5 GPA (good standing); minimum of 48 credit hours completed; pass ENGL 101 or ENGL 105; and 3 additional General Education/Cardinal Core courses.

Additional specific elements and standards appropriate to specific degree programs in jazz studies (including jazz performance, music education and music therapy with tracks in jazz studies, and the BA in jazz studies), music composition, music education, music history, instrumental and vocal performance, pedagogy, music theory, and music therapy are required of students in order to achieve Upper Division status and to continue in the degree program.  Specific degree requirements are determined by the concentration and area faculties and are outlined in the Undergraduate Student Handbook.

¹

 Students are required to take MUH 214 African-American Music - D1, AH and MUH 205 Music in World Cultures - D2, SB.

²

 MUH courses will not be accepted as music electives or cardinal core courses with the exception of ANTH 205/MUH 205 and PAS 214/MUH 214.

³

Students who do not pass the computer-based Fundamentals Test prior to beginning of the fall semester are required to enroll in MUS 91 Fundamentals of Music I for 0 credit concurrently with MUS 141 Theory I.  Students who do not pass Theory I (MUS 141), and students who enter the School of Music in January and do not place into MUS 142 Theory II, must enroll in MUS 92 Musicianship I for the spring semester.  Credits for MUS 92 do not count toward the degree.

⁴

Strings take section 01, others solely dependent on the ensemble audition. 

⁵

Contingent on interest and audition.

⁶

The Piano Proficiency Examination is required for applied piano and organ majors.

⁷

If the applied area is piano or organ, Piano Class is replaced with 2 hours of music electives. The Piano Proficiency Examination may be taken in lieu of two semesters of Piano Class.

⁸

Students must pass the complete Piano Proficiency Examination before receiving credit for the final semester of the piano requirement.  Students must be enrolled continuously in Piano Class until their piano requirement has been completed.  Those who pass the Piano Proficiency Exam before the end of the second semester of Piano Class may replace the requirement with electives or with secondary piano if faculty load permits.

⁹

Music electives in any Bachelor of Music degree should be chosen from courses in Music History, Music Theory/Composition, Music Education, Music Literature, Music Pedagogy, Music Therapy, Jazz, a secondary applied area, or a non-required ensemble. Courses beyond the degree requirement in the student’s major applied area or in the required major ensemble(s) are not appropriate. 

For the Bachelor of Arts degree, in addition to the electives listed for the Bachelor of Music, applied music courses beyond the required four semesters are acceptable as music electives. MUH courses will not be accepted as music electives.

¹⁰

Non-music electives which include 18 hours in one area of concentration.  At least nine (9) hours in the area of concentration, and a total of 12 of the 23 hours, must be at the 300-level or above.  The student may choose to pursue a second major or take a minor in a non-music area. School of Music students may count up to two one-hour Physical Education courses toward the general elective requirement.

¹¹

Students must complete a 1-credit hour module in Term 1 and 1-credit hour module in Term 2 the same semester that they are registered for MUS 241 Musicianship III.

Flight Plan

The Flight Plan outlined above is intended to demonstrate one possible path to completing the degree within four years.  Course selection and placement within the program may vary depending on course offerings and schedule, elective preferences, and other factors (study abroad, internship availability, etc.). Please consult your advisor for additional information about building a flight plan that works for you.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan, and which requirements are still outstanding. Degree audits also take transfer credits and test credits into account. "What-if" reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

Flight Planner
The Flight Planner tool is available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan to graduation.  Advisors have access to review your Flight Planner and can help you adjust it to ensure you remain on track to graduate in a timely manner.

To create these reports:

1. Log into your ULink account.
2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
3. Select the appropriate report.
   1. To run a Degree Audit report, click on "View my Degree Audit."
   2. To create a What-if report, click on "Create a What-if Advisement Report."
   3. To run a Flight Planner report, click on "Use My Flight Planner."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, create a What-if report, or run a Flight Planner report.