Music, B.Mus.
The Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) degree program provides pre-professional training in music performance and is designed for students who aspire to work as professional musicians. The B.Mus. program offers students the opportunity in their junior and senior years to specialize in piano performance, vocal performance, instrumental performance (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion, violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, and harp), jazz studies (piano, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, bass, and percussion), and guitar and lute performance. Students in this program receive weekly private instrumental or vocal instruction, and present a public solo recital during their senior year.
Admission to the B.Mus. degree program is by a second audition (the B.Mus. audition), typically taken in the spring quarter of the second year (for most students) or, in certain circumstances, in the first year (for third-year transfers only). The B.Mus. audition is evaluated by at least two members of the faculty. No student will be allowed to begin the B.Mus. program before having successfully passed the Musicianship Proficiency Exam, and completed MUSIC 16A , MUSIC 16B , MUSIC 16C (or their equivalents at another institution).
In addition to completing the Common Curriculum, students in the B.Mus. program must pass the B.Mus. piano proficiency examination, perform a senior recital (and, for students in the voice and strings specializations only, a junior recital), and complete the following course requirements:
Courses listed in the core requirements and under a specialization requirement may not be used to satisfy both requirements.
| A. Select 4 units from the following electives in Composition, Improvisation, and Technology: | |
| Introduction to Jazz Improvisation | |
| Music in Multimedia | |
| Introductory Topics in Music Technology | |
| MAHUR-Pish Radif: Introduction to Classical Persian Music | |
| HOMAYUN-Pish Radif: Introduction to Classical Persian Music | |
| SHUR-Pish Radif: Introduction to Classical Persian Music | |
| Instrumentation | |
| Studies in Music Technology | |
| Composition | |
| Computer Music Composition | |
| Advanced Study in Composition | |
| Improvisation | |
| Jazz Composition I | |
| Jazz Composition II | |
| Jazz Composition III | |
| B. Select 8 units from the following electives in History and Theory of Music: | |
| Introduction to Music | |
| Introduction to Opera | |
| Popular Music in the United States | |
| The Beatles and the Sixties | |
| Rock: The Early Years | |
| History of European Music: From the Renaissance through the Baroque | |
| History of European Music: Hasse to Mahler | |
| 20th Century Music | |
| Major Composer | |
| History of Film Music | |
| Introductory Topics in Music and Culture | |
| History of Hip Hop | |
| History of Jazz | |
| Post-Tonal Theory | |
| Jazz Theory | |
| Topics in African American Music | |
| Topics in Expressive Forms | |
| Topics in Medieval Music | |
| Topics in Renaissance Music | |
| Topics in Baroque Music | |
| Topics in Baroque Music | |
| Topics in Classical Music | |
| Topics in Classical Music | |
| Topics in Romantic Music | |
| Topics in Romantic Music | |
| Topics in 20th Century Music | |
| Studies in Jazz Music | |
| Studies in Ethnomusicology | |
| Studies in Music History | |
| Counterpoint | |
| Analysis | |
| C. Six quarters of lessons in one of the following areas (waived for junior transfers admitted into the B.Mus. degree): | |
| MUSIC 65-68 | |
| D. After successful completion of the sixth quarter jury (performance exam), six additional quarters of instrumental or vocal instruction from the following: | |
| MUSIC 165-168 | |
| E. Completion of one B.Mus. specialization listed below. | |
Piano Specialization
| A. Complete: | |
| MUSIC 21A | Keyboard Skills |
| MUSIC 21B | Keyboard Skills |
| MUSIC 21C | Keyboard Skills |
| MUSIC 122A | Piano Literature |
| MUSIC 122B | Piano Literature |
| MUSIC 122C | Piano Literature |
| MUSIC 126 | Piano Pedagogy |
| MUSIC 176 | Chamber Ensembles (12 quarters (minimum of six quarters for junior transfers) |
| B. Complete three quarters of courses from the following: | |
| University Chorus: Accompanying | |
| Opera Workshop: Accompanying | |
| String Accompaniment | |
| Word and Music | |
Voice Specialization
| A. Complete: | |
| MUSIC 156A | Song Literature |
| MUSIC 156B | Song Literature |
| MUSIC 158A | Diction |
| MUSIC 158B | Diction |
| MUSIC 158C | Diction |
| MUSIC 164 | Opera Workshop (three quarters) |
| B. Complete nine quarters of choral ensembles (minimum of three quarters for junior transfers; minimum of six quarters for sophmore transfers) from the following: | |
| University Chorus | |
| Chamber Singers | |
Strings Specialization (Violin, Viola, Violincello, and Double Bass)
| A. Complete 12 quarters (six quarters for junior transfers, nine quarters for sophomore transfers) of the following: | |
| MUSIC 160 | University Orchestra |
| MUSIC 176 | Chamber Ensembles |
NOTE: To help support the extra cost of individual lesson instruction, the Claire Trevor School of the Arts charges a quarterly laboratory fee for students enrolled in those courses (MUSIC 65-68, MUSIC 165-168).
Departmental Honors Program in Music and Culture
The Honors Program in Music and Culture is designed to challenge superior students in the B.A. or B.Mus. program beyond the academic requirements of the Music major. It provides them with the opportunity to advance their knowledge in the scholarly fields of music while developing their writing, analytical, and research skills. The honors program is ideally suited for students who wish to study music at the graduate level, but not in performance, and who may be preparing for graduate work in arts criticism, the humanities, the social sciences, and the law.
Eligibility requirements are (1) completion of the core requirements for the major; (2) an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher; and (3) completion of the eligibility form (available for download through the Departmental website).
Admission to the Honors Program in Music and Culture is competitive. Students must apply no later than the spring quarter of their junior year. The application should be accompanied by two substantial writing samples. These may represent work done for courses at UCI. Only truly exceptional students may undertake Honors projects.
Students who are admitted to the Honors Program, regardless of whether they are in the B.A. or B.Mus. program, are required to complete three additional courses in categories 1 and 2 under Additional Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree beyond those taken in fulfillment of the core requirement; all three must be upper-division courses (numbered 100 or higher). Relevant upper-division courses in other departments may be taken to fulfill this requirement by approval of the Department Honors Committee.
The capstone project is a senior thesis, an extended original research project prepared under the supervision of the faculty advisor on a topic chosen by the student in consultation with that advisor. The thesis topic must be approved by the Departmental Honors Committee prior to the end of the fall quarter of the senior year. Students develop their topic during an ensuing two-quarter sequence of Senior Thesis (MUSIC 195A-MUSIC 195B). Upon successful completion of the thesis, a single grade is applied for both quarters and 4 units (total) are posted to the student’s record (2 units each for and MUSIC 195B).