BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC

Navigating a career in today’s complex music ecosystem demands a wide variety of tools — from the practical to the interpersonal, and from the technical to the inspirational. As a Music major, you'll study music from a cultural perspective, take private lessons and perform in ensembles, and work on creative and collaborative musical endeavors.

Student playing guitar

What Can You Do with a Degree in Music?

Are you writing songs to reach people? Does the stage beckon? Can you be a great session player? Or do you envision yourself as a scholar of music? Our Bachelor of Arts in Music program meets you at your goals and aspires to pique your interests further and develop your capabilities. You will be guided and encouraged to channel your musical aptitude in a chosen direction and provided the enrichment of a liberal arts curriculum.

Our graduates have pursued careers as performers, studio musicians, composers, music publishers, music critics and journalists, educators, curators, and librarians. What does music mean to you? A degree in music has practical applications that support your love of listening, composing, and performing.

Engage Your Love of Music, and Develop a Voice to Express It

Music thrives as a performance and cultural practice in the U.S. and abroad. The Bachelor of Arts in Music is a dynamic program for the study of music within a liberal arts curriculum. The B.A. program is distinctive in its treatment of music as a worldwide performance and cultural phenomenon, offering students the opportunity to define their degree track with courses and performance ensembles that meet and enhance their interests in music. 

Engage With Professionals

The professors and instructors in our department are more than teachers. They are current performers, composers, and scholars of music who are acknowledged by their peers. As such, students get access to both theory and practice in preparation for prospective career opportunities. Our music instructors collaborate closely with our students. Educators take time, both in and out of the classroom, to get to know students to provide useful guidance and support.

Join Our Creative Community

Our course offerings are intended to engage every students’ desire to explore and learn about music. Because music is a social practice that creates community, we foster an environment for students to play and create outside of class requirements. Our Music majors start bands, get booked to play shows by Music Industry majors, and collaborate with Music and Sound Recording majors to make recordings. On or off campus, every student is supported and encouraged by the University’s music department.

Ensembles

  • Marching Band
  • Concert Band
  • Jazz Band
  • Groove Haven R&B Revue

 

Career Opportunities with a Bachelor's Degree in Music

$64K

Music Directors and Composers

Flat Growth 2024-2034

$62K

Music Teachers

Flat Growth 2024-2034

$96K

Talent and Theatrical Agents

8.7% Growth 2024-2034

The info provided is designed to show just a few of the many possible careers you could pursue with a bachelor's degree in music. The data includes median national salaries and industry growth projections*. *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates (September 2025). Salary data fluctuates frequently.

 

Selected Courses and Programs

This course will chronicle hip-hop music and culture from its antecedents to its current status. A historical examination of hip-hop’s sonic and social aspects as a product of 20th century America.
In this course we will listen to old time music, bluegrass, early country, country music and Appalachian folk music. All of these genres are considered American either because they are native to the United States or because they developed here, from foreign origins. "Roots music" served as the basis for many American music genres. By listening to ballads, lullabies, work songs, battle cries, love songs, topical verse, and children’s songs, we will study how these traditions are passed from one generation to another and how songs have reflected and impacted history.
The growth of Western art music from its beginnings to the present day. Analysis of musical masterpieces on a technical and conceptual basis.

The University of New Haven offers a wide variety of in-depth courses that create a transformational educational experience for our students. To view the complete list of courses you'll take while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Music, check out the Academic Catalog:

Music, B.A.

Music Minor

Learn from professors who are dedicated to your success.

Our faculty are leaders and innovators in their fields, bringing both deep professional experience and academic rigor to the classroom.

 

 

 

Next Steps

Whether you're still in high school or are transferring from another college, we offer full- and part-time opportunities for undergraduates from inside the U.S. and abroad. The admission process can begin as early as the end of your high school junior year.

The Application Process Website

We offer a comprehensive financial aid program, with students receiving assistance in the form of grants, scholarships, student loans, and part-time employment. Funds are available from federal and state governments, private sponsors, and from university resources. More than 95 percent of the University's full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance.

Financial Aid Website

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