Santa Clara University

Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Music

Course requirements:
A student earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music, in addition to completing the University and College requirements must complete the following courses in the Music Department:

Theory and Composition

• Music Theory I, II, III, IV, V, IV (MUSC 1-6)
• Aural Skills I, II, III, IV, V, VI (MUSC 1A - 6A)
• Instrumentation/Arranging (MUSC 110) or Counterpoint (MUSC 111)

History & Literature

• Music History I, II, III, IV (MUSC 101-104) 
• One World Music course (MUSC 20, 21, 22 or 26/126)

Elective - Choose one from the following:

• MUSC 110 Instrumentation/Arranging (if not chosen as a requirement—see above)
• MUSC 111 Counterpoint (if not chosen as a requirement—see above)                    
• MUSC 114 Musical Composition Seminar
• MUSC115 Special Topics in Music (or another approved elective course)          

Other requirements:

• Technology Proficiency (MUSC 38)
• Majors must complete one quarter of MUSC 113 (Conducting Lab) before graduating ·
• Majors in the upper division (Juniors & Seniors) must complete MUSC 118 (Directed Study in Pedagogy) under the guidance of a selected faculty advisor                                      

Applied music and ensemble requirement: 

• Private instruction in composition, instrument, or voice for three years or the equivalent of 9 quarters of 60 minutes instruction. ·
• 3 years or 9 quarters of any approved departmental ensemble, with experience in at least 2 different ensembles

Keyboard Proficiency - MUSC 33:   All students majoring in music must pass the Keyboard Proficiency Examination.  This requirement is intended to provide students with keyboard skills to support their music studies. Students whose applied emphasis is piano or organ may waive this requirement if they present a solo recital.  All other students must enroll in Keyboard Proficiency Class or private piano instruction (30-minute lessons) each quarter until the requirement is completed.  Students may challenge the entire exam at one time, or split the exam into various segments over two or more quarters. 

The Keyboard Proficiency Exam consists of the following:

• Performance (by memory) of a piano composition from the standard literature: examples of appropriate material are Bach 2-part inventions or the first movement of an easy Classical sonatina.
• All major and harmonic minor scales, four octaves, four notes = 80.
• All triadic arpeggios, three octaves, three notes = 80.
• Sight-reading:
  1) a simple work selected by the faculty similar to examples in A New Approach to Sightsinging  (Berkowitz),“Sing and Play” section.
  2) transposition of a simple melodic line.