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Bachelor of Arts
On Campus School of Communication, Media & the Arts
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Be prepared to flourish as a professional musician, educator, producer or audio engineer with a bachelor’s in music from Sacred Heart.

Why earn your Bachelor’s in Music at Sacred Heart?

Learn from world-class faculty and accomplished professionals and benefit from advanced study, in-depth practice and applied experience in Sacred Heart’s 48-credit major in music. With 36 core credits in music theory, history, and applied music, and a 12-credit concentration in either performance or music production, you’ll gain the theoretical and technological skills necessary to excel as a music professional, educator or producer.

Develop skills, concepts and methodologies in:

  • Music theory
  • Composition
  • General musicianship
  • Music history
  • Arranging
  • Orchestration
  • Improvising
  • Conducting
  • Music performance
  • Music recording
  • Audio production

Sacred Heart music students are encouraged to incorporate creative expression into their wider intellectual and personal development, providing an environment in which students can develop the aesthetic dimension of life by nurturing their abilities to imagine, create and appreciate.

What concentrations can I choose from with a bachelor’s in music?

Music majors may focus on one of two 12-credit concentrations. While taking the required courses related to your chosen concentration, you will apply the theories and concepts you have learned through participation in multiple performance productions and events throughout the year.

Performance

Students in the performance concentration complete their requirements with two recitals, one in their junior year and one in their senior year. For each recital, the student decides repertoire, chooses accompanying musicians and creates a program in close consultation and with, and the approval of, music program faculty. 

Music Production

Students in the music production courses will collaborate with peers to produce a live event and/or recorded artifact as a culmination of their experience in the concentration.

Music Education

Music majors who are interested in pursuing a career as a music educator complete the following:

  • BA in Music with a concentration in Performance or in Music Production
  • Minor in Music Education which focuses on developing skills in secondary instruments and conducting, as well as significant field experience observing and assisting in preK-12 music classrooms
  • Master of Arts in Teaching Music program as part of Sacred Heart’s Five Year Education Program

View Degree Requirements

Music Major Quick Facts

  • Average of 20 music electives
  • Private lessons on 20 instruments
  • Nearly 1,000 students in SHU performing arts
  • Instrumental and choral ensembles of varying levels and styles
  • International performance opportunities in Italy, Ireland, Spain and more
  • Opportunities to build interdisciplinary skills in audio, sound and music production within the School of Communication, Media & the Arts

Why major in music?

The explosion of cross-platform and online content through digital technologies and various performance platforms has opened up musical opportunities beyond the classroom and concert stage. Music has become an integral part of mass media from video games to laptop produced music for YouTube and Netflix series and commercials. In response to the job opportunities presented by newer media technologies, Sacred Heart’s music majors are able to take elective courses in subjects such as musical theatre, media production and the arts in Sacred Heart’s state-of-the art production facilities, labs and studios.

While many music majors will pursue careers in the classroom or concert stage and film, television and new media, their studies may also lead them to pursue a graduate degree or enter fields like arts management and public relations, among many other professional areas. A student majoring in music will emerge from the experience with performance and creative skills that will allow them to succeed in whatever field they pursue after college.

Career options for graduates with a music degree

In addition to a career as a performer, producer or educator, the music curriculum will give students a broad range of communication, organizational and problem-solving skills that are applicable to a wide range of jobs within the music and arts fields, including as a:

  • Performer
  • Music educator
  • Audio engineer
  • Audio production specialist
  • Composer
  • Music arranger/orchestrator
  • Music executive
  • Music director
  • Film and television composer or artist
  • Repertoire agent

Organizations that employ music program graduates include arts councils, libraries, schools, television, radio, film, educational/cultural institutions, performing arts organizations, advertising, public relations agencies and orchestras.

Facilities & Equipment

In addition to the classroom spaces at Sacred Heart, the music program features two dedicated music classrooms which include grand pianos. There are several practice rooms available, most of which feature pianos. Additionally, students have access to a piano lab for keyboard skills, consisting of 8-12 electronic keyboards for group and individualized instruction. Recitals are presented at various spaces within the SHU community, including the:

Learning outcomes for a music major

  • Apply foundational knowledge and skills in music theory, history, technologies, cultural diversity, keyboard skills and research skills
  • Display technical proficiency and artistic self-expression in a least one major performance area, both in solo and collaborative settings
  • Demonstrate comprehensive technical and artistic competencies in the major area, including significant technical mastery, capability to produce work and solve professional problems independently and a coherent set of artistic/intellectual goals that are evident in individual work
  • Work independently to prepare performances at the highest levels
  • Identify, analyze and work conceptually within the elements and organizational patterns of music and their interaction, employing this understanding in aural, verbal and visual analyses and applications
  • Distinguish and analyze music according to historical, cultural and stylistic contexts
  • Master relevant skills in music technology and its role in the creative and performance process

Dual Degree Program Options for Music Majors

Sacred Heart University’s dual degree programs provide a defined pathway for incoming freshmen to move seamlessly from an undergraduate to a graduate degree.

While some of our dual degree programs require specific undergraduate majors, others are open to almost all undergraduate disciplines. Apply to a dual degree program as an incoming freshman and you’ll have the opportunity to be admitted directly into the graduate program of your choice at the same time as your admission as an undergraduate student. Students are encouraged to reach out to your admissions counselor to discuss dual degree options.

Where Can You Go with a Bachelor's in Music

Majoring in music paves the way for you to advance your career through combined programs and advanced degree pathways.

Bachelor’s to MAT with Secondary Music Certification

4+1 BA/MAT with Initial Certification
Sacred Heart University offers music majors the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree and Master of Arts in Teaching with initial teacher certification in secondary music within five years. Students must apply to the MAT during their sophomore year, and work closely with their advisor to ensure they are completing all prerequisite coursework during their undergraduate year.

Master of Arts in Teaching Music

Music Education
Applicants who hold an undergraduate degree in music are invited to apply for SHU’s Master of Arts in Teaching Music program. Sacred Heart’s 42-credit MAT with certification provides the skills and knowledge you need to be marketable in the job market and successful in the profession. Our flexible program schedules courses on weekday evenings and can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

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