| The Undergraduate Major |
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The Berkeley Department of Music, one of the oldest and most prominent in the country, offers the serious student, both undergraduate and graduate, a program of study that balances musical scholarship and performance and is grounded in the resources of a major research university. The department has assembled a faculty of eminent scholars, composers, and performers, a world renowned research library, and superior facilities for performance and composition. Campus studies take place against the backdrop of the Bay Area's rich musical life: which diverse array of performing organizations reflects the complete spectrum of musical activity, featuring the world-renowned San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra.
The undergraduate music major may serve as pre-professional training for the student seeking a career in music, or it may provide a lasting source of enrichment for the student with other career goals. The Bachelor of Arts program allows the student to study music as a part of a liberal arts degree, and the music major itself combines a solid grounding in practical skills and diverse performance opportunities with a comprehensive background in the history and literature of music. The department also offers a minor in music, and a wide variety of courses in history, ethnomusicology, musicianship, harmony, and performance for the general student.
All students intending to major in music must follow the Music Placement Procedure before beginning classes. This procedure places the student in the lower division musicianship and harmony sequences and determines whether supplemental classes in piano are recommended. It also serves as an audition for the department's performance program for those wanting to participate in performance ensembles their first semester in the Music Department.
Requirements for the Music Major
Please note that all major requirements (lower and upper division) must be taken for a letter grade.
The first semester of the major is an integrated introductory course that combines critical listening (49A) with musicianship (49B) and harmony (49C). It is recommended that students with limited keyboard skills take Music 405 as well. Students are required to make an appointment with a Music Department Advisior the beginning of their first semester to plan their program for future semesters. Students will go on to develop their basic skills with two additional semesters of both musicianship (50, 51) and harmony (60, 61). At the same time, they will broaden their knowledge of past and present musical cultures with four courses from the 74-77 series. All majors must take Music 76 (Western music history 1700-1900). In addition they must choose one or two courses from the Music 74 series (Music of Africa, Caribbean, Japan, Middle East, etc), and one or two from 75 (Western music history 900-1700) and 77 (Western music history 1900 to the present).
Students without keyboard proficiency are strongly urged to enroll in two semesters of basic piano (Music 405) in their first semesters in the major program.
All students must complete one course from the 170/180 series (seminars in analysis and performance), which offer more focused study of a composer or musical genre of Western or non-Western music, taught from a variety of perspectives.
In addition students are required to take three semesters of performance from the 140 (2 units) or 150 (2-3 units) series. Although these courses are upper division, they may be taken at any point in the student’s career. The 140 series consists of the department’s large performance ensembles and is open both to majors and non-majors. The 150 series is for music majors (by audition) who would like to receive subsidized lessons and coaching and also participate in smaller chamber ensembles. See Performance Program for Music Majors for more information.
Most significant to the completion of the music major's course of study are the remaining elective units necessary to reach a total of at least 24 upper division units in the major. These courses are to be chosen from those numbered 130-189 or from those courses numbered 100-129 with an "M" designation. Students are expected to shape their program according to their particular interests, using these units and, if they wish, additional courses from both within and outside the department (with departmental approval). Suggested areas of specialization include composition, musics of the world, western music history, conducting, performance and musical theater, improvisation, theory and analysis, cognitive science and music technology. At least once every semester students need to meet with their advisers to discuss their program, obtain their advisor codes and have their elective courses approved.
The College of Letters and Science requires that all music majors complete 36 upper division units. In addition to the 24 units required for the music major (see above), students must complete 6 units that are outside of the major, and 6 units that are either in or out of the major.
For those thinking of graduate school or a career in music the department has outlined a number of programs of study.
For questions about the major requirements contact Melissa Hacker at melhacker@berkeley.edu.
Updated 03/12/2008
