Music Major and Minor Curriculums
The Music Department at CSUSB offers two bachelor degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Music with Concentrations in Performance (Voice, Piano, Guitar, Instrumental) and Pre-Certification (Education). In addition, the department offers three minors, including a Minor in Music, Minor in Music Technology, Minor in Alternative Styles of Music.
Degrees in Music
The CSUSB Bachelor of Arts in Music gives students a strong foundation in music theory, history, and performance, providing a base for further study and careers in music. Additionally, the degree's free electives allow students to pursue study in areas of particular interest, including, with the permission of a music advisor, the substitution of courses from disciplines outside of music.
CSUSB’s Bachelor of Music program prepares students for careers as professional performers of classical art music or in music teaching. Students must meet rigorous academic and artistic standards to enter and continue in the program, and after graduation the majority of students in performance concentrations pursue advanced music degrees or similar post-baccalaureate training. Students in the pre-certification concentration pursue post-baccalaureate credentials to teach music. The performance concentrations put particular focus on real world performing as a supplementary learning experience, with emphasis on auditions for professional engagements and competitions, service learning, and formation of ad hoc ensembles. The pre-Certification concentration puts similar focus on pre-professional activities, including substantive observations in school music settings, as well as pursuit of meaningful paid or volunteer teaching in such settings.
Music Minors
Minor in Music: This is the most open-ended of the Music Department's minors. It is intended for students who wish to continue their secondary school musical experiences on a collegiate level, but are not interested in majoring in music. The curriculum presumes some prior experience in performing on a wind, percussion, or string instrument, or as singer. This is the most popular of the department's minors.
Minor in Music Technology (formerly “Recording Arts”): This minor is for students interested in the study of digital audio, recording technology, and electronic music. The curriculum presumes no prior experience in music or use of recording equipment. This is a minor commonly completed by students interested in supplementing work in a related major and with career goals for which knowledge of digital audio or recording would be helpful. This is also a relatively popular minor, and one often pursued by music majors.
Minor in Alternative Styles of Music: This minor is designed to meet the needs of our students who frequently come in to the Music Department with a background in alternative styles (jazz, mariachi, rock n'roll, etc.), and are seeking to pursue a career in a field other than western classical music. The minor requires courses in music history that are pertinent to alternative styles, as well as courses in applied music, composing/arranging, and/or technology studies. Students will be required to enroll in alternative styles performance ensembles and to complete both the music business class "The Artist Entrepreneur's Toolkit" and the Alternative Styles Capstone. Students will become well-rounded in the history, construction, and performance practice associated with alternative styles, and then to be able to couple this knowledge with a music business class and a capstone project that will prepare our students for a career in the "real world" industry of alternative/popular styles of music.
Courses in Other Programs
The Music Department offers several courses in the General Education curriculum and in the Liberal Studies teaching track. These include:
- General Education, C.1 "Arts" category: MUS 2266, Creating digital Media Using Personal Electronic Technology, MUS 1969 LGBTQ+ Influences in Music and MUS 1800 Studies in Music, one of the most popular courses on campus.
- General Education, C.4 "Multicultural/Gender" category: MUS 3500 Music of World Cultures and MUS 3080 Women in Music and MUS 3390 Jazz History in America.
- Liberal Studies: MUS 3705 Music for Elementary Classroom Teachers and MUS 4455 Arts in Action: Music
Further information about Liberal Studies is available on the Liberal Studies website and about General Education on the Undergraduate Studies website.