The Major in Music requires a total of ten 4-point courses (40 points) completed with a grade of C or better. It is designed to give the student a broad understanding of the various issues currently being discussed in musical thinking and research, as well as a theoretical background and the opportunity to engage in creative work. Qualified students can undertake advanced supervised research or composition in their senior year, leading to a thesis and the award of a degree with honors.
The ten 4-point courses for the major are as follows:
- Music Theory I and II (formerly Harmony and Counterpoint I and II; MUSIC-UA 201 and 202)
- Aural Perception (MUSIC-UA 193), offered once per Academic year (Fall or Spring)
- Two courses in the area of "Music, History, and Cultures"
- Two courses in the area of "Sonic Art"
- Three electives, one of which must be designated as an "Advanced Course." The advanced course is taken in the fall of senior year.
Performance
Students may count up to four credits of performance instruction towards the major, although up to sixteen points may count towards general distribution requirements. These credits may be taken through CAS in two ways: (1) students may sign up for applied music lessons with instructors on the faculty of the CAS Department, or (2) students may sign up, through independent study, to work with an instructor outside of NYU, assuming partial responsibility for lesson payment, the remainder to be subsidized by the department. This latter program is available to music majors only. Students may also study applied music through the Steinhardt School, and may participate in CAS or Steinhardt ensembles.
Internships
The department sponsors internships for music majors only.
To propose an internship:
• Write to the DUS with your internship proposal. You will need to provide the DUS with a letter from the sponsoring company that describes the duties to be assigned, and the number of hours to be worked per week. The internship may be paid or unpaid, and may be taken for 2 or 4 points credit. For a four-point internship, 10 hours of work per week is a general guideline. The sponsor must also state in the letter that they will submit an interim report and a final report on your work.
• The sponsor's obligations to the university during the time of the internship will include supervision of the intern and the two evaluations mentioned above. The final report must be on letterhead and signed by your company sponsor. It should evaluate your performance in detail.
• At the conclusion of the internship, you should submit to the DUS a paper of approximately five pages in length describing your internship work and how it relates to your academic program at NYU. It should describe what has been accomplished, and the value of the internship as it relates to your future career objectives.
Students may apply up to 4 credits of internship towards the music major.
Independent Study
Independent Study may be taken through the CAS music department for research in an area of particular interest, and in some cases, for applied music instruction. This option is generally available only to music majors, and students should apply to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Honors
Highly motivated students may take part in the department's honors program, which culminates during the senior year with an "Advanced Course" and an independent study supervised by a faculty member. Students must have a 3.65 GPA both in the major and overall to pursue honors. Students register for a semester or more of Independent Study (MUSIC-UA 997 or 998) in which they complete a capstone project in musicology or music history, ethnomusicology, analysis, or composition. This might take the form of an analytical or historiographical study of a major work or group of works, the writing of a musical composition of substantial dimensions, or a bibliographical study of a composer, all under the guidance of a faculty member. A student wishing to pursue departmental honors should apply to the Director of Undergraduate Studies. There are also three departmental prizes that the department awards to exceptional students. These are listed in the awards and prizes section of the CAS Bulletin.