The Bachelor of Arts in Music is part of the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences.

The BGSU Bachelor of Arts in music offers opportunities in over 40 small ensembles and hundreds of performances on campus.
  • Bachelors Available
  • Bachelors Available

Bachelor of Arts in Music

The BGSU Bachelor of Arts in music is intended for students desiring a broad study of music with the flexibility to take coursework in other disciplines. The degree is designed for students who have a passion for music, but are not planning a career as a musician.

The Bachelor of Arts in music degree requires courses and electives in musicianship and performance studies. Specializations are offered in three different tracks of electives from which students can choose.

Students wishing to pursue a major or minor in music should contact the coordinator of music admissions in the College of Musical Arts. Students are required to pass an entrance audition for both the major and minor in music.

Opportunity is everywhere

The BGSU Bachelor of Arts in music is a liberal arts degree focused on the practice and theory of music. It prepares students for a range of careers.

Numerous music faculty are practicing musicians and scholars who create a nurturing learning environment for students.

We connect with our campus and broader communities through performance, education and scholarly research to make an impact.

Our network of alumni working in the music profession spreads far and wide through the Midwest and beyond. Partnerships with several high-profile cultural institutions in the Northern Ohio area offer students the chance to get hands-on experience from the moment they begin their degree and networking and job opportunities ahead of graduating.

Stand Out in courses like

  • Aural Skills
  • Music Theory
  • Music History
  • Fundamentals of Composition
  • Performance Practice
  • Exploring Music of World Cultures
  • History and Literature of Jazz
  • Ethnomusicology

Over 40 music ensembles—orchestra, bands, choirs, small groups, and world music ensembles—are open to all University students.

Curriculum

All B.A. in music students study core courses in music theory, aural training, and music history. Three different tracks of music electives are offered with emphases in:

  • Music History

The music history specialization provides training in the fundamentals of research and scholarship in the field of music history. Students specializing in music history can take such specialized courses as Problems in Music History, Performance Practice, Symphonic Literature, Chamber Music Literature, Opera Literature, African Music, Indonesian Music and Japanese Music.

  • Ethnomusicology/Jazz

Ethnomusicology is the study of music in its social and cultural contexts. The jazz emphasis in the Bachelor of Arts in music prepares students for careers in jazz performance, composition, and jazz education.

  • Performance

The music performance emphasis prepares students for careers in orchestral, band, opera and vocal performance, commercial music and private studio teaching, as well as for further study at the graduate level.

Students receive individualized instruction in the Moore Musical Arts Center—one of the nation's finest music facilities—which has over 70 practice rooms, a state-of-the-art computer lab, and a music technology studio.

Over 40 music ensembles—orchestra, bands, choirs, small groups, and world music ensembles—are open to all University students (many by audition).

Bachelor of Arts in music majors are required to choose a minor. Some suggested fields of study include art, communication, computer science, film studies, journalism, media production, nonprofit administration, popular culture, theatre.

The BGSU College of Musical Arts offers a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Musical Arts. A thriving graduate program includes a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts program.

Careers

In the College of Arts and Sciences, opportunity is everywhere. Take advantage of this freedom to create your own experience. A flexible curriculum leads to a choice of careers in research, education, recording, composing or the wider music industry.

The BGSU alumni network in the music profession spreads far and wide throughout Ohio, the Midwest and across the country and the world.

Strategic partnerships with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, the Toledo Opera, the Toledo Museum of Art, WGTE Public Media, the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, the Detroit Symphony and more offer students the chance to get hands-on experience from the moment they begin their degree and networking and job opportunities upon graduating.

Gaining professional skills in marketing, recording and distributing music add possibilities for multi-strand careers.

GO FAR in your career

  • Music Therapist
  • Artistic Manager
  • Music Educator
  • Music Producer
  • Critic or Journalist
  • Composer
BGSU music student receives vocal music instruction during a Master Class.

arts and sciences logo

The Bachelor of Arts in Music is part of the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences.

Arts Village Learning Community

Open to students of any major, the Arts Village is a residential learning community that involves exploring all aspects of the arts and sharing views with one another and faculty of various disciplines. 

Student organizations

BGSU has more than 20 music-related student organizations, including the Steel Drum Association, wind and string groups, and the Student Jazz Association. Certain vocal ensembles, such as A Cappella Choir, Collegiate Chorale, and University Men’s and Women’s choruses, also have student organizations associated with them.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in music are expected to:

  • Demonstrate mastery over music theory—the construction of chords, harmony and scale systems from all periods
  • Aurally identify any interval or chord, scale structure and style of music; capably sight-sing any music and play piano
  • Competently perform on an instrument of choice (including voice) and effectively communicate on the literature for that instrument and for appropriate ensembles
  • Critically evaluate the history and development of music over the last 1,000 years, recognize sociopolitical and artistic forces on music and articulate the major figures and style characteristics of historic periods
  • Comprehend the basics of non-Western music and/or jazz and apply critical thinking towards music and its contextualization
Accreditation

Bowling Green State University [BGSU] is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.  BGSU has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 01/01/1916. The most recent reaffirmation of accreditation was received in 2012 - 2013. Questions should be directed to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

The Music Performance program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and is in good standing.

More information on accreditation

Professional Licensure

Bowling Green State University programs leading to licensure, certification and/or endorsement, whether delivered online, face-to-face or in a blended format, satisfy the academic requirements for those credentials set forth by the State of Ohio.

Requirements for licensure, certification and/or endorsement eligibility vary greatly from one profession to another and from state to state. The Bachelor of Arts in Music does not lead to professional licensure.



* Job placement and salary information was compiled by the Office of Academic Assessment through the Graduation Survey from AY2015-2018. The data are gathered around the time of Commencement and a follow-up survey six months post Commencement. For the salary question, data for programs with fewer than fifteen responses are not included. Salaries for those programs are from the National Association of Colleges and Employers Summer 2019 Survey. For questions regarding the data, contact assessment@bgsu.edu.

Updated: 02/16/2023 02:36PM