The Music Major, Bachelor of Arts Program

Use these checklists to track your completion of major requirements. Always check with your advisor if you have any questions.

Caitlin Baummer spent a summer interviewing residents of central Appalachia about how their traditional music is important in their lives. Then she spent the following summer transcribing and archiving their words for all to hear. Learn more.

Bachelor of Arts Program

The bachelor of arts program offers students an opportunity to major in music within the liberal arts curriculum. This program is intended for those who wish to pursue the serious study of music and to acquire at the same time a broad general education; it is recommended for those considering the five-year undergraduate-graduate program in teacher education or graduate study leading to the M.A. or Ph.D. degrees.

To be admitted formally to the B.A. program, students must give evidence of satisfactory musical training by taking an admission audition. Students must declare music as a major before the beginning of the junior year, but it is highly recommended that they declare as early as possible, considering the large number of required courses.

The bachelor of arts degree is offered with four options: music liberal studies, performance study, composition, and pre-teaching. Students enrolling in the B.A. music liberal studies program--a program that stresses the development of skills in analysis, writing, and critical thinking about a wide variety of music and their larger connection with history culture, and society--are required to submit a writing sample and interview with one of the music liberal studies program faculty members. The writing sample should be non-fiction, preferably an assignment for a course in English, History, or a similar subject, 500 words or more in length. Students wanting to declare composition as their option must submit a music portfolio in addition to an audition on their major instrument. 

The following courses are required of all students: 

B.A. students may use a maximum of 8 ensemble credits toward graduation.

For all music majors the following courses are required to fulfill the basic curriculum:

A minimum of 128 credits is required for graduation from UNH.  All music students must earn grades of C- or better in all required music and music education courses.

All B.A. degree options have a University foreign language requirement.

All B.A. degree options,  require a final project or senior recital.

Each option and degree program has additional requirements and those requirements are as follows:
(Lesson and ensemble credits vary, so they are listed again under each option)

For all the options listed, a final project or a public performance is given during the senior year. For students in the music liberal studies option, there is a choice of completing a half recital or comparable final project; for those in performance study, a full recital; for students in the composition option, a half lecture, half lecture-recital, or a half recital including at least one original composition; for those in the pre-teaching option, a half recital is required.