BA in Music

About this program

California State University, Dominguez Hills offers a NASM-accredited BA in Music through the Department of Music in the College of Arts and Humanities. The degree is distinguished by its close student-faculty interaction, wide range of performance genres and styles, and a deliberately intentional emphasis on cultural and global perspectives in music. The program is housed in La Corte Hall, which features the Marvin Laser Recital Hall, audio recording and synthesis studios, a large rehearsal room for orchestra, chorus, and band, a state-of-the-art piano classroom, theory and history classrooms, and teaching studios and practice rooms. Additional practice rooms are available in North Cain Library. Larger performances are held in the 485-seat University Theatre. CSUDH is an All-Steinway School, meaning all keyboard instruments in the department are Steinway & Sons pianos. Students select one of three options within the BA. All three share a Common Core (40 units) covering Musicianship Skills I (taken both fall and spring), Music Theory I and II, Individual Lessons at the 180 level (fall and spring), Advanced Musicianship Skills I (fall and spring), Advanced Music Theory I and II, Individual Lessons at the 280 level (fall and spring), four units of lower-division ensemble, Music in World Cultures, Music History I: Medieval to Renaissance, Music History II: Baroque to Romantic, Music History III: 1880 to Contemporary (satisfies GWAR), and four units of upper-division ensemble. The Music Liberal Arts option (72 total major units) is designed for students who wish to pursue a liberal arts degree with a music concentration without aiming for careers as professional performers or educators. Beyond the core it adds Chicano/Latino Musical Culture, Beginning Guitar Class, Music in Film, Intermediate Guitar Class, History of Rock, Asian Pacific Art/Music/Literature, African American Music, The Jazz Age, Instrumentation, Instrumental or Choral Conducting, Global Popular Music: Identity and Social Change, and a Senior Project. The Music Education option (71 total major units) prepares students for K–12 careers in public school music education. Students who complete this option receive a single-subject waiver approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), allowing them to bypass the CSET exam and proceed directly into the university's credential program. Beyond the core it adds Beginning Guitar Class, Instrumentation, Instrumental Conducting, Choral Conducting, Foundations in Music Education, Individual Lessons at the 380 level (two semesters), Instrumental Methods for Music Education, Contemporary Pedagogy, Marching Band Techniques, String Instruments, Woodwind Instruments, Brass Instruments, Percussion Instruments, Individual Lessons at the 480 level (two semesters), Vocal and Choral Techniques, and Recital (two semesters). The option includes field experience components with a valid Certificate of Clearance (fingerprints) and TB test required. The Music Performance option (60–79 total major units) prepares students for a variety of professional music careers through intensive applied study. Beyond the core it adds Beginning Guitar Class, Intermediate Guitar Class, Music Industry I: Survey of the Music Industry, Instrumentation, Instrumental or Choral Conducting, Individual Lessons at the 380 level (two semesters), Music Industry II: Music Marketing, Media and Management, Individual Lessons at the 480 level (two semesters), and Recital (two semesters). Students must also fulfill repertory requirements demonstrating advancement and proficiency in their major performance area, and must pass a summative pedagogy skills exam before graduation. Students must participate in one or more performing ensembles during each semester of full-time residency and during each semester in which they take Individual Lessons. Ensembles include Orchestra, Chorus, Band, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Music, Chamber Singers, Jubilee Choir, Guitar Ensemble, Early Music Collegium, Latin American Regional Music Ensemble, and Pep Band. Student recitals each semester allow the faculty to monitor each student's progress. All majors must pass required courses with a grade of C or better. Scholarships specifically for music majors include the Music Department Scholarship Fund, Mu Phi Epsilon scholarships, the Marshall Bialosky Endowment Scholarship, the New Century Scholarship for composition students, and the Rod Butler Memorial Scholarship. Scholarship auditions are held in early spring through the CSUDH Scholarship Portal; contact Dr. Lynn Atkins (latkins@csudh.edu) for details.

Audition & application overview

• Requires a live or recorded audition

Live placement audition on campus; contact Dr. Scott Morris at ssmorris@csudh.edu or (310) 243-3543 for scheduled audition dates and current audition requirements by instrument/voice type