Admission Requirements | Entrance Audition | Change of Major (from BA to B.Mus.)
Re-admission to the Department | The BA in Music Capstone Project | Degree Requirements | Competencies
Welcome!
The Bachelor of Arts in Music degree is designed to provide candidates with broad musical knowledge and skills in a liberal arts context, offering opportunities to integrate music into a career, and, in some cases, perform as a vocalist or instrumentalist. All Music Department faculty participate in the varied instructional aspects of the BA degree, teaching courses in music theory, history, literature, and aural perception, leading instrumental and vocal ensembles, and offering applied studio instruction.
B.A. students are required to complete at least four semesters of one-on-one vocal or instrumental study, supplemented by six semesters of participation in a major performance ensemble. Students interested in performance have the option of pursuing further applied study and ensemble participation. A culminating Capstone project requires all B.A. candidates to design their own individualized study or performance, in conjunction with a faculty mentor, which may comprise a recital, internship, senior thesis, or special project.
All B.A. degree candidates are required to take an introductory course in Music Studies and Careers, and may select electives within the department and throughout the College in Music Business, Arts Leadership, and Business Entrepreneurship. Students also have the opportunity to combine the B.A. music major with a range of academic minors that offer opportunities for interdisciplinary education and preparation for specific career goals: African and African American Studies, Creative Studies, Dance, History, Leadership, Museum Studies, Writing, and many others.
The School of Arts and Humanities offers a supplemental certificate program for creative artists in Entrepreneurship in the Arts at the Burchfield Penney Art Center on campus, and the Small Business Development Center sponsors seminars throughout the academic year devoted to the development of independent business enterprise in the region.
The Buffalo State Career Development Center provides comprehensive information on job, internship, and graduate school opportunities (both in the Western New York region and nationally), and counseling on all aspects of the application process (including resume preparation, mock interviews, and GRE/GMAT/LSAT testing). CDC also sponsors an annual Graduate School Fair in the fall and a Jobs Fair in the spring to further assist students in gaining networking opportunities.
As part of the SUNY Applied Learning framework, an extensive Music Department internship program places B.A. students at a wide variety of sites in the vibrant Western New York arts community, encompassing arts administration, publicity and marketing, instrumental technology and repair, digital music production and audio recording, educational outreach, arts therapy, and social services. Music majors may also intern at multiple sites in order to sample diverse aspects of the arts industry.
As part of its career preparation activities, the Music Department sponsors a Music Forum lecture-workshop series to explore arts careers topics of interest to music majors. Past guests have included department alumni enrolled in graduate programs nationally, as well as prominent area music professionals such as Dr. Cynthia Burnett from the International Center for Studies in Creativity, music career consultant Angela Myles Beeching (author of Beyond Talent), saxophonist Ray Ricker, formerly of the Institute for Music Leadership at the Eastman School of Music, and Buffalo Philharmonic Music Director JoAnn Falletta.
B.A. students may elect to participate in numerous supplementary performance opportunities, including competing for solo opportunities with the Buffalo State Philharmonia or travel grants offered by the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Music Department to participate in music festivals and other events. Vocalists may pursue musical theater training by electing either a Minor or Double Major in Music-Theater. All students are eligible to audition for participation in Theater Department productions (which are open to the public), including an annual musical theater offering.
All B.A degree candidates are required to participate in six semesters of primary music ensemble. The Music Department encourages both majors and non-majors to expand their musical experiences with the wide variety of performance ensembles available in the department (for which auditions are held each year), such as Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Philharmonia, chamber music, accompanying (for pianists), African drumming, "Elmwood Swing," and others.
Music students may combine the B.A. in Music major with a Minor in Digital Music Production, which offers hands-on skills development in 21st-century music technology, electronic composition, recording arts, audio production, and sound design for a range of media applications.
Music Department alumni have been accepted to graduate programs nationally in a variety of arts-related fields: Performance (Eastman School of Music, CalArts-Los Angeles, USC-Thornton School of Music, University at Buffalo); Musical Theater (New York University); and Arts Administration/Non-Profit Management (Brandeis University, SUNY Cortland). B.A. Music graduates are currently pursuing careers in performance, archival conservation, arts administration, events management, sacred music liturgy, and artistic outreach-social services, among others.
Buffalo State’s Office of Undergraduate Research and International Education Office promote numerous opportunities for academic and personal enrichment through research project funding grants and the Study Abroad and National Student Exchange programs, for which academic credit may be applied towards the B.A. degree.
Music majors have pursued study programs in Ireland and the UK, Italy, Spain, and Africa. Funded research topics have included global music traditions, Broadway musical theater history, and applications of music therapy to individuals with disabilities. All Buffalo State students have the opportunity to apply to present their original research at the SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference [SURC], held each spring at a different campus in the SUNY system.
Students interested in the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree must first apply to Buffalo State and schedule an audition. Admission to the B.A. in Music program is based on the outcome of the audition and interview.
All prospective BA students must audition for admission to the Music Department. Prospective students are afforded two opportunities to audition for admission. If a student is not accepted after the second audition, a third audition is not permitted. View audition requirements.
Upon the completion of two full-time semesters of study, and a grade of C or higher in MUS 122, any Bachelor of Arts in Music student may apply or re-apply for admission to the Music Education Major. A total of two application attempts are allowed. Admission to the Music Education program for re-applicants is determined by the Music Department Chairperson, in consultation with the Coordinator of Undergraduate Music Education student’s faculty advisor.
Students who have taken a leave of absence exceeding one academic year will be required to audition and interview for readmission to the Music Department.
The Capstone Project serves as the culmination to the BA degree and may take the form of an independent project related to specific artistic interests and career aspirations. This project can take various forms, including a Half or Full Recital, an Internship, or a Senior Thesis. Students who wish to pursue other projects should consult with the B.A. Coordinator. Each of these projects requires completion of the Capstone Project Proposal Form located on the Music Department website. This form must be completed and on file in the Music Department office by the last day of classes before CEP Week of the semester prior to the start of the Capstone Project. All students engaged in a Capstone Project must register for MUS 491 "Capstone in Music" by completing a Course by Contract in the Music Department office.
All Capstone documents must be received in the Music Department Office by 12:00pm on the last day of classes before CEP Week of the semester prior to the Capstone Project.
Half or Full Recital
(1) Consent of Applied Instructor
(2) Consent of the Vocal/Instrumental Coordinator
(3) Be at the requisite applied level
(4) Submit a completed a BA Capstone Proposal Form to the Music Department Office by the last day of classes
of the semester prior to the Recital
(5) Complete all pre-recital requirements as listed in the Music Department Handbook
(6) Register for MUS 491 using a “Course by Contract” form available in the Music Department Office
Internship
(1) Consent of BA Coordinator
(2) Consent of a Faculty Supervisor
(3) Support from the Internship Site
(4) Submit a completed a BA Capstone Proposal Form to the Music Department Office by the last day of classes
of the semester prior to the Internship
(5) Submit a completed SUNY Learning Agreement Form to the Faculty Supervisor
(6) Register for MUS 491 using a “Course by Contract” form available in the Music Department Office
(7) Become familiar with the Buffalo State Internship Disclosure and Federal Rules regarding internships
Senior Thesis or Other Project
(1) Submit a completed a BA Capstone Proposal Form to the Music Department Office by the last day of classes
of the semester prior to semester in which the project will take place
(2) Register for MUS 491 using a “Course by Contract” form available in the Music Department Office
(3) Include a narrative thoroughly describing the project from its inception to completion and outlining a
timeline for accomplishments.
If human subjects are a part of the research, the student must demonstrate approval of the
proposal by the BSC Institutional Review Board or the Music Department IRB representative
(4) Create a Faculty committee consisting of a Committee Chair and an additional Faculty member who has an
interest or ability related to the research topic. The second committee member may be a Faculty member
associated with any Buffalo State department
(5) At the conclusion of the Capstone Project, a student who writes a Thesis will meet with their designated
Faculty committee to discuss their project and their final paper
Number of Years to Complete the Degree: Four
Total Number of Credits: 120
Musicianship (33 credits)
MUS 122 Introduction to Music Studies and Careers (2 credits)
MUS 218 Aural Perception I (1 credit)
MUS 219 Aural Perception II (1 credit)
MUS 318 Aural Perception III (1 credit)
MUS 319 Aural Perception IV (1 credit)
MUS 230 Music Theory I (3 credits)
MUS 231 Music Theory II (3 credits)
MUS 330 Music Theory III (3 credits)
MUS 331 Music Theory IV (3 credits)
MUS 321 Composition, Improvisation, and Arranging (2 credits)
MUS 206 History of American Popular Music 1900-1950 (3 credits)
MUS 302 Music History: Antiquity through Baroque (3 credits)
MUS 303 Music History: Classic through Modern (3 credits)
MUS 440 Ethnomusicology (3 credits)
MUS 491 Capstone in Music (1 credit)
Music Performance (10 credits)
MUS 171-273 Applied Instruction (4 credits)
MUS 290, 313, 314, or 335 Ensemble Requirement (6 credits)
Music Electives (10 credits)
General Studies (33-39 credits) Intellectual Foundations
Basic Written and Oral Communication (6 credits)
CWP 101 (3): must earn a minimum grade of C
CWP 102 (3): must earn a minimum grade of C
Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 credits)
Select one course from this area
*Can satisfy major/minor requirements
Cognate Foundations (12 credits)
Select one course from each area
Arts (3)
Humanities (3)
Natural Science (3)
Social Science (3)
*MUS course will not satisfy the Cognate Foundations Requirements
Foundations of Civilizations (9 credits)
Select one course from each area
American History (3)
Western Civilization (3)
Non-Western Civilization (3)
*Can satisfy major/minor requirements
Diversity (3 credits)
*Music Majors satisfy this requirement with MUS 206
Global Engagement (0-6 credits)
Select option(s)
Intellectual Skills and Competencies (0 credits)
Writing Across the Curriculum (Infused)
Critical Thinking (Infused)
Information Management (Infused)
*Music Majors satisfy these requirements in MUS 303 and 440
All College Electives (28-34 credits - non-music courses)
Consistent with the mission, goals, and objectives of the Buffalo State College Music Department, the music faculty expects all B.A. in Music degree candidates to demonstrate the following competencies:
BA.1. General Education
BA.1.1. The ability to think, speak, and write clearly and effectively, and to communicate with precision, cogency, and rhetorical force.
BA.1.2. An informed acquaintance with the mathematical and experimental methods of the physical and biological sciences; with the main forms of analysis and the historical and quantitative techniques needed for investigating the workings and developments of modern society.
BA.1.3. An ability to address culture and history from a variety of perspectives.
BA.1.4. Understanding of, and experience in thinking about, moral and ethical problems.
BA.1.5. The ability to respect, understand, and evaluate work in a variety of disciplines.
BA.1.6. The capacity to explain and defend one’s views effectively and rationally.
BA.1.7. Understanding of and experience in one or more art forms other than music.
BA.2. Musicianship
BA.2.1. The ability to hear, identify, and work conceptually with the elements of music -- rhythm, melody, harmony, structure, timbre, texture, and so forth.
BA.2.2. An understanding of and the ability to read and realize musical notation.
BA.2.3. An understanding of compositional processes, aesthetic properties of style, and the ways these shape and are shaped by artistic and cultural forces.
BA.2.4. An acquaintance with a wide selection of musical literature, the principal eras, genres, and cultural sources.
BA.2.5. The ability to develop and defend musical judgments.
BA.3. Performance and Music Electives
BA.3.1. Ability in performing areas at levels consistent with the goals and objectives of the specific liberal arts degree option being followed.
BA.3.2. Understanding of procedures for realizing a variety of musical styles.
BA.3.3. Knowledge and/or skills in one or more areas of music beyond basic musicianship appropriate to the individual's needs and interests, and consistent with the purposes of the specific liberal arts degree option being followed.
BA.3.4. The ability to read at sight with fluency demonstrating both general musicianship and, in the major performance area, a level of skill relevant to professional standards appropriate for the particular music concentration.
BA.4. Composition and Improvisation
BA.4.1. Students must acquire a rudimentary capacity to create derivative or original music both extemporaneously and in written form.
The above competencies are evaluated through the passing of courses including course work and examinations. Additionally, B.A. in Music students are evaluated and assessed utilizing 11 different key competency assessments as follows:
Applied Music Juries
Music Theory Assessment
Aural Perception Assessment
General Education Courses/Electives
Music History Assessment
Composition, Improvisation, and Arranging (CIA) Assessment
Capstone Project Assessment
Introduction to Music Studies and Careers Assessment
Professional Disposition Reports
Small/Large Ensemble Participation
Concert Attendance
View the Competency Map for the B.A. in Music degree.
This map shows the relationship between the competencies expected for the degree and the 11 assessments listed above. Furthermore, the map shows in which courses the competency is addressed and assessed.
