Admission

Students may pursue Bachelor of Arts (BA) in music - music industry studies emphasis course work without a formal audition process. Formal admission to the degree program is gained through a portfolio review process that occurs near the conclusion of the fourth semester of study.

Program Requirements

General Requirements

  • 120 total credit hours and overall 2.000 GPA for graduation. 
  • Students must complete the 34-35 credit hours of the WSU General Education Program, College of Fine Arts requirements, and must have 45 upper division credit hours.

Major Requirements

  • 45-46 credit hours in music,
  • 12 credit hours of a guided focus area,
  • 11 credit hours outside of music, and
  • 16-18 credit hours of open electives.
Course Title Hours
General Education (34-35 credit hours)
Select courses to meet General Education requirements34-35
Performance (8 credit hours)
MUSA and/or MUSP courses 18
Music Core (11 credit hours)
MUSC 127Musicianship 12
MUSC 128Musicianship 22
MUSC 129Aural Skills 12
MUSC 130Aural Skills 22
MUSC 113Introduction to Music Studies and Professional Skills3
Music in History and Culture (9-10 credit hours)
Select 9-10 credit hours from the following9-10
Global Music Cultures
American Popular Music
Survey of the Western Musical Canon
Styles of Jazz
History of Jazz
MUSC 525A-Z
Topics in Commercial Music
Topics in Musicology: Aesthetics
Topics in Musicology: Global Musics
Topics in Musicology: Identity
Topics in Musicology: Popular Musics
Industry, Business and Technology (23 credit hours)
MART 108Digital Audio Workstations2
MUSC 115Introduction to Music Technology2
MUSC 116Introduction to Music Marketing2
MUSC 118Introduction to the Music Business2
ENTR 310The Entrepreneurial Experience3
ENTR 440New Venture Feasibility Analysis3
ENTR 455Entrepreneurial Finance3
MUSC 340Media and Promotional Content for Musicians2
MUSC 350Foundations of Arts Leadership2
MUSC 405Performance Identity and Branding2
Additional Requirements
MUSC 399Junior Seminar in Music Studies2
MUSC 498Senior Capstone/Project3
or MUSC 499 Internship in Music
Guided Focus Area 2
Students will choose a focus area in consultation with faculty. Examples of focus areas include: leadership, marketing, audio and media production, performance, entrepreneurship, composition, and pedagogy.12
Open Electives 2
Select enough electives to reach 120 credit hours. These credits can include additional MUS courses.16-18
Total Credit Hours120
1

Ensembles are counted by semester.

2

45 credits of upper-division courses completed at a four-year institution are required.

Applied Learning 

Students in the Bachelor of Arts in music program are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by the completion of  MUSC 498 Senior Capstone/Project or MUSC 499 Internship in Music.