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Bachelor of Arts in Music and Music Minors

Find your voice with BSU’s bachelor of arts in music program

Conducted out of the Department of Music, the bachelor of arts in music degree from Bridgewater State University offers students with a love of music a path to a future career. Accredited by the National Association for Schools of Music (NASM) and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, our Bachelor of Arts in Music is known for its tremendous value in the region.

Our undergraduate program provides a solid foundation of theory and history for music majors, while also allowing specializations in interest areas of your choice, from composition to conducting. Choose between an education concentration or performance-focused Bachelor of Arts in Music degrees in jazz or classical music. We also offer a pre-music therapy option approved by the American Music Therapy Association.

Employers say BSU graduates with degrees in music are highly professional and sought out as dependable and caring music teachers. Others go on to perform professionally or earn advanced music therapy degrees.

Bachelor of Arts in Music Degree Program Highlights

Dr. Donald Running directing flute players who are seated behind music stanchions

Learn from expert faculty

Music undergraduates at BSU can learn from deeply caring faculty who have performed all over the world or taught in public schools. Among our esteemed professors are instrumental and vocal coaching specialists, Boston Symphony and Boston Pops members, a Presidential Award for Distinguished Teaching winner and a Grammy winner.
male student playing piano with 5 other students playing brass instruments in background

New facilities

Students earning their bachelor of arts in music get access to a recently updated Digital Audio Workshop (DAW), two new professional rehearsal grand pianos and dedicated practice spaces. As part of BSU’s Living Learning Communities, undergraduate music students may choose to live on the same floor with other students in our undergraduate music programs.
two female members of a string ensemble playing on stage; one in foreground on cello and one in background on violin

Live performance opportunities

Live performance makes up a big part of your Bachelor of Arts in Music degree program. BSU’s music program puts on over 100 concerts and recitals each year, with performances from diverse ensembles, including concert and band, a pop vocal ensemble, an African drumming group and string orchestra. Students pursuing degrees in music can also benefit from private lessons from world-class instructors. Our programs culminate in a solo and chamber music recital capstone.

Unparalleled personal attention

Bridgewater State University’s Bachelor of Arts in Music degree is set apart by the individual support our faculty can offer students, with classes of about eight students.

A high-demand pre-music therapy major

According to the American Music Therapy Association, our program fills a much-needed niche. Students interested in a career in the emerging field of music therapy observe professional music therapists working with clients.

Special scholarship opportunities

In addition to the financial aid offered by Bridgewater State University, students pursuing a bachelor of arts in music may also qualify for several scholarships including:

  • Barbara LaFrance Scholarship
  • Elsie P. Johnson Music Funds
  • Frieda Rand Music Endowment Fund
  • Friends of Music Scholarship
  • Bear Band Scholarship

Program of Study for Bachelor of Arts in Music Students

What is a music degree from BSU all about? We designed our bachelor of arts in music program with the goal of empowering students to concentrate on specific areas of interest. For instance, our music therapy program was developed in partnership with nearby Lesley University, which offers a master’s in music therapy program—and in response to music undergraduates who felt passionately about this growing field.

Another specialized training offering is our jazz studies concentration, which provides a deep dive into American jazz traditions. The classical performance concentration affords classically inclined music undergraduates highly specialized training in Western European classical music. Our accredited education concentration equips students with contemporary music teaching methods that are immediately marketable upon graduation.

Click any link below to reveal each program's course detail.

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Program details from 2023-2024 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

Programs Related to Degrees in Music

What is a music degree best paired with? BSU students with a music therapy concentration find it useful to add a psychology degree to their bachelor’s in music to increase their value in the job market:

Psychology

“Not only did the faculty and staff provide a nurturing experience for an instrumentalist to learn their craft, but they also played an enormous role as a resource of information once my undergraduate studies were complete, and I was in the classroom. My teachers and classmates, with their incredible talents and work ethic, inspired me to rise to their level.”
Jim Davidson, ’14
Current Faculty at Bridgewater State University

Careers in Music

Students with a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from BSU are highly sought after in the job market. Employers say our graduates are efficient, detail-oriented analytical thinkers who perform well under pressure and are receptive to critiques. Many of our students with BA degrees in music go on to graduate school and perform professionally throughout the Northeast. Since 2018, 100% of our bachelor’s in music education students received full-time teaching jobs within six months of completing the program.

BSU students who have earned their undergraduate degrees in music therapy continue on to earn their master’s in music therapy in prestigious programs such as the one at Arizona State University. Performance majors go on to graduate school and careers as performers and composers. Job titles our alumni hold include:

  • Music specialist in Boston Public Schools
  • Elementary school music teacher
  • Music teacher in Newton Public Schools
  • Professional musician
  • Operatic festival artist
  • Music therapist
  • Composer
  • Church organist
  • Activities director, long term care
  • Director of musical education outreach

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for musicians and singers are expected to grow 11% by 2030. Music directors and composers make a median salary of

$52,250

students in a music class sitting at keyboards and looking at computers

Continue your education beyond your Major or Minor

Your undergraduate music degree may provide the perfect steppingstone to advanced study.
View BSU Graduate Programs

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