Music Theory & Musicianship

Undergraduate Music Theory & Musicianship Guidelines

Music Majors and students who have declared the Music Concentration prior to Fall ’24 and intend on staying with the Concentration are required to take the Music Theory and Musicianship courses. Students declaring the new Minor in Music have the option to take the Music Theory and Musicianship courses, depending on their interests.

The Music Theory courses that are offered are:

MUSI UN1002:  Fundamentals of Music
MUSI UN2318:  Music Theory I
MUSI UN2319:  Music Theory II
MUSI UN3321:  Music Theory III
MUSI UN3322:  Music Theory IV

The Musicianship courses that are offered as of Fall '25 are:

MUSI UN1350:  Introduction to Musicianship
MUSI UN2351:  Musicianship: Rhythm
MUSI UN2352:  Musicianship: Melody
MUSI UN2353:  Musicianship: Harmony

Prior to Fall '25, the Ear-Training courses that were offered are:

MUSI UN1312:  Introductory Ear-Training
MUSI UN2314:  Ear-Training I
MUSI UN2315:  Ear-Training II
MUSI UN3316:  Ear-Training III
MUSI UN3317:  Ear-Training IV

For students who are required or opted to take any part of the Music Theory sequence and/or Musicianship courses, please read on for important information on placement exams and registration.

Music Theory Registration Guidelines

  • Any student interested in taking Fundamentals of Music can register for the course and is not required to take the online diagnostic exam.
  • All other students new to the Music Theory sequence should register for Music Theory I (they will be placed on the waitlist until after the online diagnostic exam determines what level course they should be in and if there is space available in the course).
  • Once a student completes and passes a level of the Music Theory sequence, they can register for the next level (no additional testing is required) in future semesters.
  • Registration priority for all Music Theory classes will be given to declared Music Majors and existing Concentrators.
  • After that, registration priority for Fundamentals of Music will be given to freshmen and sophomores who are considering becoming a Music Major.

Music Theory I Online Diagnostic Exam 

  • The online diagnostic exam must be completed before the first day of class. 
  • Failure to place into Music Theory I generally results in a recommendation to take Fundamentals of Music.
  • Students who pass the Music Theory I Online Diagnostic Exam and are interested in passing into Music Theory II should contact the Director of Undergraduate Music Theory to schedule a separate diagnostic exam.

The exam consists of 5 sections, each one assessing your mastery of fundamental music-theoretical knowledge:

  1. Identifying pitches by name in treble, bass, alto, and tenor clefs
  2. Writing ascending and descending major and minor scales
  3. Key signatures, including relative and parallel keys
  4. Intervals and interval inversions
  5. Triads in close position.

Each section is timed, and you will need to devote around 30 minutes of uninterrupted time to complete the entire test. The test cannot be paused, and it may be taken only once per semester on an electronic device of your choice (smartphone, tablet, or computer; please make sure your technology is in working condition prior to starting the test).

The diagnostic exam can be found at the uTheory website. You must register using your Columbia or Barnard email.

Musicianship Guidelines

  • Starting in Fall '25, the Ear-Training sequence has been replaced by Musicianship.
  • Students majoring or concentrating in Music are required to take the three following Musicianship courses, Rhythm, Melody & Harmony. There is no order to the courses.
  • Majors are welcome to take Introduction to Musicianship as an elective but it is not a required course.
  • Minors are welcome to take any of the Musicianship courses.
  • Majors & Concentrators who took courses in the Ear-Training sequence prior to this change should note the following:
    • If you have already taken up to Ear-Training I, you would have to take all three Musicianship courses, Melody, Harmony & Rhythm.
    • If you have already taken up to Ear-Training II, you would have to take two of the three Musicianship courses, Melody, Harmony & Rhythm.
    • If you have already taken up to Ear-Training III, you would have to take one of the three Musicianship courses, Melody, Harmony & Rhythm.
    • If you have already taken up to Ear-Training IV, you do not have to take any of the Musicianship courses.