Undergraduate Program Overview
The Department of Music at Columbia University offers undergraduate students the opportunity to study how music functions in history, society, form and practice. We provide undergraduates a broad and comprehensive offering of courses, covering the areas of Historical Musicology, Music Theory, Ethnomusicology, Composition, Computer Music, Musicianship and Music Performance. Although we do not offer a performance major, through the Music Performance Program all Columbia and Barnard students can audition to participate in instrumental and voice lessons and to participate in various ensembles. Students can also audition to join the Columbia University Orchestra (CUO) and Collegium Musicum.
Columbia University consists of three undergraduate schools, Columbia College, School of General Studies (GS) and School of Engineering and Applies Sciences (SEAS). The University is also affiliated with Barnard College. Students enrolled at Columbia College and General Studies can major in music, take a minor in music or choose to take music courses as general electives. Students in SEAS can minor in music or take music courses as general electives. Students majoring in Music at Barnard will take a portion of their music courses in the Department of Music at Columbia University to complete their degree. Any Barnard student can take music courses as general electives.
The music major requires 40 credits made up required courses in history, music theory, ethnomusicology and musicianship. Music electives come in a range of topics. If students are interested in composition, they may take electives such as Undergraduate Composition/MUSI3239UN (can be taken up to 4 times), Introduction to Digital Music MUSI2205UN and Techniques of 20th Century Music MUSI3310UN.
To complete a minor in Music, students must complete 15 credits of courses within the Department of Music, but these may be any courses the student wishes to take.
The Computer Music Center (CMC) offers a select few electives that have been approved to fulfill technical elective requirements for the SEAS major. Music also offer a joint degree program with the Juilliard School for highly qualified musicians through the Columbia Juilliard Exchange (CJE).
Detailed descriptions of courses and other requirements for music majors and minors in each of these schools are available here:
Columbia College is a liberal arts college for men and women. It was founded in 1754, and currently has 3,700 students, making it the smallest college in the Ivy League. Students earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. The cornerstone of a Columbia College education is its core curriculum, a body of required courses in literature, philosophy, history, music, art, and science, all taught in seminar-style classes. View the curriculum page for detailed information on major/concentration requirements. For detailed information on courses, please go to the College Bulletin.
Founded in 1889, Barnard is a small liberal arts and sciences college for women. Their unique and longstanding partnership with Columbia University provides students with a vast selection of additional course offerings, extracurricular activities, NCAA Division I Ivy League athletics, and a fully coeducational social life. A Barnard education is structured around The Nine Ways of Knowing, a flexible set of requirements designed to equip students to respond critically and creatively to a rapidly changing world and debate ideas from new perspectives. The Barnard faculty is comprised of leading scholars who serve as dedicated, accessible teachers to our diverse community of 2,400 extraordinary women. The College’s metropolitan location grants students access to thousands of internships in addition to excellent cultural, intellectual, and social resources. Barnard students take some music courses at Columbia University, though their music major resides at Barnard. Additionally they graduate with a degree from Barnard College of Columbia University, though Barnard remains an independent institution.
The School of General Studies is a liberal arts school for students whose education since high school has been interrupted by at least a year. Its students earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. In both cases, the majority of points of credit must be in liberal arts subjects. The School has a set of core courses and a distribution requirement, as well as departmental majors and minors. View the curriculum page for detailed information on major/concentration requirements.
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) traces its origins back to 1864, and became a separate engineering school in 1926. It offers programs to both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates earn a Bachelor of Science degree, in which music courses can play a significant part, either through a SEAS Music Minor or through fulfilling technical electives required for the SEAS Major:
SEAS Music Minor
View the curriculum page for detailed information on minor requirements.
Computer Music Center Technical Electives for SEAS Major
In pursuit of a BS from SEAS, the following courses have been approved for SEAS technical electives:
GR6601/Interactive Sound & Video/3 pts.
GR6602/Sonic & Visual Representation of Data/3 pts.
GR6610/Sound: Advanced Topics I/3 pts.
GR6611/Sound: Advanced Topics II/3 pts.
If any of the four courses listed above are taken for undergraduate credit to fulfill the SEAS technical elective requirement, please note they cannot be counted again for graduate study at Columbia University.