Music (BA)

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Music allows the student to pursue the study of music within the context of a liberal arts curriculum. The curriculum offers an intensive study of music as both an intellectual discipline and a performance art. In addition to classes, lessons, and performing ensembles common to the Bachelor of Music program, students pursuing the B.A. pursue more advanced music scholarship and research projects, as well as engage with other disciplines relevant to the study and performance of music.

Please see the UNLV College of Fine Arts, School of Music web page for information about department programs, faculty and facilities. Degree worksheets and 4/5 year plan for the major are available on the UNLV Degrees Directory.

Learning Objectives

1. Perform in one primary performance medium, at a level appropriate for the area of specialization, with sufficient technical and musical skills requisite for artistic self-expression;
2. Demonstrate broad working knowledge of the solo repertoire for their primary performance medium, at a level appropriate for the area of specialization, and display essential skills to interpret a range of styles within that repertoire;
3. Perform in solo and ensemble (large and small) settings at a level appropriate for the area of specialization, with sufficient technical and musical skills requisite for artistic self-expression;
4. Read solo and ensemble (large and small) literature at sight with fluency demonstrating both general musicianship and, in the primary performance medium, a skill level relevant to professional standards appropriate for the area of concentration;
5. Demonstrate in written, verbal, aural, and visual methods knowledge of styles, composers, genres, forms and processes of Western European art music through present time, including contributions to this tradition made by composers of both genders and multicultural societies;
6. Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of harmony, musical form, and compositional process, and the ability to use this knowledge in written, verbal, aural, and visual analyses;
7. Demonstrate fluency in written fundamentals and aural comprehension of music theory (including aural dictation);
8. Synthesize performance, historical, stylistic, analytical, and technological information to solve artistic problems and form musical interpretations, and convincingly communicate these solutions and interpretations in written, verbal, aural, and visual methods.