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**Review** Undergraduate Catalog 2025-2026

Music B.A. – Culture and Expression Concentration

Program Overview

College of Performing and Visual Arts

Location: Frasier Hall 108

Telephone: 970-351-2993

Fax: 970-351-1923

Website: arts.unco.edu/music

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of three parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
  2. Required Major Credits
  3. University-Wide Credits

Program Description:

The Bachelor of Arts in Music and Culture and Expression Concentration is a flexible, student-centered program that includes a broad overview of the music field within a Liberal Arts degree. The Culture and Expression concentration offers students opportunities to focus on creative endeavors including composition and performance, research-based studies including musicology and theory, digital music and recording, music business and entrepreneurship, or a combination of those.

The program is easily paired with one of our certificate programs (Arts Entrepreneurship or Music Technology) and/or a minor outside the School of Music. The B.A. in Music is a good choice for students who wish to double-major in music and a field outside of music.

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 Credits

Written Communication — 6 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Written Communication courses

Mathematics — 3 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Mathematics courses

Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits

To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.

MUS 143 is recommended to fulfill Arts & Humanities requirements and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements. 

See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses

Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Natural & Physical Sciences courses

2. Required Major — 54 Credits

Take all of the following courses — 7 credits

MUS 100Recitals, Concerts and Productions

0

MUS 143Musical Styles and ContextLAA1

3

MUS 209Introduction to Music Technology

2

MUS 251Survey of the Music Business

2

Take MUS 100 four semesters

Theory and Aural Skills courses — 8 credits

Take either these four courses:
MUS 113Music Theory I

3

MUS 114Aural Skills and Sight Singing I

1

MUS 115Music Theory II

3

MUS 116Aural Skills and Sight Singing II

1

Or these four courses:
MUS 181Jazz and Latin Theory I

3

MUS 182Jazz and Latin Aural Skills I

1

MUS 183Jazz and Latin Theory II

3

MUS 184Jazz and Latin Aural Skills II

1

Lessons — 4 credits

Take 4 credits from the following:

MUS 208Group Lessons

1

MUS 231Music Lessons

1

MUS 431Music Lessons

1

Ensembles — 4 credits

Take 4 credits of ensemble courses

Music History and Culture — 9 credits

Take 9 credits from the following:

MUS 145Music for Cartoons: Disney to AniméLAA1

3

MUS 150History of Rock and RollLAA1LAMS

3

MUS 155Beats and Grooves in Hispanic and Latinx MusicLAA1LAMS

3

MUS 243History of Music ILAA1

3

MUS 244History of Music II

3

MUS 245Introduction to EthnomusicologyLAB3LAIS

3

MUS 247Music as Cultural IdentityLAA1LAIS

3

MUS 248Asian Musical CultureLAA1LAIS

3

MUS 344History of Jazz

2

MUS 350Afro-Caribbean and South American Music

3

MUS 351Music of Mexico and Central America

3

MUS 363Routes of Black Music

3

MUS 443Topics in Jazz History

2

Music Theory and Expression — 6 credits

Take 6 credits from the following:

MUS 160Class Piano I

1

MUS 161Class Piano II

1

MUS 213Music Theory III

3

MUS 214Aural Skills and Sight Singing III

1

MUS 215Music Theory IV

3

MUS 216Aural Skills and Sight Singing IV

1

MUS 181Jazz and Latin Theory I

3

MUS 182Jazz and Latin Aural Skills I

1

MUS 223Jazz Improvisation I

2

MUS 183Jazz and Latin Theory II

3

MUS 184Jazz and Latin Aural Skills II

1

MUS 262Class Jazz Piano

1

MUS 313Digital Composition

2

MUS 327Analysis of Jazz Styles

2

MUS 328Jazz Improvisation II

2

MUS 346Arranging

2

MUS 441Standard Latin and Jazz Repertoire

1

MUS-prefix electives — 16 credits

University-Wide Credits — 35 credits

Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this program, that will typically be 35 credits.

*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.

Four Year Plan

This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance. 

Year 1 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

MUS 100Recitals, Concerts and Productions

0

MUS 113Music Theory I

3

or

MUS 181Jazz and Latin Theory I

3

MUS 114Aural Skills and Sight Singing I

1

or

MUS 182Jazz and Latin Aural Skills I

1

MUS 231Music Lessons

1

or

MUS 208Group Lessons

1

Ensemble Course

1

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

MUS 100Recitals, Concerts and Productions

0

MUS 115Music Theory II

3

or

MUS 183Jazz and Latin Theory II

3

MUS 116Aural Skills and Sight Singing II

1

or

MUS 184Jazz and Latin Aural Skills II

1

MUS 231Music Lessons

1

or

MUS 208Group Lessons

1

Ensemble Course

1

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 2 – 29 credits

Fall Semester

MUS 100Recitals, Concerts and Productions

0

MUS 209Introduction to Music Technology

2

MUS 231Music Lessons

1

or

MUS 431Music Lessons

1

or

MUS 208Group Lessons

1

Ensemble Course

1

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Major Elective

2

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

MUS 100Recitals, Concerts and Productions

0

MUS 143Musical Styles and ContextLAA1

3

MUS 231Music Lessons

1

or

MUS 431Music Lessons

1

or

MUS 208Group Lessons

1

Ensemble Course

1

Major Elective

2

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

4

Total Credit Hours:14

Year 3 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

MUS 251Survey of the Music Business

2

Major Elective

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Major Elective

1

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

Liberal Arts Curriculum

3

Major Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 4 – 31 credits

Fall Semester

Major Elective

4

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:16

Spring Semester

Major Elective

4

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

2

Total Credit Hours:15
 

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