# 2025-2026 General Catalog

**Source**: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/music/music-ab/
**Parent**: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/#programsanddegreestext

[Office & Contact Information](https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/departments-programs-degrees/music/)

The Bachelor of Arts degree in music provides both a broad liberal arts education and the skills necessary to explore music through its history, composition, theory, and performance. Students majoring in music may choose from four tracks in the major: *(1)* composition, *(2)* music history, theory, and ethnomusicology, *(3)* performance, or *(4)* an independent track. After a common core of courses in the lower division, students pursue their chosen track with specialized  courses leading to an appropriate senior project. All majors are expected to complete a substantial project (composition, research presentation, recital) in the senior year ([MUS 195](https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/search/?P=MUS%20195 "MUS 195")).

## The Program

A fundamental grounding in music theory, music history, and performance during the first two years of study leads to more specialized study of composition, music scholarship, or performance during the last two years of undergraduate work.

### Study Abroad & the Music Major

The department encourages students to pursue a portion of their studies abroad. In close collaboration with their undergraduate advisors, students plan a course of study abroad that complements their coursework at Davis. UC Davis Music Majors have completed upper division coursework at EAP partner institutions in Australia, England, France, Germany, and Italy.

### Career Alternatives

Students who graduate with a B.A. in music from UC Davis have gone on to careers as composers, performers, educators, scholars, and as professionals in the concert, media, and computing industries. Others have continued in medicine, law, government, and business.

### Foreign Language

Students contemplating graduate study in music are advised to consider pursuing foreign language study beyond the elementary level.

### Diagnostic Exams

Diagnostic exams in musicianship and theory are administered at the start of the school year to all incoming students.

### Student Performing Activities

The Department of Music presents more than 100 concerts each year, offering performance opportunities for both majors and non-majors in more than 15 performance ensembles including Chorus, Chamber Singers, Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Ensembles, Bluegrass & Old Time String Band, Jazz Bands and Combos, Samba Ensembles, Indonesian Gamelan, Hindustani Vocal Ensemble, Afro-Cuban Ensemble, Capoeira, and Mariachi Ensemble. Most concerts are performed in the Pitzer Center or the Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

Professional chamber ensembles perform frequently in the weekly series of free Thursday Noon Concerts, named after Joy S. Shinkoskey. Performance groups have collaborated with the Department of Theatre and Dance in productions of musical theater and opera. Study of instruments and voice with professional performers and teachers is required of all majors. Similar opportunities exist for qualified non-majors.

Note: A maximum of 19 units in performance courses (MUS 131 courses, MUS 140-MUS 157) apply toward the degree; see Unit Credit Guidelines, College of Letters & Science degree requirements section. Faculty of the College of Letters & Science bylaws makes it possible for students to take more than 19 units of performance classes without those additional units counting toward the 225-unit cap on units.

### Faculty & Facilities

The faculty is noted for its achievements in a variety of areas. The music scholars are active in research, writing, and performance; the music of the composers is performed and recorded nationally and internationally.

The regular faculty is joined throughout the year by visiting Artists-in-Residence, distinguished performers who give public concerts and lectures and who work with students informally.

The Empyrean Ensemble, a professional new music ensemble, is in residence at UC Davis, where it performs concerts of new music and annually premieres the work of student composers.

The department's facilities include a collection of Renaissance, Baroque, and modern instruments, along with non-western instruments including a Sundanese & Balinese gamelan, a Brazilian Capoeira & Samba bateria, and various other percussion instruments for our world music ensembles. The arts quadrangle houses the Sound lab, practice and rehearsal rooms, and a music library with a collection of music reference materials. Opened in 2016, the Ann E. Pitzer Center, next door to the Music Building, features a state-of-the-art 399-seat concert hall, six practice rooms, and five large teaching/rehearsal studios. Scores and music monographs are housed in the Peter J. Shields Library, adjacent to the Music Building. A partnership of campus libraries affords online access to more than 100,000 tracks of classical and world music by streaming audio.

### Honors

A student becomes eligible for graduation with honors by meeting the minimum GPA and course requirements established by the College of Letters & Science. To qualify for high or highest honors, students must also complete the Music Department honors program with a GPA of 3.500 or above and write a thesis or submit a portfolio that meets the criteria for high honors or highest honors. Students apply to participate in the department honors program during the latter part of their junior year. Admission to the program is based on GPA, a thesis proposal, examples of previous writing, and the recommendation of a faculty member who is willing to sponsor the student's project. Students who anticipate seeking admission to the honors program are urged to complete at least one offering of [MUS 121](https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/search/?P=MUS%20121 "MUS 121") or [MUS 122](https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/search/?P=MUS%20122 "MUS 122") before the end of their junior year. Interested students are urged to consult with faculty in their field early in their junior year.

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