Music Major: What It Includes, Classes and Careers

A Music major studies music performance, theory, history, composition and production. Music majors take lessons and ensembles along with music theory, history and technology.

A Music major includes coursework in music theory, music history, private lessons, ensembles, and music technology and more. You build skills such as performance, music theory, collaboration, and discipline. Typical degrees: associate, bachelor's and master's degrees.

Typical courses include music theory, music history, private lessons, ensembles, music technology, and composition. Exact course names and requirements vary by college, and most degrees also include general education courses.

It depends on the level. Music is offered as certificate, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards at U.S. colleges; certificates take from a few months to about two years, an associate degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, a bachelor’s degree usually takes about four years of full-time study, a master’s degree usually takes one to two years after a bachelor’s, and a doctoral or professional degree takes several more years beyond that. Part-time study takes longer.

Associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. In the latest federal data, 165 colleges reported certificate awards, 245 colleges reported associate awards, 942 colleges reported bachelor’s awards, 293 colleges reported master’s awards, and 100 colleges reported doctoral awards.

Career paths connected to music include music director, sound engineer, self-enrichment teacher, producer and director, audio and video technician, and musical instrument repairer. Some roles need additional training, experience, certification or a license.

Examples include music director (typical training: Years of music training), sound engineer (typical training: 6 months–2 years), self-enrichment teacher (typical training: Years building skill in your subject), producer and director (typical training: Years of production experience), audio and video technician (typical training: 3–12 months), and musical instrument repairer (typical training: 1–3 years of training).

Music majors build skills such as performance, music theory, collaboration, discipline, and audio technology.

Good pairings include Business (fits music business and self-employment), Digital Media (adds audio and video production), and Education (prepares you to teach music).

It can be a good fit if you are interested in the work it leads to, such as music director, sound engineer, and self-enrichment teacher, and enjoy subjects like music theory and music history. No major guarantees a job, so compare the coursework, the careers and the education each career requires before deciding.

How hard it feels depends on your strengths. Core coursework includes music theory, music history, and private lessons; if those subjects interest you, the major is likely to feel more manageable. Reviewing a college’s course list and talking to current students helps you judge.

1,198 U.S. colleges reported awarding degrees or certificates in this field in the latest federal (IPEDS) data. Programs can have different names at different schools.

California (150), Texas (85), New York (71), Illinois (51), and Pennsylvania (46), based on the colleges that reported awards in this field.

994 of the colleges that offer music also report offering at least one program entirely online, though not necessarily this one. Use the college search with this major and “Offers fully online programs”, then confirm with the school.

Music studies music performance, theory, history, composition and production. Graphic Design teaches you to communicate visually through layout, typography, images and digital media. Music leads to careers such as music director and sound engineer, while Graphic Design leads to careers such as graphic designer and art director.

Music studies music performance, theory, history, composition and production. Interior Design designs functional, safe and attractive interior spaces. Music leads to careers such as music director and sound engineer, while Interior Design leads to careers such as interior designer and set designer.

Yes. Short online career training can help you understand a specific job and build practical knowledge alongside your classes. It does not replace your degree or any required license.

No. Career Education Institute is not a college and does not award degrees. It offers short, non-credit online trainings about jobs connected to music, such as Music Director Training.