Bachelor of Music: Concentration in Instrumental Performance
The Bachelor of Music is an intensive curriculum for students wishing to study music for specific professional purposes or seeking professional levels of attainment in music. The instrumental specializations prepare students for graduate study or various professional opportunities. In addition to possessing musical ability and motivation, every candidate for the professional degree program must demonstrate, in an audition before a faculty panel, a significant technical and artistic level of accomplishment in at least one area of performance before being admitted to this major. Candidates for the Bachelor of Music major may apply either before or after enrolling at San Francisco State University.
Program Learning Outcomes:
- Musical Literacy. Students will demonstrate proficiency in reading, notating, and transcribing music by ear. Students will demonstrate critical listening abilities through describing, analyzing, and articulating artistic and perceptual aspects of music.
- Performance. Students will demonstrate applied performance skills through accurate, and expressive instrumental or vocal performances.
- Creation. Students will be able to express compelling and original musical thought through arranging, composing, and improvising in a variety of styles and for a variety of purposes.
- Critical Understanding of Historical, Cultural, and Aesthetic Contexts. Students will be able to apply historical and cultural knowledge and aesthetic judgement in order to articulate significance and meaning in music within diverse contexts.
Bachelor of Music: Concentration in Instrumental Performance - 65 units
Lower Division Core (20 units)
Foundational (3 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 130/TH A 131 | The Foundations of Music Theory | 3 |
Theory/Musicianship (10 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 200/TH A 234 | Fundamentals of Modern Musicianship | 3 |
| MUS/TH A 221 | Ear Training I | 2 |
| MUS 222 | Ear Training II | 2 |
| MUS 232 | Diatonic Harmony | 3 |
Piano (2 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 201 | Class Piano I | 1 |
| Select One: | 1 | |
| Class Piano II | ||
| Beginning Jazz/Pop Piano | ||
Technology (2 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 237 | Introduction to Music Technology | 2 |
History (3 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 281 | The American Musical Experience | 3 |
Upper-Division Core (13 Units)
Core (4 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 542GW | Music in Culture and Context - GWAR | 3 |
| Select One: | 1 | |
| Capstone Composition or Performance Project | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
Theory (3 units)
Select One:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 403 | Chromatic Harmony | 3 |
| MUS 440 | Jazz Harmony | 3 |
Music History (6 units)
Select Two:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AFRS 514 | African Musical Diaspora | 3 |
| AIS 320 | American Indian Music | 3 |
| MUS 505 | Music of the World's Peoples | 3 |
| MUS 506 | Survey of Jazz | 3 |
| MUS 513 | Asian Musical Diaspora | 3 |
| MUS 515 | Latin American Musical Diaspora | 3 |
| MUS 550 | Western European Music History from the Middle Ages to 1750 | 3 |
| MUS 551 | European and American Classical Music History of the 18th and 19th Century | 3 |
| MUS 552 | Classical Music History of Europe and the Americas in the 20th Century | 3 |
| MUS 558 | Music of John Coltrane | 3 |
| MUS 559 | Women in Jazz | 3 |
Concentration Requirements (32 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 260 | Applied Music Lessons (Take 2 units per semester for 3 semesters) | 6 |
| MUS 360 | Advanced Applied Music Lessons (Take 2 units per semester for 3 semesters) | 6 |
| MUS 365 | Instrumental Performance and Research Seminar (2 unit course taken 4 times) | 8 |
| 10 units chosen from MUS 370 - MUS 380; MUS 386 - MUS 390 | 10 | |
| MUS 640 | Ensemble Conducting | 2 |
First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
- a course in U.S. History
- a course in U.S. & California Government
For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes, options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.
Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.
Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).
Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.
Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.
Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.
Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs
Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet GE Areas 1A/A2, 1B/A3, 1C/A1, and 2/B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (1B/A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the 1B/A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.
Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.