Apr 03, 2025  
Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Music Theory


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Department of Music, College of Arts and Sciences
 
Chair: Christina Dahl
 
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Deborah Heckert
Undergraduate Secretary: Germaine Berry
 
Office: 3304 Staller Center for the Arts
Phone: (631) 632-7330

The minor in Music Theory is designed to provide undergraduate students with a specialized knowledge in musicianship and the theory of music in addition to its history. It is particularly well-suited to students interested in honing their skills as musicians and offers more rigorous training in music analysis than the general track. Coursework includes an introduction to the study of music, courses in musicianship, music theory, only two semesters in a performance ensemble, and a choice of courses on specialized topics, including the study of popular musics, non-western musical traditions, music and gender, music technology, and the works of individual composers.

The general Music minor (MUS) is designed for students who are interested in music but who do not seek training in more sophisticated aspects of music theory and musicianship. The Music Theory minor (MTY), for which students take Music major courses in theory and musicianship, is for students who want to acquire more specialized knowledge and skills in the areas of music theory and musicianship.

Minor Requirements


All courses offered for the minor must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. The minor requires a minimum of 20 credits.

A Note on the Performance Requirement: With the permission of the director of undergraduate studies, students who do not pass the audition for one of the ensembles may fulfill the performance requirement through private lessons (MUS 161 -MUS 187 ). For students in the minor who fulfill the performance requirement through lessons, the ensemble corequisite for private lessons (MUS 161 -MUS 187 ) will be waived.

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