Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Music, Bachelor of Arts

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Fine Arts: Music (Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway))
Brightpoint Community College
Program description

The Bachelor of Arts in Music is designed for students who want a degree that combines a breadth of general studies with a major in music. Included are courses in basic theory, aural skills, applied performance, music history, and foreign language, as well as music and open electives. This degree is designed for students who want to build a strong foundation of musical knowledge and skill while also having the flexibility to create their own unique curricular path. This program is ideal for students who want to major in music, but are also interested in minoring or double majoring in other programs.

Career opportunities

The Bachelor of Arts in Music prepares students for a wide variety of professional and entrepreneurial careers in music or interdisciplinary fields as well as post-graduate study in an area of chosen specialization. VCU Music graduates utilize their skills and musical knowledge in various fields including music publishing, music criticism, arts administration, performance, teaching, songwriting, film scoring, arranging, conducting, music therapy, concert management and promotion, audio consulting, and media production.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Community Music Director
  • Market Research Analyst in Music Industry
  • Music Editor
  • Music Journalist
  • Music Producer
  • Music Program Coordinator
  • Musician
  • Private Lessons Instructor
  • Recording Artist
  • Showroom Coordinator
  • Venue Event Coordinator
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Composer
  • Conductor/Music Director
  • Music Teacher
  • Music Therapist
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Successful outcome on audition with VCU music faculty

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Highest level of math required
  • Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Music, Bachelor of Arts

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Fine Arts: Music)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Attend Tyler Orientation.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV course.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Apply to the John Tyler Pathways Program.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Browse careers related to Music through the career coach.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Review career services at John Tyler.
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Use the career coach to take a career assessment.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways at VCU.
Experience Year 2
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Attend Tyler Orientation.
  • Log into Navigate and view its features to help you on your pathway.
  • Register for SDV course.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Visit the Academic Resource Center on either campus.
  • Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor each semester and cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Apply to the John Tyler Pathways Program.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus or in your community.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Browse careers related to Music through the career coach.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Review career services at John Tyler.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Understand how you will fund your education. Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Use the career coach to take a career assessment.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways at VCU.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Music, Bachelor of Arts

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) (Associate of Fine Arts: Music)

Brightpoint Community College (program-specific pathway) courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning (or MTH 161 or MTH 263) MATH 131 3 General education
MUS 111 Music Theory I MHIS 1XX 4 Elective
MUS 141 Class Piano I APPM 173 2 Major
MUS 136 Applied Music-Voice APPL 3XX 2 Major
Ensemble Select 1: MUS 129, 137, 143, 144, 148 APPM 3XX 2 Major
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MUS 112 Music Theory II MHIS 1XX 4 Elective
MUS 142 Class Piano II APPM 174 2 Major
Applied Music Select 1: MUS 136, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185 APPL/APPM 2 Major
Ensemble Select 1: MUS 137,143, 144, 148 APPM 3XX 1 Major
MUS 131 Class Voice I APPM 1XX 2 Elective
History Select 1: HIS 111, 112 HIST 3 General education
MUS 221 History of Music I MHIS 321 3 Major
MUS 211 Advanced Music Theory MHIS 2XX 4 Elective
Applied Music Select 1: MUS 136, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185 APPM 2 Major
Ensemble Select 1: MUS 137, 143, 144, 148 APPM 3XX 1 Major
Laboratory Science Laboratory Science (select 1): BIO 101,CHM 101, PHY 101 VCU equivalent 4 General education
MUS 222 History of Music II MHIS 322 3 Major
MUS 212 Advanced Music Theory II MHIS 2XX 4 Elective
Applied Music Select 1: MUS 136, 145, 155, 165 175, 185 APPL/APPM 2 Major
Ensemble MUS 137, 143,144, or 148 APPM 3XX 1 Major
ENG Any 200-level ENG literature course (select 1) ENGL 3 General education
Ensemble Select 1: MUS 143, 144, 148, 149 APPM 3XX 1 Major
John Tyler credits transferred to VCU 63
Depending on the audition results and discretion of the VCU music department faculty, JTCC transfer courses in ensembles and private applied study that articulate as APPM/APPL music electives may be articulated as equivalent to required music courses. Students with transfer credit in MUS 111 and MUS 112 may choose to apply these courses towards required music theory courses or as electives, depending upon their academic needs. Students will consult with their academic advisor after acceptance into the department to determine which equivalencies, if any, will take place.
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Foreign language through the 102 level. (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) 0 to 8 General education
APPL 311 Applied Lessons 2 Major
APPL 312 Applied Lessons 2 Major
APPL 313 Applied Lessons 2 Major
APPL 314 Applied Lessons 2 Major
APPM 199 Recital/Convocation Attendance (four semesters) 0 Major
APPM 299 Master Class (four semesters) 0 Major
APPM 492 Senior Project: Portfolio Review (capstone) 1 Major
MHIS 120 Introduction to World Musical Styles 2 Major
MHIS 145 Theory and Aural Skills I 4 Major
MHIS 146 Theory and Aural Skills II 4 Major
MHIS 245 Theory and Aural Skills III 4 Major
MHIS 256 Musicianship Practicum 2 Major
APPM Ensemble requirement 6 Major
Music electives 9 Major
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 17 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 57
Bachelor's degree total 120