Music, B.A., B.M., B.M.E.
The Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance is a center for artistic excellence in performance, teaching, and scholarship.
This program requires a secondary admission process.Program Overview
- The Bachelor of Arts degree in music promotes the study of music within the context of a liberal education curriculum.
- The Bachelor of Music is designed for students who demonstrate exceptional preparation for college-level applied music and for whom graduate school is a realistic goal.
- The Bachelor of Music Education enables students to meet certification requirements for reaching music in Michigan PK-12 settings.
- A music minor is also available.
Prospective students must audition; information can be found at gvsu.edu/music to apply. Ensemble participation is open to all university students, though some ensembles require auditions.
Why Study Music at Grand Valley?
- Studying music at GVSU, within the context of a liberal education foundation, prepares students to answer the call of a rewarding career and life.
- As an undergraduate-only program, our students have greater opportunities to learn and perform.
- Small class sizes allow students to engage directly with faculty members who are committed to understanding and encouraging each student's unique talent and needs.
- Professors are performers, international competition winners, conductors, composers, theorists, scholars, and acclaimed teachers.
- Grand Valley is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
Career Insights
This tool shows an overview of potential career opportunities for this major. Actual salaries, employment opportunities, and job titles may change over time.
Location & Format
Undergraduate students in this major study at the Grand Valley Allendale Campus.
Format:- Face To Face
Combined Degree Programs
Many GVSU undergraduate programs can be combined with an existing master’s degree program to save on tuition and get you into the workforce sooner. On average, you can save $8,500 by pursuing a combined degree and take up to four fewer courses than if earning the degrees separately.
Talk with an advisor about how you can build your combined degree from existing programs to further personalize your education and create your own niche area of expertise.
Admission Requirements
In addition to formal admission to Grand Valley, each applicant wanting to major or minor in music is required to arrange for a personal audition with the music department. When considerable geographical distance or extreme hardship prevents a personal audition, the applicant may, with the permission of the department, submit an audio recording of an appropriate performance. Entering freshmen and transfer students will be required to take a theory placement exam on audition day. A student with two or more years of piano experience will also be required to take a keyboard musicianship placement exam*. Audition appointments should be made at least one month in advance. Recommended audition repertoire and an application can be found at www.gvsu.edu/music/.
*Students transferring from GRCC with a completed associate degree in music will not need to complete the placement testing in theory or keyboard musicianship.
Helpful Links
For More Information
Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance
gvsu.edu/mtd
1300 Thomas J. and
Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts
(616) 331-3484
“The music education program provides student-centered learning in a close-knit, warm, and supportive environment... Faculty genuinely cares for us as students and people. Even after graduating, I still feel incredibly supported by the music faculty.”
MUSIC EDUCATION ALUMNA
“I am so grateful to this program, and to the very caring and knowledgeable professors that deeply impacted me, whether on a personal or musical level.”
MUSIC PERFORMANCE ALUMNUS