B.A. in Music, Composition and Production Electives, 2-Year Transfer
notes for transfer students
This plan covers the upper-division B.A. in Music completed in residence at CSU East Bay. Students arrive at junior standing with the lower-division and general-education work behind them. For how completed coursework transfers to CSUEB, see transfer admission information.
Class piano. You need 3 semesters of keyboard musicianship to graduate. Transfer students sometimes arrive without it. We strongly encourage completing the sequence with us: MUS 118, MUS 119, and MUS 218. A credit-by-exam option is available for students who already have the proficiency.
MUS 202 Writing About Music. This required course also satisfies the GE Second Composition requirement, and it does not appear on the plan below. If you completed Second Composition before transferring, as most Associate Degree for Transfer students have, you are not required to take MUS 202. If you did not, you complete it here, drawing on the free elective units in the plan below.
MUS 381 Essentials of Music Technology. This plan places MUS 381 in the first semester, drawing on free elective units, since the sound design electives build on it. If you transfer in an equivalent course, those 3 units return to free electives.
unit summary
| requirement | units |
|---|---|
| upper division required* | 18 |
| applied & ensembles required | 9 |
| music electives | 12 |
| in residence at csueb | 60 |
*Includes 3 units of MUS 351 Major Performing Ensemble. Whether these transfer depends on your previous institution.
With the transferred lower-division and general-education units, the degree totals 120 units.
General education paths differ from student to student. The GE courses shown are a typical selection for music majors, not a fixed sequence. Build your own GE plan with your advisor.
upper division
fifth semester (fall a)
| requirement | course | title | units |
|---|---|---|---|
| UD Area 4 / SJ | UD Social and Behavioral Sciences (completion of Areas 1 & 2) | 3 | |
| UD music major | MUS 323 | Topics in Western Music History | 3 |
| UD music major | MUS 312 | Form and Analysis | 3 |
| applied studies | MUS 461–469 | Applied Composition or Music Production (placement) | 1 |
| large ensemble | MUS 351–359 | Major Performing Ensemble | 1 |
| music elective | MUS 303 | Entrepreneurship in the Arts | 3 |
| UD music major | MUS 381 | Essentials of Music Technology | 3 |
| semester total | 17 |
sixth semester (spring a)
| requirement | course | title | units |
|---|---|---|---|
| UD Area 5 / SUS | UD Science/Quantitative Reasoning (completion of Areas 1 & 2) | 3 | |
| UWR | University Writing Requirement | 3 | |
| UD music major / DIV | MUS 324 | History of American Music | 3 |
| UD music major | MUS 410 | 20th and 21st C Styles and Techniques | 3 |
| applied studies | MUS 461–469 | Applied Composition or Music Production (portfolio review) | 1 |
| large ensemble | MUS 351–359 | Major Performing Ensemble | 1 |
| music elective | MUS 485 | Advanced Sound Design I: Sampling, Editing, and Mixing | 3 |
| semester total | 17 |
seventh semester (fall b)
| requirement | course | title | units |
|---|---|---|---|
| UD music major / UD Area 3 | MUS 304 | World Music & Culture (completion of Areas 1 & 2) | 3 |
| applied studies | MUS 461–469 | Applied Composition or Music Production (portfolio review) | 1 |
| large ensemble | MUS 351–359 | Major Performing Ensemble | 1 |
| chamber ensemble | MUS 360–369 | Chamber Ensemble | 1 |
| music elective | MUS 486 | Advanced Sound Design II: Synthesis, Modulation & Creative Digital Signal Processing | 3 |
| music elective | MUS 414 | Contemporary Orchestration and Arranging (fills free elective units) | 3 |
| free elective | Free Elective Units / Other | 3 | |
| semester total | 15 |
eighth semester (spring b)
| requirement | course | title | units |
|---|---|---|---|
| applied studies | MUS 461–469 | Applied Composition or Music Production (portfolio review) | 1 |
| large ensemble | MUS 351–359 | Major Performing Ensemble | 1 |
| music elective | MUS 415 | MIDI Orchestration | 3 |
| free elective | Free Elective Units / Other | 6 | |
| semester total | 11 |
music education certificate (add-on)
The Music Education Certificate adds 31 units to the B.A. Its courses, semester placement, and unit totals are in the music education certificate roadmap.
music electives
Complete 12 units from the courses and ensembles below. Units follow the University Catalog.
| course | title | units |
|---|---|---|
| MUS 280 | Composers Workshop | 1 |
| MUS 303 | Entrepreneurship in the Arts (GE-UD-3) | 3 |
| MUS 305 | Global Hip-Hop (GE-UD-3) | 3 |
| MUS 317 | Improvisation Techniques | 1 |
| MUS 326 | Topics in Global Music | 3 |
| MUS 331 | Foundations of Music Education | 3 |
| MUS 341 | Basic Conducting | 3 |
| MUS 412 | Contrapuntal Techniques | 3 |
| MUS 414 | Contemporary Orchestration and Arranging | 3 |
| MUS 415 | MIDI Orchestration | 3 |
| MUS 431 | Elementary Music Teaching Methods | 3 |
| MUS 432 | Instrumental Music Teaching Methods | 3 |
| MUS 433 | Choral Music Teaching Methods | 3 |
| MUS 335 | Technology for Music Educators | 3 |
| MUS 441 | Intermediate Conducting | 3 |
| MUS 445 | Piano Pedagogy | 2 |
| MUS 446 | Vocal Pedagogy | 2 |
| MUS 485 | Advanced Sound Design I: Sampling, Editing, and Mixing | 3 |
| MUS 486 | Advanced Sound Design II: Synthesis, Modulation & Creative Digital Signal Processing | 3 |
| MUS 490 | Independent Study | 1–3 |
| MUS 495 | Music Education Practicum | 1 |
| MUS 497 | Contemporary Issues in Music Education | 3 |
| MUS 498 | Internship | 1–3 |
Up to 4 additional units of Applied Music Study (MUS 261–269, MUS 461–469) beyond the 4 required may count as electives. Up to 4 additional units of Major Performing Ensembles (MUS 351–359) beyond the 4 required may count toward electives:
- East Bay Singers (MUS 351B)
- East Bay Jazz Orchestra (MUS 355)
- East Bay Wind Symphony (MUS 353)
- Chamber Orchestra (MUS 365), for string players
Up to 7 additional units of Chamber Ensembles (MUS 360–369) beyond the 1 required may count toward electives:
- Rock Band (MUS 360)
- Chamber Ensemble (MUS 361)
- Percussion Ensemble (MUS 363)
- Chamber Orchestra (MUS 365)
- Electronic Music Ensemble (MUS 366)
- Piano Ensemble (MUS 367)
- Jazz Combo (MUS 368)
- Vocal Repertory Ensemble (MUS 369A)
- Chamber Singers (MUS 369B)
- The East Bay Jazz Singers (MUS 369C)
- A Cappella Ensemble (MUS 369D)
unit count
Counted from the semesters above. These are the units taken in residence at CSUEB, after the Associate Degree for Transfer.
| category | units |
|---|---|
| music, major requirements and electives | 42 |
| general education | 9 |
| free elective / other | 9 |
| total in residence | 60 |