Carnegie Mellon University
| Carnegie Mellon University challenges the curious and passionate to imagine and deliver work that matters. A private, global research university, Carnegie Mellon stands among the world’s most renowned educational institutions, and sets its own course. Start the journey here. With cutting-edge brain science, path-breaking performances, innovative start-ups, driverless cars, big data, big ambitions, Nobel and Turing prizes, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we create it. |
Degree
| Undergraduate Programs | |
| Instrumental Performance | Undergraduate instrumentalists at Carnegie Mellon can earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in every orchestral instrument, as well as bagpipes, euphonium, guitar, and saxophone. |
| Piano Performance | The heart of the Piano Performance major is the private studio instruction by Carnegie Mellon’s world-class faculty. Master classes by renowned visiting artists augment those of the resident faculty. |
| Vocal Performance | The vocal performance program at Carnegie Mellon prepares singers for professional careers in opera and the concert stage. Alumni of the School of Music are currently performing with orchestras and opera companies around the world, as well as performing on Broadway. |
| Composition | With an intense program in composition and a university environment enriched by computer technology, the School of Music places a strong emphasis on contemporary music. All members of the composition faculty are professional composers, who share the creative evolution of their own works with their students in a master/apprentice relationship. Students compose works for all types of instrumental and vocal groupings. |
| Music & Technology | Carnegie Mellon University’s Music and Technology program was established in 2009 as a joint project between three of the schools: The School of Music, School of Computer Science, and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Building on this interdisciplinary approach, Carnegie Mellon University’s Music and Technology program gives students everything they need to become the future of the music industry. |
| Interdisciplinary Degrees | |
| Integrative Design, Arts and Technology Network (IDeATe) | IDeATe, the Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology network at Carnegie Mellon, offers undergraduate minors and courses in Game Design, Animation & Special Effects, Media Design, Sonic Arts, Design for Learning, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Intelligent Environments, and Physical Computing. These areas merge technology and creativity and provide learning opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. |
| Music & Technology | Carnegie Mellon University’s Music and Technology program was established in 2009 as a joint project between three of the schools: The School of Music, School of Computer Science, and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Building on this interdisciplinary approach, Carnegie Mellon University’s Music and Technology program gives students everything they need to become the future of the music industry. |
| BXA Intercollege Degree Program. | The X in BXA is the intersection of disciplines, innovation and curiosity. The X is the variable that changes depending on the academic unit a student integrates with their College of Fine Arts concentration. This intersection is the site of new forms of knowledge created by fusing multiple fields of inquiry. Carnegie Mellon University’s BXA Intercollege Degree Programs was developed to assist students in pursuing these new discoveries and fields that bring together academic rigor and creative training. BXA is the umbrella term for the abbreviations that identify our programs—BCSA, BHA, BSA and EA. |
| Double Major Information | Undergraduates can apply to up to two colleges or schools of study within the university on their Common Application. However, admitted students will need to choose a home college or school when they enroll. |
| Graduate Programs | |
| Master of Music | Becoming a professional musician requires talent and commitment. But it also takes the right educational environment with one-on-one training with master teachers, strong ensemble and chamber music experiences, and diverse opportunities to develop performance skills in public. Not only will students experience a university setting where they can flourish academically as well as musically, but also the city of Pittsburgh which boasts a thriving cultural community, offering another dimension to their growth. |
| Music Education | The Master of Music degree in Music Education is a personalized course of study based on academic background, musicianship, and visionary research interests. In the Master of Music degree in Music Education we prioritize scholarship and research that will contribute to the field of music education in inclusive and transformative praxis. Music educator scholars must be competent subject matter specialists and competent specialists in education for the purpose of transformation in divergent music education contexts. |
| Music & Technology | The Master of Science in Music and Technology gives students the freedom to push the boundaries of their expertise. Students accepted into this program have presented substantial work outside the typical four-year-degree, and excel in music or some aspect of technology, demonstrating a aptitude and desire to explore a specialized area with significant depth. |
| Certificate Programs | The Carnegie Mellon School of Music recognizes the importance of meeting each student’s individual career needs. While intense training in a specific studio area is the heart of every musician’s education, broadening the range of musical skills can often make a difference in developing a successful career in the profession. |
| Advanced Music Studies | The faculty of the School of Music believes that strong teachers are first of all strong performers or strong composers. We view music educators as those who must be competent subject matter specialists and competent specialists in educational practice. This philosophy was superbly articulated by Leonard Bernstein: “To be the best teachers possible, we need to be the best musicians we can be, not teachers who happen to be teaching music, but musicians who specialize in the art of teaching.” Thus, all undergraduate students seeking certification in music education must also be a major in either the Performance or Composition option. This means that music education is a viable career option for all music majors |
| Music Education Certification | This program offers the opportunity for a one-academic-year (two intensive full-time semesters of study, fall to spring) with the outstanding faculty of the Carnegie Mellon School of Music. A bachelor’s degree is a required pre-requisite. Enrollment as a part-time student is not an option. |
| Artist Diploma | A full-tuition-scholarship advanced study program for highly gifted young professionals preparing for exceptional careers.The most advanced program in the School of Music is the Artist Diploma, designed to meet the needs of the more mature musician who has already completed the equivalent of the master’s degree in music performance or composition. |
| Advanced Music Studies | |
| in Music Entrepreneurship | We believe that the current times offer unprecedented potential for musicians to thrive as entrepreneurs. The Music Entrepreneurship program trains you to identify new performance and business opportunities—and take action. Anyone with a passion for creating something new, making an impact on society, or solving problems will benefit from the content and professional connections offered by the Music Entrepreneurship faculty. Students pursuing a more traditional career path benefit from classes in mental training, professionalism, and audience engagement. This is an experience-based program, tailored to help you create your unique path in music and connect with others who will support you. |
| Music and Technology | Carnegie Mellon University’s Music and Technology program was established in 2009 as a joint project between three of the schools: The School of Music, School of Computer Science, and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Building on this interdisciplinary approach, Carnegie Mellon University’s Music and Technology program gives students everything they need to become the future of the music industry. |