Kutztown University
| Kutztown University’s Department of Music offers outstanding education for aspiring musicians while serving as a primary cultural resource for the region. With an emphasis on active learning, the comprehensive music curriculum gives students extensive experience in their chosen field of study. Our outstanding music faculty mentors and fosters each individual student’s development and guides them to professional success. Kutztown University is an All Steinway School and host of the Center for Mallet Percussion Research. |
Degree
| Bachelor of Arts in Music: Commercial Music | A track in Commercial Music will prepare students who wish to pursue careers in recording studios, arts administration, performance of popular music, and other positions in the music industry. Many elect to pursue a minor or a dual major in programs such as audio engineering; jazz studies; business; cinema, television and media production; communication studies; entrepreneurship; public relations; professional writing or computer science to become more marketable. |
| Bachelor of Arts in Music: Performance | The KU Music Performance emphasis is designed for students with an interest in performing, conducting, writing or teaching music outside of the public schools. Some students elect to pursue a minor or a double major in programs such as audio engineering; jazz studies; music history; business; marketing; communication studies; cinema, media and television production; or professional writing to become more marketable.The Music major with an emphasis in Music Performance provides preparation for students aspiring to take their place on the stage, to teach in private or community music settings, or to work collaboratively in the vast field of the performing arts. Students have the opportunity to study with professional musicians who are making a living as performers, recording artists, and composers. Perform on-campus, regionally in a variety of venues, and take your talents to the top in places like the famed Carnegie Hall. |
| Bachelor of Science in Music Education | This National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) accredited program serves teacher candidates who wish to be certified in instrumental, choral, and general music in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in Pennsylvania. This certification is also accepted as initial certification in many other states. The Music Education major at Kutztown combines the studies of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the College of Education. |
| Bachelor of Arts in Music: Music Business | The BA in Music with a track in Music Business provides practical experiences and exploration of career opportunities in the music entertainment industry through classroom study that includes technical instruction and hands-on experience. Required courses help students systematically acquire fundamental musical skills by studying basic concepts of music, learning theory through playing and singing, and becoming confident as a singer or instrumentalist in a group. Coursework from the College of Business provides a foundation in a broad spectrum of business practices, and practical music business coursework provides students with a solid grounding to be successful in the music entertainment industry. This degree is designed to support music business workforce demands that do not require significant music-making abilities. |
| Dual Degree in Music Education and Performance | Music educator in kindergarten through 12th grade, choral conductor, band director, string education specialist, orchestral conductor, general music educator, early childhood music educator, studio teacher, and music supervisor are just a few possibilities. Graduates with a dual degree may pursue a wider variety of musical fields such as freelance or ensemble performer, accompanist, music producer, conductor, composer/arranger, and stage manager. |
| Minor in Audio Engineering | The Audio Engineering Minor serves the needs of musicians and non-musicians alike who wish to learn more about the vast area of the commercial music industry. The field of audio engineering has the unique capacity to engage students with a concrete knowledge base of technical proficiency for recording, editing and mastering musical performances while using critical assessment skills to evaluate usage decisions with current hardware and software. Students who successfully complete the minor will merge musical training with technology, new media and entrepreneurial skills. With the ever-changing technologies utilized in today’s music industry, it is vital for musicians to gain understanding of the tools and techniques involved in both audio recording and production. The audio engineering minor will give all students that opportunity by allowing them to leverage technology in the design and distribution of audio information to advance their chosen careers. |
| Minor in Jazz | The Jazz Minor allows students to develop an evolving skill set for the modern musical marketplace. The minor will focus on refining performance and improvisational skills on their principal instrument, creating contemporary arrangements and compositions for both classroom and personal use, developing techniques for rehearsing small and large jazz ensembles, understanding the contemporary music marketplace, and researching historical perspectives in order to recognize forms, genres, performers and composers in jazz histor |
| Minor in Music History | The Music History Minor allows students who may not have a music background to take a series of music literature and music history courses that will broaden their perspective of music in a variety of settings. Core courses provide a background in European classical music, music in non-Western cultures, and popular music styles in the United States. Elective courses provide opportunities to explore specific areas, such as jazz, film music, musical theater, women in music, and more. While no prior musical training is necessary, the minor can be valuable to music majors who will become performers, studio teachers, conductors, and provide those who wish to pursue a Master’s degree in Musicology or Ethnomusicology with a strong grounding in the field. |
| Minor in Music | Students majoring in most programs at Kutztown University may elect a minor in music. The program requires 18 semester hours that can be completed over their time at KU. A minor in music may be especially valuable to those who seek degrees in fields that are related to or make use of music. Some of these fields include business, communication studies, library science, psychology, anthropology, art, and languages. |
| Minor in Musical Theatre | Students majoring in most programs at Kutztown University may elect a minor in musical theatre, a program requiring 18 semester hours. The musical theatre minor is designed to provide students with practical and theoretical experiences in musical theatre, with specific study in acting, voice production and history. The musical theatre minor will help prepare students to pursue lifetime activities onstage. |
| Master of Education in Music Education | The program’s built-in flexibility accommodates working professionals’ busy life schedules. The degree can be completed entirely online or with blended online and on-campus options; begin in fall, spring, or summer; part-time or full-time. Your classmates will be dedicated musicians and teachers who have an unquenchable need to keep learning and growing. You’ll graduate with the solidly grounded understanding you need to harness music’s inspirational power in the classroom. |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certification in Music Education | The Post-Baccalaureate Certification in Music Education offers a pathway for individuals who hold an undergraduate degree in Music to apply for K-12 Music Education Teacher Certification through the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). |
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