Undergraduate

Do you need piano skills to be in the music program? If not, what options are there for you to learn how to play the piano?

You do not necessarily need prior piano experience, although having some will make the work a lot easier for you. There is a piano class, Music 45M, that gives music majors the opportunity to learn basic piano technique in a group lesson setting. This class is highly recommended for those with little or no piano experience.

Honors Program in Music

Qualifying for the Honors Program

Students with a 3.5 GPA in the major and 3.3 GPA overall may apply for admission to the Honors Program.

The award of departmental Honors is contingent upon submission of a thesis or project of high quality, based upon independent study with a member of the Music Department’s faculty and marked by satisfactory completion of Music H195. The faculty sponsor will evaluate whether the project is of Honors quality. Departmental Honors designations will be included in the student’s permanent UC Berkeley record. The Music Department maintains a file of...

Study Abroad

The Music Department strongly encourages students to study abroad for one or two semesters whether to pursue studies in music or to take classes outside the major.

The College of Letters and Science’s guidelines for studying abroad can be found at https://lsadvising.berkeley.edu/study-abroad.

In addition, the Music Department has the following guidelines:

Ideally, students should complete lower-division requirements (Music 70, 80, and 90) before studying abroad. Students planning on studying...

Admissions

Prospective students must apply for admission to the University of California Berkeley by November 30th for the following academic year. The website for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/ and has information on both freshman and transfer admissions.

Non-California residents may phone or FAX the Admissions Office:
(510) 642-3175 (U.S. citizens)
(510) 642-1225 (International students)
(510) 642-7333 FAX

Since applicants are admitted...

Minor Requirements

Note: the Music minor requirements have changed effective Fall 2022. For students who declared the minor prior to Fall 2022, please refer to the pre-Fall 2022 Music minor requirements

Students may choose to complete a minor in Music, which consists of a total of 7 courses (2 lower-division and 5 upper-division courses).

Lower Division Course Requirements

Select one course from:

Music 20 (Introduction to Musicianship) Music 25 (...

Advanced Harmony Placement Exam

The Advanced Harmony Placement Exam (AHPE) is optional, required only for students who plan to take harmony courses (Music 151A-B-C-D) and who have previously studied four-part chorale-style writing. In other words, if you have sufficient background that you think you may place ahead in the harmony sequence, rather than at the beginning of the harmony sequence, this test is for you.

The Advanced Harmony Placement Exam is offered at the start of each semester as a take-home exam. Email the instructor in charge, David Pereira, at dpereira at berkeley.edu with questions or to...

Information for Transfer Students

Potential Transfer Students

Lower-division requirements for the Music major (Music 70, 80, and 90) are not transferable from other colleges and universities and must be taken at UC Berkeley. However, to better prepare for music studies at UC Berkeley, we recommend that transfer students take post-secondary courses in:

Music Theory Musicology Ethnomusicology Performance Other areas based on individual interest and availability (e.g. composition, music technology and production, music education, etc.) Transfer Advising

All new transfer students are required to participate in the...