Music, B.F.A.
Undergraduate Degree
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Program Overview

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Music degree program at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia is a fully accredited, four-year, intensive program for students who want to study music at a professional level with the flexibility to personalize studies through different areas of emphasis.

Available areas of emphasis for the Music degree program include:

  • Jazz Studies – The Jazz Studies emphasis provides the theoretical background and performance experiences necessary for graduates to succeed as a jazz musician in the rigors of today’s music profession.
  • Multidisciplinary Studies – The Multidisciplinary Studies emphasis affords students the opportunity to major in Music and a secondary area as a “double major.” Students take a core of music classes, general education classes and electives that can be used as a second major. This degree equips student to pursue a career in music or a secondary area.
  • Performance – The Performance emphasis offers majors on orchestral instruments, voice, piano and guitar. This program is designed to prepare students for entry into professional musical careers or graduate school.
  • Theory and Composition – The Theory and Composition emphasis develops artistic talents, awareness of the business side of contemporary music making and the unique compositional voice of each student. This degree provides students with a well-balanced education in historical forms and contemporary trends in preparation for entry into the fields of music production, arranging and music technology.
Photo of Bailey Whanger
I love how close the music department is and that I know all of the people and professors in the department. I love my major because it is unique and because it has given me a way to express myself and experience new things. I love how my applied professors truly care about me and want to see me be successful.
Bailey Whanger
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Featured Courses
MUS 100 - Applied Music Laboratory
A forum devoted to the development of applied music skills, supplying the opportunity for music majors both to demonstrate performance skills and to observe the skills of colleagues.
MUS 110 - The Professional Musician
Investigation of traditional and non-traditional music career options and the role of the musician in arts advocacy, community engagement, and arts education.
MUS 497 - Capstone Project in Music
A discipline-based experience designed to combine classroom and studio education in a summarizing project.
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Program Highlights
Music Facilities

Our accredited Music program is located on our main campus in Huntington, West Virginia. In addition to our rehearsal, performance and practice facilities in Smith Music Hall, our music facilities also include the only university jazz facility in the country, our Jomie Jazz Center, which contains additional performance and practice accommodations as well as a recording studio and music lab.

Hands-on Opportunities

Marshall offers three concert bands, four choirs, a full orchestra, jazz bands, marching band, pep band, and many small ensembles. No matter your talent level, there is a performance opportunity for you. Many of our bands and ensembles perform at local events and venues throughout the Tri-state area of West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.

Take a look at our calendar of events and make plans to attend an upcoming performance so you can see our students and faculty in action.

Center for Wellness in the Arts

Marshall’s Center for Wellness in the Arts is one of the few programs of its kind in the country. CWA provides educational, preventative and therapeutic services relating to wellness and injury prevention for performing artists studying at Marshall. CWA includes licensed athletic trainers, skilled vocal and hearing clinicians, dietitians, exercise physiologists and performance anxiety specialists who have the proper knowledge and equipment to assess various conditions.

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Career Opportunities
Our Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Music is designed to give you a background to succeed in many areas of music, as well as to enter graduate studies. The flexibility of Marshall’s B.F.A. degree allows our graduates to find opportunities in a myriad of music career areas. Students in our accredited bachelor’s degree programs complete music career development courses in which they consider a broad range of career options and develop skills that give them an advantage in building their music careers after graduation.
  • Music educators
  • Musicians
  • Music therapists
  • Music directors
  • Arrangers
  • Composers