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Music

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What is Music?

This major is meant for students who are interested in the broad historical, cultural, and theoretical aspects of music, rather than professional training. You can choose from four concentrations: Composition, Music Technology, Musicology, and Music+. Each concentration has a different focus. Composition focuses on the creation of pieces and techniques behind music. Music Technology looks into both the application and history of technology’s music-making ability. Musicology offers a cultural education that focuses on an end goal of research or teaching of music history. If you have interests beyond these fields, Music+ allows you create your own music curriculum. Some examples include Music+ Business, Music+ Media, Music+ Recording Arts, and Music+ Administrative Arts.

Career Options

  • Arranging
  • Composition
  • Ethnomusicology
  • Equipment technology
  • Music editing
  • Music engineering & mixing
  • Music history
  • Music performance
  • Music promotion
  • Music publishing
  • Music recording
  • Music reporting
  • Music therapy
  • Research

Post-Graduation Success1

87% employed or continuing education

28% employed after graduation

57% attending graduate school

2% volunteering

Insufficient survey data is available for average starting annual income.

Sample employer destinations: The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World, School of Rock, Guitar Center

Sample grad school destinations: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Texas at Austin, University of Washington-Seattle

Academic Profile Middle 50% 2

24 - 32 ACT Score

1190 - 1440 SAT Score

2.94 - 3.61 High School GPA

Annual Program Costs

Illinois Resident

  • Tuition: $13,640
  • Fees: $4,174
  • Expenses3: $15,180
  • Total: $32,994

Non-Resident

  • Tuition: $30,782
  • Fees: $4,174
  • Expenses3: $15,520
  • Total: $50,476

International

  • Tuition: $31,656
  • Fees: $4,174
  • Expenses3: $15,520
  • Total: $51,350

Additional Resources

College of Fine and Applied Arts Program Webpage Degree Requirements

Related Majors

1 Outcome data comes from several majors within a similar interest area, since insufficient survey results are available for this particular program. Post-graduate data was collected through the Illini Success initiative, which primarily relies on self-reported survey data sources. Statistics are aggregated from the past three academic years, including the 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017 graduating classes. Please note that total compensation may be greater than annual salary as other forms of compensation (e.g., signing bonus, commission, benefits) are not included. For more information on Illini Success data and methods, please visit the Illini Success website.

2 Data is from the middle 50% of students from the past two years, meaning that 25% of students were below this range and 25% were above.

3 Expenses are estimated and include books, supplies, housing, and other living expenses. The exact amount you’ll pay depends on where you decide to live, the meal plan you choose, and your overall lifestyle. Learn more about costs.

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