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    Nov 21, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Commercial Music, BA


The BA-Commercial Music is a liberal arts degree in music with a focus on commercial music that provides a solid foundation in sound engineering, digital audio workstations, music business and entrepreneurship, and music industry workflows. The new BA-Commercial Music offers four tracks that include:

  1. General Track
  2. Commercial Music and Production Track
  3. Music for Media Track
  4. Business of Commercial Music Track

Applicants to the BA, Commercial Music must apply to UNT before applying to the College of Music. We ask that you provide us with documents and recordings that best showcase your musical talents and interest in pursuing this degree. The following supplemental materials are required and will be uploaded directly to the music application:

  • Applicant information
    • Standard personal and contact information
  • Personal Statement
    • A personal statement (300-500 words) describing your musical experience, career goals, interests, and reasons for interest in the Commercial Music BA.
  • Music Portfolio
    • Please include a document with 3 streaming links to video or audio recordings that demonstrate your musical experience, and a comment for each link that describes the nature of the project and/or context for which it was created or performed. Make sure the links are accessible to us. 
    • Your portfolio items can be live performances, home recordings, produced tracks or other media that best represents your musical talents. If you play an instrument and/or sing, consider having one of the items showcase that ability in unedited fashion. 
  • CV / Resume
    • This resume can be comprehensive; including any information you wish to share specific to your academic and personal/professional background, work experience, and/or achievements in addition to speaking to your musical expertise. If you wish to share any personal websites that you consider are relevant to this application, include them at the top of your resume.

A subset of applicants will be invited for a virtual or on-campus interview. Admissions decisions will be based on the applicant’s academic record, their application materials, and their interview. For complete information regarding applications to UNT and the College of Music, consult:

Hours required and general/college requirements


120 semester hours, 36 of which must be advanced, and fulfillment for the Bachelor of Arts Degree as specified in the University Core Curriculum. Some of the courses required for the degree (see below) may be used to satisfy the University Core Curriculum requirements.

Music Theory, 6 hours


Music Performance, 3 hours


Three hours of MUAC, MUAS, MUEN, MULB, or any combination thereof.

Tracks, 18 total music courses


Other course requirements


PHYS 1270 - Science and Technology of Musical Sound  may be used to satisfy a portion of the Life and Physical Sciences requirement of the University Core Curriculum.

Non-music electives, 36 hours


Students complete 36 hours of non-music electives, including enough advanced electives to complete the advanced hour requirement (36) for the degree.

Four-year degree plan (example)


The following four-year plan is one example of a variety of ways in which you can complete your chosen degree in four years, and will serve as a guide for you to design your pathway to degree completion. Variations will depend on whether you need to take prerequisites or have college credit from exams or dual enrollment.

Year 1

Semester 1 Semester 2
ENGL 1310 - First-Year Writing I   3 hours   ENGL 1320 - First-Year Writing II   3 hours  
MATH 1580 - Survey of Mathematics with Applications   3 hours    MUCO 1200 - Analysis and Critical Listening in Commercial Music and Music Production   3 hours  
MUAE 3100 - Fundamentals of Digital Audio Workstations   3 hours   MUTH 1350  or MUTH 1500  and MUTH 1510   3 hours 
MUCO 1000 - Creative Practice in the Music Industry   3 hours   PHYS 1270 - Science and Technology of Musical Sound   3 hours  
MUTH 1300  or MUTH 1400  and MUTH 1410       3 hours PSCI 2305 - US Political Behavior and Policy   3 hours  
Total  15 hours Total  15 hours

 

Year 2

Semester 1 Semester 2
MUAE 2100 - Sound Engineering   3 hours   Life and Physical Sciences core   3 hours
MUMH 1610 - Music as Communication   3 hours   Social and Behavioral Sciences core   3 hours 
PSCI 2306 - US and Texas Constitutions and Institutions   3 hours   Music Performance elective 1 hour
Music Performance elective 1 hour Elective - advanced 3 hours
Elective - advanced 3 hours Elective 3 hours
Elective 3 hours Elective 3 hours
Total 16 hours Total 16 hours

 

Year 3

Semester 1 Semester 2
HIST 2610 - United States History to 1865   3 hours   MUCE 4000 - Music Business and Entrepreneurship   3 hours  
Music Literature course 3 hours MUET 3030 - Music Cultures of the World   3 hours  
Music Performance elective 1 hour Track specific course 3 hours
Track specific course 3 hours Elective - advanced 3 hours
Elective - advanced 3 hours  Elective 3 hours 
Elective 3 hours    
Total 16 hours Total 15 hours

 

Year 4

Semester 1 Semester 2
MUAE 4500 - Commercial Music Capstone   3 hours   HIST 2620 - United States History Since 1865   3 hours  
Track specific course 3 hours  Track specific course - advanced 3 hours 
Track specific course - advanced 3 hours Track specific course - advanced 3 hours 
Elective - advanced 3 hours Elective - advanced 3 hours 
    Elective - advanced 3 hours 
Total 12 hours  Total 15 hours