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Music

Florida Southern's NASM-accredited Bachelor of Arts in Music gives you the performance training, private lessons, and ensemble experience of a conservatory-style program, with the flexibility to add a second major, multiple minors, or pre-professional coursework in fields like medicine or law.

Music

Quick Facts

Degree Options

  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Minor

Program Format

  • In-person

Time to Complete

  • 4-Years

Admission

  • Audition Required

About the Bachelor of Arts in Music

Do you want to study two instruments? Do you have passions outside music that you wish to pursue? FSC's Bachelor of Arts in Music is built for you.

Like your performance-focused counterparts, your BA in Music will be comprehensive and performance-based. You will take a core set of music theory and history courses, private instrumental or voice lessons, and perform with our ensembles. Adhering to the liberal arts model, you will gain proficiency in a foreign language while exploring other humanities like art and philosophy. Beyond that, you are free to explore courses in any area you choose, complete multiple minors, or even pursue a second major — indulging extensively in the study and performance of music while devoting meaningful time to other areas of interest.

Program Details

FSC's BA in Music provides a liberal arts education with an emphasis in applied music, enabling graduates to teach applied music privately, pursue graduate school in music or a related field, or enter pre-professional programs in medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, and law. You will benefit from the same faculty mentorship and artist-level teaching as students in professional music degrees, with the added flexibility to shape your degree around your unique goals.

First-Year Applicants

All freshman applicants to Florida Southern Colleges full-time degree programs must submit the following information:

Transfer Applicants

Applying to Florida Southern as a transfer student is easy. Submit:

If transferring fewer than 24 credits, also include your official high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores.

Learn More about transfer admissions

International Applicants

Review all international admission requirements

The BA in Music provides a comprehensive, performance-based education grounded in the liberal arts. Core coursework includes music theory, music history, private instrumental or voice lessons, and ensemble participation. Students must also satisfy the BA requirements of the General Education curriculum, including proficiency in a foreign language.

The flexibility of this degree allows students to pursue multiple minors, a second major, or coursework in music education and music management alongside their core music studies. For students with an eye on graduate school, the BA's open elective structure also accommodates pre-professional coursework in fields like medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, and law.

Progress Requirements

  • All music majors must earn a grade of C or better in all required MUS courses.
  • All music majors with scholarships must be enrolled in a major ensemble in their applied area throughout their program of study.
  • Four semesters before a student's scheduled graduation, the department requires a control examination, jury, or other procedure to determine the advisability of continuing in the major. This examination typically occurs near the end of the freshman or sophomore year.
  • All non-piano majors, including transfers, must complete a piano proficiency exam before their internship semester or graduation. Students who do not fulfill this requirement will delay their internship or graduation.

Music majors are subject to supplementary departmental policies outlined in the Department of Music Student Policies Guide, available on the FSC website and from the department office.

Core areas of study include:

  • Music theory
  • Music history
  • Private applied lessons (instrumental or voice)
  • Large and chamber ensemble performance
  • Performance labs (faculty and peer critique, pedagogy)
  • Foreign language proficiency
  • Humanities electives (art, philosophy, and more)
  • Electives across any discipline

With performance as the common thread linking all music studies, FSC offers numerous opportunities to apply classroom and studio learning in solo and ensemble settings. Along with the Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Band, Concert Choir, and Jazz Ensemble, students participate in a wide range of additional ensembles:

Chamber Singers, Opera Theatre, WW Quintet, Brass Quintet, String Quartet, and Jazz Chamber Ensembles.

Performance labs allow students to perform for faculty and peer critique, receive instruction in pedagogy, and implement principles of performance learned in the studio.

Music students at FSC are part of a vibrant, close-knit artistic community. Get involved with:

  • Music Educators National Conference student chapter — open to all interested music students
  • Phi Mu Alpha — a music fraternity open to anyone with a professional interest in music, regardless of major
  • SoCo Productions — a global student organization for exploring the music business

Secondary education certification is available for this major, allowing graduates to teach students in grades 6 through 12.

Share the Stage With World-Class Performers

Continuing a tradition of more than fifty years, FSC's Festival of Fine Arts gives student musicians the opportunity to take the same stage and perform for the same audiences as internationally acclaimed artists. Past Festival performers have included the Moscow Festival Ballet, Tango Buenos Aires, Hilary Kole, the Haifa Symphony Orchestra, and renowned singer Renee Fleming. For FSC music students, the Festival is not just something to attend, it is a performance opportunity.

Share the Stage With World-Class Performers

World-Class Facilities for Serious Musicians

Student musicians at FSC enjoy practice rooms, a beautiful recital hall with Steinway pianos, and Branscomb Auditorium, a 1,800-seat concert hall recognized as one of the finest in North America. These are not just places to practice — they are the spaces where careers take shape.

World-Class Facilities for Serious Musicians

Careers & Outcomes

The BA in Music opens doors across a remarkable range of careers. Within six months of graduating, 98.6% of FSC students are employed or in graduate school.

Private Music Teacher

The BA in Music is designed in part to prepare graduates to teach applied music privately, with the artist-level training and pedagogical foundation to build a successful independent studio.

Ensemble and Band Member

FSC's extensive ensemble experience, from chamber groups to large orchestral settings, prepares graduates to pursue professional performance careers in a wide range of musical contexts.

Graduate Study in Music

Whether in musicology, composition, ethnomusicology, music therapy, or performance, FSC's BA provides the academic rigor and faculty mentorship that competitive graduate programs look for. The degree's flexibility also accommodates pre-professional coursework for students planning to apply to graduate programs in medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, or law.

Arts Administration and Music Journalism

Administrative roles within arts organizations, music journalism, and radio broadcasting are natural fits for musicians who combine strong communication skills with deep musical knowledge. FSC's liberal arts foundation and extracurricular engagement in organizations like SoCo Productions prepare graduates for these careers.

Music Educator (6-12)

Students who complete secondary education certification alongside the BA in Music are eligible to teach music in Florida public schools in grades 6 through 12, combining their musical training with the professional education coursework required for teacher certification.

Featured Faculty

geometrical design

"As a dedicated piano professor, my primary goal is to nurture my students' growth and achievements. I aim to provide a supportive, welcoming environment where students can explore and perform a range of pieces, from classical to contemporary works. I am committed to fostering a sense of community, ensuring students feel connected and inspired to share their love of music and to enjoy collaborative playing."

Fen-Fang Chen, Ph.D., D.A Associate Professor of Music

Engaged Learning

From private lessons and performance labs to the Festival of Fine Arts stage and ensembles that perform on and off campus, FSC music students are always performing, always growing, and always building the professional artistry that a music career demands.

string performance

Admissions Events

Get an inside look into the Florida Southern College experience with on-campus tours and events designed to show you what it will be like to live, study, and play at FSC.

Jan 23, 2027

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  • Branscomb Auditorium

Much more than a traditional campus visit, Southern Select includes team building activities, a...

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Ready to Make Music Your Own?

The BA in Music at Florida Southern College gives you the training, flexibility, and performance opportunities to build a musical life that is entirely your own. Take your next step today.