Music History

Description

Music is emotion set to rhythm. This major critiques the composers and musical movements that defined history through their emotional expressions. More than just the study of joyful noise, music history is about interpreting world events by hearing, listening, and learning.

The major offers a window into the very soul of society: You’ll evaluate groundbreaking musicians and composers for their artistic merits and also for their cultural impact. Learning about troubadours and chants, for instance, opens up the world of the Medieval era; a course on jazz spotlights the socially charged era of the Harlem Renaissance. Suffolk has a varied course catalogue in music history; you’ll study large movements like the blues and hip-hop. You’ll study locally, in our course on music in Boston, and globally, with courses about music in Africa.

Most of all, you’ll march to your own drum: You’re welcome to combine the major with a complementary area of study. Many students opt for English, Theatre, or Business. A background in music history, on its own or combined with another major, has limitless possibilities: arts administration, public relations, box office management, nonprofit work, and teaching are just a few of the options.

Music on Campus and Beyond

Suffolk’s Performing Arts Office sponsors plenty of performance opportunities. As a diverse urban campus, we have groups dedicated to jazz, rhythm, gospel, and more. Our a capella group, the Ramifications, performs regularly on television and even at Boston Celtics basketball games. The C. Walsh Theatre, Suffolk’s premier performance space, is a major venue for musical theatre and concerts. And some of the finest music venues in the world are just beyond our campus: the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Opera, and of course Wally’s, one of the oldest jazz clubs in the country.

Detailed Course Facts

• USD 16265 Module (National)

Full-time: 12-17 credits per semester $16,265

• English

Course Content

Foundation Requirement (2 courses, 8 credits)

• MUH-101 History of Music I

  Credits:

  4.00

  Description:

  A chronological survey of Western music from Gregorian chant to the death of Beethoven. Assigned readings, critical listening, class discussion and concert attendance.

  Term:

  Offered Fall Term

  Type:

  Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement

• MUH-102 History of Music II

  Credits:

  4.00

  Description:

  A chronological survey of Western music from Schubert to the present. Assigned readings, critical listening, class discussion and concert attendance.

  Term:

  Offered Spring Term

  Type:

  Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement

Advanced Courses (8 courses, 32 credits)

Music Courses (6-8 courses, 24-32 credits)

• MUH-211 Music of the United States

  Credits:

  4.00

  Description:

  Survey from Colonial times to the present. Various attempts to create an indigenous style. Folk, religious music and symphonies, jazz and American musical theater. Composers include Billings, Beach, Ives, Copland, Bernstein and others.

  Term:

  Alternates Fall & Spring

  Type:

  Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement

• MUH-221 History of Women in Music

  Credits:

  4.00

  Description:

  The history of music from the Middle Ages to the present presented in the lives and music of women composers, performers, and writers. Assigned readings, critical listening, class discussion and concert attendance.

  Term:

  Alternates Fall & Spring

  Type:

  Cultural Diversity Opt B,Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement

• MUH-223 World Music

  Credits:

  4.00

  Description:

  Selected topics in the folk and traditional music of Africa, the Near East, the Far East, and the Pacific, examined in the context of their cultures and their roles in the life of the indigenous peoples of those areas. Assigned readings, critical listening, class discussion, and concert attendance.

  Term:

  Occasional

  Type:

  Cultural Diversity Opt B,Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement

• MUH-227 Jazz

  Credits:

  4.00

  Description:

  Evolution of jazz from blues and ragtime through Dixieland and the avant-garde experiments of today. Contributions of major soloists, arrangers and composers. Listening, reading and concert attendance.

  Term:

  Occasional

  Type:

  Cultural Diversity Opt A,Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement

• MUH-331 Music in Film

  Credits:

  4.00

  Description:

  This class studies the history and development of film music through reading, lecture and class listening. We investigate the process of film scoring, and how music and its relationship to film have changed over the last century. The class includes discussion and evaluation of different compositional styles and practices to listening critically to film scores while viewing movies.

  Term:

  Occasional

  Type:

  Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement

• MUH-510 Independent Study

  Credits:

  1.00- 4.00

  Description:

  Substantive reading/research in area of special interest directed by a faculty member.

Related Options (A maximum of 2 courses, 8 credits)

• MUH-110 Music Theory

  Credits:

  4.00

  Description:

  Topics in music history and theory, including terminology, notation, scales, chords, and basic composition, score analysis and aural skills, historical periods and genres. Assignments include reading, writing, listening, and class discussion.

  Term:

  Occasional

  Type:

  Humanities & History,Humanities Literature Requirement

Or choose any Art History course offering at 200-level or above

Notes:

• AP Credit: not applicable.

• A maximum of 3 courses taken at other institutions or as part of a study abroad program may be applied toward the major.

• Independent Study (MUH-510) may be taken only once (permission required).

Requirements

We do not use specific minimums for scores or grades in the decision process, but weigh all factors together to gain a whole view of you and your potential for success as a Suffolk University student:

• Level and range of high school courses selected
• Grades achieved (official high school transcript with senior year grades)
• SAT or ACT scores (our code is 3771)
• Recommendations (two required; one from a guidance counselor, one from a teacher)
• The essay
• Other required forms
• Admission interview (optional)
• Transfer students should view the transfer requirements page for more details.

In high school, you should have completed:

• Four units of English
• Three units of mathematics (algebra I and II and geometry)
• Two units of science (at least one with a lab)
• Two units of language
• One unit of American history
• Four units distributed among other college preparatory electives

We may also consider other factors in the review process, such as:

• Class rank
• Honors courses
• AP courses

We are also very interested in personal qualities that will offer us further insights into you as an applicant, including:

• Admission interview
• Extracurricular involvement
• Community service
• Special interests

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Alumni Study Travel Fund

  Scholarships for students who are already attending the University of Reading.

• Amsterdam Merit Scholarships

  The University of Amsterdam aims to attract the world’s brightest students to its international classrooms. Outstanding students from outside the European Economic Area can apply for an Amsterdam Merit Scholarship.

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than Suffolk University.