Online Music Degree Programs

Music degree courses can encompass several different aspects of music. There are many routes you can take with a degree in music including performing and teaching music.

For example, students who enter these types of programs can specialize in theory, history, composition, ethnomusicology, or in performance and practice. Students who specialize in performance can find a variety of job prospects as session musicians, in a backup band, or as solo and group-based performers. Composers, on the other hand, may create scores for films, ads, the theater, or orchestral performances. Students who focus primarily in theory and history based studies tend to acquire teaching and research positions, while those with exceptional writing talent can go onto working as professional musical journalists for print and Web. In many cases degrees are offered by schools of performing arts or colleges of arts and sciences. Programs are at the degree, diploma and certificate level.

Music & Entertaiment Programs

Full Sail University

• M.S. in Entertainment Business
• M.S. in Entertainment Business with electives in Sports Mgmt
• M.S. in Internet Marketing Graduate Programs
• M.S. in Education Media Design & Technology
• Master of Fine Arts in Media Design

International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT)

• Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Recording Arts

Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts

• Digital Film making
• Photography
• 3D Animation
• Audio Production

The Los Angeles Recording School

• Music Production
• Digital Recording
• Audio Postproduction for Film and Television

The Los Angeles Film School

• Associate of Science in Film
• Associate of Science in Game Production
• Associate of Science in Computer Animation

American Intercontinental University (AIU)

• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Production (BFA) with a concentration in Audio and Sound Recording

Media & Communication Programs in Canada

University of Canada West

• Bachelor of Arts - Media and Communication
• Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communications

Music Training and Education

Nearly every student who enters this area of study will be introduced to the theory behind composition, scales, and chords as well as the history of popular, baroque, classical, and atonal musical styles. Students who specialize in performance will typically take practice-based courses in addition to theory and history.

Students will specialize in a particular instrument and will need to master improvisation, jazz, and classical playing styles. Other areas of study include: church music degree, commercial music degree, sacred music degree, and the music ministry degree. In some cases, the music degree may be offered as a fine arts degree or as a performing arts degree. Foundational and advanced music degree courses may include:

• Voice techniques
• Vocal improvisation
• Music theory
• World music survey
• Psychology of music

Students who focus on composition will take advanced courses in music theory, history, and composition techniques. They will also need to regularly produce original compositions in a variety of styles, including classical, jazz, and experimental styles. Increasingly, composers and performers are being introduced to techniques for digital audio production using digital sheet music and sound reproduction software.

Careers in Music

After graduating, students who have specialized in performance can apply for positions as studio session musicians, performers on cruise lines, and for classical ensembles. Some may also be able to secure positions performing with live bands for TV shows and they may also freelance as performers for weddings and other events.

Students who specialize in composition can compose pieces for film, TV, and advertising. They may also create compositions for theater plays and professional classical ensembles. Jobs as arrangers and transcribers are also available. Those who specialize in history or theory tend to secure positions in teaching or journalism if their writing skills are highly developed.

All students who study this field are encouraged to seek graduate level degrees. Many Masters and PhD graduates are able to secure teaching positions in institutions of higher education. Others transition into teaching at high schools or elementary schools. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that many musicians work in the following sectors:

• Religious, grant making, civic, professional, and related organizations
• Performing arts companies
• Educational services
• Rehabilition services

Estimated Income and Projected Career Outlook

The average entry-level position will provide a graduate with a salary ranging from $22,000 to $40,000. The BLS reports that the median hourly wage of musicians and singers was $22.39 in 2010 with a range of $8.50 to $60.02 per hour. Those who teach in high schools and in higher education institutions will command a higher salary than those who perform or freelance. Graduates who gain promotions can expect their salaries to increase to a range of $41,000 to $90,000. The BLS reports that the employment of musicians and singers is expected to grow 10% between 2010 and 2020.

Jobs in this industry typically do not experience growth and a student's best chance of gaining a position is through networking. The average growth for most professions is currently expected to be 8% over the next decade for most industries. However, graduates with a music degree in this field can expect their jobs to grow at and below that rate, depending upon their area of specialization. Students with technical skills will have more job prospects than those who do not.

Distance learning music degree programs and music education degree programs