Popular Music Studies, Bachelor of Arts
The Popular Music Studies program at USC Upstate provides students with the skills to adapt and thrive in today’s rapidly changing music industry. Our curriculum prepares students for careers in performance, songwriting, composing and arranging, recording and producing, music instruction, worship music, music publishing, artist management, event promotion, musical theatre, or music journalism. Students develop core skills in performance, musicianship and theory, music history, digital production technology, and music business. Students also gain ample performing experience with our five musical ensembles, take private lessons and learn the music business from working professionals, and get hands-on experience with industry-standard music technology. A minor in Popular Music Studies is also available.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Courses | ||
| I. Communication | ||
| English: | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Composition I | ||
| Composition II | ||
| Speech: | ||
| SPCH U201 | Foundations in Oral Communication | 3 |
| II. Mathematics, Logic & Natural Sciences | ||
| Mathematics: | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Probability and Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| College Mathematics | ||
| College Algebra | ||
| Calculus for Management and Social Sciences | ||
| Natural Science (w/ lab): | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Descriptive Astronomy and Descriptive Astronomy Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Biology I and Introductory Biology I Lab | ||
| Introductory Biology II and Introductory Biology II Lab | ||
| General Biology and General Biology Lab | ||
| Botany and Society and Botany and Society Laboratory | ||
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II and Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab | ||
| Chemistry and Society and Chemistry and Society Lab | ||
| Chemistry of Living Things and Chemistry of Living Things Lab | ||
| General Chemistry and General Chemistry Lab | ||
| General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis and General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis Lab | ||
| Physical Geology and Physical Geology Lab | ||
| Historical Geology and Historical Geology Lab | ||
| Environmental Geology and Environmental Geology Lab | ||
| Introduction to Physical Science and Introduction to Physical Science Laboratory | ||
| General Physics I and General Physics I Lab | ||
| General Physics II and General Physics II Lab | ||
| Math, Logic and/ or Natural Science: | ||
| Select any course in Mathematics or Natural Sciences listed above or: | 3-4 | |
| Foundations of Human Physiology and Foundations of Human Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Introduction to Logic and Rhetoric | ||
| Deductive Logic | ||
| Psychological Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences | ||
| III. Information Technology | ||
| Information Technology: | ||
| MUSC U162 | Intro to Music Technology 1 | 3 |
| IV. Fine Arts, Humanities & History | ||
| Fine Arts: | ||
| MUSC U110 | Introduction to Music 1 | 3 |
| MUSC U140 | History of American Popular Music 1 | 3 |
| History: | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to World History I | ||
| Introduction to World History II | ||
| History of the United States to 1877 | ||
| History of the United States from 1865 | ||
| V. Foreign Language & Culture | ||
| Foreign Language: | ||
| Select one of the following: 2 | 3 | |
| American Sign Language I | ||
| Introductory French I | ||
| Introductory German I | ||
| Introductory Spanish I | ||
| VI. Social & Behavioral Sciences | ||
| Social & Behavioral Science: | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Understanding Other Cultures | ||
| Introduction to Criminal Justice | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Introduction to Geography | ||
| American National Government | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Leadership Development I | ||
| Introduction to Women's & Gender Studies | ||
| VII. General Education Electives | ||
| General Ed. Electives: | ||
| Select any course from any section above or: | 3 | |
| African American Culture | ||
| American Studies, 17th - 19th Century | ||
| American Studies, 20th Century | ||
| Introduction to Art | ||
| History of Western Art: Prehistory - Middle Ages | ||
| History of Western Art: Renaissance - Modern | ||
| American Sign Language II | ||
| Introduction to Computer Technology | ||
| Introduction to Computer Science | ||
| Understanding English Grammar | ||
| Masterpieces of World Literature | ||
| Survey of American Literature I | ||
| Survey of American Literature II | ||
| Survey of British Literature I | ||
| Survey of British Literature II | ||
| African American Literature | ||
| Introduction to Film | ||
| Introductory French II | ||
| Introductory German II | ||
| Survey of Information Technology | ||
| Strategies for Information Discovery | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Contemporary Moral Issues | ||
| Comparative Religion | ||
| Introductory Spanish II | ||
| Introduction to Theatre Art | ||
| Fundamentals in Acting | ||
| Major Requirements 1 | ||
| Music Core: | ||
| MUSC U100 | Recital Attendance (four semesters) | 4 |
| MUSC U111 or MUSC U311 (Applied Music four semesters) | 4 | |
| MUSC U115 & U115L | Commercial Music Theory and Aural Skills I and Commercial Musicianship I Laboratory 3 | 4 |
| MUSC U116 & U116L | Commercial Music Theory and Aural Skills II and Commercial Musicianship II Laboratory | 4 |
| Performing Ensembles (four semesters) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Jazz Combo and Jazz Combo | ||
| Upstate Vocal Ensemble and Upstate Vocal Ensemble | ||
| Commercial Music Combo and Commercial Music Combo | ||
| MUSC U155 | Group Piano I | 1 |
| MUSC U215 & U215L | Commercial Music Theory and Aural Skills III and Commercial Musicianship III Laboratory | 4 |
| MUSC U303 | Music History Remixed | 3 |
| MUSC U361 | Music Business | 3 |
| Composition / Arranging | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Commercial Music Theory and Aural Skills IV and Commercial Musicianship IV Laboratory | ||
| Songwriting | ||
| Composition | ||
| Arranging for Ensembles | ||
| MUSC U490 | Senior Seminar in Commercial Music | 3 |
| Popular Music Emphasis: | ||
| Students will choose their additional music emphasis courses from the list below with advisor's approval: | 21 | |
MUSC U111 Applied Music (must be different instrument(s) than used for core) | ||
100- or 300-level ensembles (1-4 Credit Hours) | ||
| Jazz Combo and Jazz Combo | ||
| Upstate Vocal Ensemble and Upstate Vocal Ensemble | ||
| Commercial Music Combo and Commercial Music Combo | ||
| Commercial Music Theory and Aural Skills IV and Commercial Musicianship IV Laboratory | ||
| Writing About Music (1-3 credit hours) | ||
| Black Music: Jazz to Hip-Hop | ||
| Music, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
MUSC U311: Applied Music (choose instrument) 1-3 Credit Hours | ||
| Analysis of Popular Music | ||
| Jazz Theory | ||
| Jazz Improvisation | ||
| Music Technology | ||
| Music Entrepreneurship | ||
| Songwriting | ||
| Composition | ||
| Arranging for Ensembles | ||
| Selected Topics in Music | ||
| Music for Elementary and Middle Schools | ||
Approved Business / Communication Courses: | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
| Intro to Digital Studies | ||
| Grant Writing | ||
| Innovation, Creativity, and Change | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Relations | ||
| TV Studio Production | ||
| Video Editing | ||
| Social and Emerging Media | ||
| Social Media Strategy | ||
| Principles of Organizational Management | ||
| Financial Concepts and Applications for New Ventures | ||
| Principles of Marketing | ||
| Fund Raising for Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Interviewing | ||
| Introduction to Organizational Communication | ||
| Internship in Commercial Music (3 Credit Hours Required) | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select 17-19 credit hrs | 17-19 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- 1
A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.
- 2
Prerequisites for MUSC U115 Commercial Music Theory and Aural Skills I include successful completion of the Music Theory and Aural Skills placement exam or MUSC U101 Fundamentals of Music Theory and/or MUSC U101L Fundamentals of Musicianship Laboratory.