Music (BA)

Incorporate song into your academic path

MBU students can declare a major in Music until August 2024.
Students who have already declared a major or will declare one from the existing course catalog prior to August 2024 will be able to complete their major on schedule through courses offered at Mary Baldwin

Music is one of the greatest ways to express yourself and collaborate with others. Studying music at MBU means everything from history to theory to performance. We can prepare you for a life on the stage, a career in the classroom, or further study in graduate school. Our flexible and collaborative approach to music means you’ll graduate with a degree that will mean something to future employers and to yourself.

Time to finish
4 years
Format
In person
Degree(s)
Bachelor of Arts
Minor
Music,
Music Education

Why Study Music at Mary Baldwin?

Whether music is your hobby, your refuge, or your passion, studying music at Mary Baldwin can help you turn what you love into a lifelong career. Our faculty are active performers and scholars in their fields, and our small class sizes and diverse performing ensembles mean you’ll have the opportunity to hone your craft, and the chance to dazzle audiences with the results.

MBU’s music program offers incredible flexibility for majors and minors, as well as for other members of the campus community. Students in the music department study history, theory, and performance, with the ability to focus on the aspects of music that are most appealing or relevant to them. 

The music education licensure track is a clear path to a career in the classroom, while a performance emphasis gets you ready for the stage. If music is only one of your interests, a minor in music can make you stand out on the job market, demonstrating your ability to collaborate and communicate. Or if you’re someone who just needs songs in their life, MBU’s music program offers various concerts and performances to attend, and ensembles and choirs that any student can join!

A Faculty of Performers and Scholars 

Our outstanding faculty are all active performers and scholars who are highly respected in their field. Intimate class sizes mean personal attention, and at MBU, music students get to perform right away, starting in their first semester, rather than waiting around for seats to open up like at larger universities.

Spaces and Stages for You

Classes and lessons take place in the newly refurbished Deming Fine Arts building. All practice rooms have grand pianos. Our choral and music education students enjoy classes and rehearsals in the Grafton Choir Room, a space that has also been recently updated. And all music students have the opportunity to perform in Francis Auditorium, a small recital hall with wonderful acoustics. 

“I am at a loss for words about how incredible and life-changing the experience of working on my senior project was. Studying and exploring the music and lives of groundbreaking, historic Black composers like Undine Smith Moore and Joseph Bologne has forever changed who I am as a musician and scholar.”

Chasity Ford ’23Music major

Students love our classes

Don’t expect a tired lecture at Mary Baldwin. Our courses are full of surprises: 

Unique student support

The McCree Center for Life Success assists current students and alumni in finding the best opportunities throughout their career development. We work closely with both faculty and employers to identify how your valued education best matches the needs of today’s evolving marketplace.

Cost & Financial Aid

A great education is worth it. Here’s how Mary Baldwin helps you pay for it: Generous financial aid packages, a broad range of scholarships, transferring maximum credit hours from previous coursework or relevant work and life experiences — the list goes on. Our mission is to help you level up and bring your aspirations to life.

MBU helps you fast-track your path to a bachelor’s degree with the opportunity to transfer up to 18 credits (6 courses) through direct course equivalents from the Virginia Community Colleges System.

  • Cost per credit hour: $486
  • Credits required for a bachelor’s degree: 120

It’s time to level up your career. Apply today!