Between five and ten students each year choose to major in music and receive the degree of Bachelor of Science in Music (Course 21M) or the joint major, Bachelor of Science in Humanities and Engineering/Science (Courses 21E and 21S). Many students complete full (dual) majors in music and another field and receive a degree acknowledging both fields. Students interested in pursuing the music major should contact the Major Advisor as early as possible, but definitely by the fall of their Junior year at MIT.
The undergraduate program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Music comprises a grounding in foundational skills in music history and culture, performance, and music theory and a capstone Advanced Seminar.
The full major requires 120 units (normally nine 12-unit classroom subjects and two 6-unit performance subjects). Music majors (single, joint, or double) may also use music as their HASS concentration as well as their HASS-Arts and one HASS-Elective class. Thus, double major graduates will need to take at least five classes (60 units) beyond the General Institute Requirements for their other Course in order to graduate. Majoring and minoring in music simultaneously is not allowed.
MIT's registrar maintains the official requirements for the Course 21M Degree on their website.
The Major Advisor is Emily Richmond Pollock, pollock@mit.edu.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL 21M MAJORS (Full Major)
The following courses are required for all majors
| Number |
Title |
Units |
| 21M.301* |
Harmony and Counterpoint I |
12 |
| 21M.401-499 |
Performance (two semesters) |
2 x 6 |
| 21M.500 |
Advanced Seminar (CI-M) |
12 |
Students must select one of the following 12 unit classes
| Number |
Title |
| 21M.220 |
Medieval and Renaissance Music (CI-M) |
| 21M.235 |
Baroque and Classical Music (CI-M) |
| 21M.260 |
Music since 1900 (CI-M) |
Students must select one of the following 12 units
| Number |
Title |
| 21M.291 |
Music of India |
| 21M.292 |
Musics of Bali |
| 21M.293 |
Musics of Africa |
| 21M.294 |
Popular Musics of the World |
| 21M.297J |
Cultures of Popular Music in East Asia |
| 21M.299 |
Studies in Global Music |
*Students who enter with additional training in music theory should take 21M.302 or an upper-level course as a substitute for 301.
Students will take an additional 60 units beyond these requirements, which will be chosen in consultation with the major advisor.
For further information, please contact the majors advisor, Professor Emily Richmond Pollock, pollock@mit.edu
