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Undergraduate Programs
Pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree at NEC means immersing yourself in the thriving artistic atmosphere of the richest educational experience in music, anywhere — all against the inspiring backdrop of Boston.
The undergraduate experience at NEC is founded on intensive musical study with exceptional performing artists and faculty. Outside of the studio, students receive a broad education in the liberal arts through NEC’s one-of-a-kind integrative curriculum, electives, and access to coursework at other world-class Boston schools — all to prepare students for a life in music.
Bachelor of Music
The undergraduate curriculum provides extensive training in students’ majors, comprehensive instruction in music theory and music history, and an introduction to liberal arts disciplines. NEC offers the following majors:
- Bassoon
- Cello
- Clarinet
- Composition
- Contemporary Musical Arts
- Double Bass
- Euphonium
- Flute
- French Horn
- Guitar
- Harp
- Jazz Studies – Concentration in Composition
- Jazz Studies – Concentration in Performance
- Music History
- Music Theory
- Oboe
- Percussion
- Piano
- Saxophone
- Trombone
- Trumpet
- Tuba
- Viola
- Violin
- Vocal Performance
In addition to degree programs, undergraduates may also pursue a minor in Liberal Arts or Music Theory, or a concentration in Music Technology or Teaching Artistry and Music Education.
NEC + Harvard Dual Degree
NEC’s rigorous five-year dual-degree program with Harvard College combines a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Music degree, enabling students who have dual passions in music and another field to have access to the world’s best resources for both pursuits. The NEC + Harvard program is one of the most competitive dual degrees in the world. Transfers into the program may be allowed only in the first year of study at Harvard.
Undergraduate Minors
The Liberal Arts minor provides NEC undergraduates the opportunity to gain breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding in a focused area of study in the Liberal Arts and Modern Languages, as well as a useful credential for pursuing further study and careers beyond NEC.
Liberal Arts minors are offered in the following areas:
- Literature
- Cultural Studies, including Philosophy, Religion, and Modern Languages (French, German, Italian)
- History and Social Studies
- Creative Arts
- Science
- Mathematics
The Music Theory minor prepares NEC undergraduates for further in-depth theoretical study and work, such as graduate placement exams, a major or double major at the graduate level, and teaching assistant positions in graduate schools.
Music Theory minors are offered in the following tracks:
- Performance and Analysis
- Studies in Contemporary Music
- Music Theory and Applied Composition
- Research in Music Theory
Undergraduate Concentrations
The Music Technology Concentration, designed by the student in conjunction with a faculty advisor, enables focused study in such areas as performance with electronics and multimedia, scoring for new media, synthesis, real-time processing, spatialization, recording/mixing, technology-based analysis, and algorithmic music.
A capstone project – such as a performance, installation, or diffusion – prepares students to demonstrate a high level of competence with specific music technologies and an awareness of current creative and technical work in the field.
The Teaching Artistry and Music Education Concentration provides NEC undergraduates with the skills, habits of mind, and experience to impact music learning within their communities as they contribute to the public good. Rooted in real-world teaching experience, the Concentration can be customized to students’ intended teaching context, including K-12 classrooms, private lesson studios, work with adults in creative aging, El Sistema programs, and collegiate music instruction.
Undergraduate Diploma
This program consists of three years of full-time study in instrumental performance, vocal performance, or composition. Students register for studio, repertoire coaching, ensemble, chamber music, and coursework related to their major. Audition standards are higher than those for the Bachelor of Music program.
Undergraduate Performance Certificate
The one-year certificate program affords students the opportunity of crafting a customized, focused curriculum that centers around studio instruction instrument/area of study, supplemented by elective offerings that complement the studio experience and align with the student’s professional, artistic and/ or academic objectives. This program is designed at the undergraduate level, so requires a high school diploma or equivalent.
In addition, applicants must meet or exceed the undergraduate minimum for TOEFL or its equivalent. Students are required to present a final project, the nature and scope of which will be determined between the student and studio instructor. A performance is not required, but students who choose this as their final project may opt for a half-recital. The final project will be evaluated by the studio instructor and—if appropriate—by other faculty members, as determined by the department chair. Studio instruction is required of all undergraduate certificate students; in addition, all orchestral instrumentalists are required to register for a large ensemble each semester.
