The Berklee School of Music is a prestigious undergraduate music school. Undergraduate degrees from Berklee may be in composition, music writing and production, electronic music production, film scores, jazz composition, music management, music education, engineering, therapy, performance and songwriting. Berklee teaches students who play a wide range of string, brass, woodwind and percussive instruments. The school also teaches singers. Students can also focus their music studies on jazz, American roots music or Africana studies. Berklee also provides information to their graduates about careers in all areas of music and the music business.
Emerson College offers both a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree. Students opting for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree will study acting, musical theatre, stage management and production, and theatre design and technology. Throughout four years of study, students will concentrate on production and on studio work through actual projects. Students opting for the Bachelor of Arts degree choose theatre studies and theatre education programs. Acting studies can be included in this degree, and students will be required to take courses outside of the performing arts arena.
Boston University’s College of Fine Arts hosts music, theatre and visual arts departments. Music students can major in vocal or instrumental performance in a range of instruments, as well as music education, music composition and theory, musicology and ethnomusicology. The Theatre Department comprises majors in theatre education, performance, design, management and production. Visual arts students can major in art education, painting, graphic design and sculpture. Courses in each department vary widely; music students may take courses in medieval music, theory, sight-singing, ear-training, and history and literature of music. Theatre students can study acting, dramatic literature, speech and movement. Visual arts students can choose courses in photography, drawing, figure drawing, sculpture or graphic design.
University of Massachussetts’ Performing Arts program includes majors in music and theatre arts, and a minor in dance. Music students will concentrate on music theory, music performance and music history, studying both alone and in groups. After receiving a music degree, students can apply to earn a license to teach music. Theatre students will learn acting, playwriting, dance, comedy and dramatic literature. The minor in dance includes courses in jazz, ballet and modern dance, as well as choreography and dance history.