Undergraduate Degree Program
Bachelor of Professional Studies
Songwriting and Producing Music Degree
Music creators today are increasingly expected to have a versatile skill set that often combines songwriting and music production. The Songwriting and Producing Music major is designed to help you thrive in this multi-dimensional environment by strengthening your songwriting skills while developing your ability to record and mix professional-sounding music from your home studio using Pro Tools, Live, or Logic.
The program begins with a set of core music courses that provide a foundation in theory, ear training, and keyboard, essential information that will enable you to collaborate with other musicians. From there, you will explore the role of the producer, how to get the best sounds from your DAW, and techniques for recording drums, bass, guitar, piano, vocals, and other instruments.
The Songwriting and Producing Music major includes in-depth focus on recording and producing the vocal, with an emphasis on capturing the proper emotion of a performance, in addition to the art of mixing to enhance the quality of your recordings. At the same time, you will learn techniques for strengthening the harmonic underpinnings of your songs and making your melodies more expressive. You will work in collaborative songwriting contexts across a variety of musical styles.
The program features specific coursework designed to prepare you for work in creating music for advertising, film, and television and culminates with a capstone project in which you’ll create a portfolio that showcases your best work. Through elective coursework and a specialization that is akin to a minor, you will have a great deal of flexibility in choosing additional areas of focus that will enhance your skills, including additional music production and songwriting courses and courses in business, composition, arranging, and more.
By the end of this program, you will be able to:
Set up, record, and produce professional-sounding recordings in your home studio.
Use harmonic techniques such as modulation, cadence, and power progressions to craft hit songs.
Construct strong, expressive melodies that your audiences will remember.
Create vocal tracks that maximize emotional impact, while staying true to the artist and the song.
Incorporate both a technical and artistic approach to mixing in order to deliver professional-level final mixdowns.
Apply effective composition techniques for scoring to picture to create original jingles, library track packages, and television themes according to industry standards.
Write and produce songs that are “media friendly,” effectively communicating time, location, and dramatic tone in order for your music to be placed into visual media.
Walk into a professional-level setting and creatively/effectively collaborate with other songwriters in the industry to create an impactful song.
Curriculum
(120 Credits)
-
Required Online Courses (30 Credits)
Online courses are 12 weeks in length. They are taught by our world renowned faculty in intimately-sized classes of 20 students or fewer.
- Choose and complete one of the following Ableton Live, Pro Tools, or Logic courses, depending on your level:
- OMPRD-180Pro Tools 101 or OMPRD-221Pro Tools 110 or OMPRD-273Producing Music with Logic or OMPRD-278Ableton Live Fundamentals or OMPRD-281Performing with Ableton Live or OMPRD-282Ableton Live Techniques: Sampling or OMPRD-380Mixing and Mastering with Pro Tools or OMPRD-382Mixing and Mastering for the Electronic Musician or OMPRD-425Advanced Mixing and Mastering with Pro Tools or OSONG-230Producing Songwriting Demos with Pro Tools or OSONG-231Producing Songwriting Demos with Logic
- Complete the following:
- OSONG-316Songwriting: Harmony
- OMPRD-227Recording and Producing in the Home Studio
- OSONG-315Songwriting: Melody
- OCWPR-385Writing and Producing Advertising Music
- OMPRD-365Vocal Production
- OSONG-380Songwriting for Film and TV
- OMPRD-420Art of Mixing
- OSONG-420Collaborative Songwriting
- OCWPR-495 Songwriting and Producing Music Capstone
-
Specified Elective Courses (15 Credits)
-
Complete one Music Business (OMBUS) course.
-
Complete any four courses from Songwriting (OSONG), Composition (OCOMP), Contemporary Writing and Production (OCWPR) or Music Production (OMPRD).
-
Specialization Courses in Your Interest (18 Credits)
Complete any six courses, except Liberal Arts courses coded with OLART, OLSOC, or OLMSC, in a given student's area of interest and professional development (e.g., music business, songwriting, arranging, orchestration, etc.).
-
Core Music (15 Credits)
Choose and complete two courses from one of the groups below:
- OHARM-101Music Theory 101 or OHARM-201Music Theory 201: Harmony and Function or OHARM-301Music Theory 301: Advanced Melody, Harmony, Rhythm
- OHARM-110Getting Inside Harmony 1 or OHARM-211Getting Inside Harmony 2
- OCOMP-110Music Theory and Composition 1 or OCOMP-111Music Theory and Composition 2 or OCOMP-210Music Theory and Composition 3 or OCOMP-211Music Theory and Composition 4
- Complete the following:
- OPIAN-100Berklee Keyboard Method or OPIAN-150Keyboard for the Electronic Musician or OPIAN-220Blues and Rock Keyboard Techniques or OPIAN-230Pop/Rock Keyboard or OPIAN-315Jazz Piano
- OCOMP-250Counterpoint
- OEART-115Basic Ear Training or OEART-119Ear Training 1 or OEART-120Ear Training 2 or OEART-215Ear Training for Live Performance or OEART-320Harmonic Ear Training: Recognizing Chord Progressions
-
General Education Courses (42 Credits)
Complete the following:
- OLMSC-215Acoustics
- Complete one composition/writing course from the following:
- OLART-216Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice
- OLART-201Creative Writing: Literature Studies for Musicians
- OLART-215Creative Writing: Poetry
- Complete one history course from the following:
- OLART-170Rock History
- OLART-231Art History
- OLART-233Music History of the Western World 1: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque
- OLART-234Music History of the Western World 2: Classical, Romantic, and Modern
- OLART-220History of Film Music
- Complete four arts/humanities courses from the following:
- OLART-100Developing Your Artistry
- OLART-111Introduction to College Writing
- OLART-231Art History
- OLART-201Creative Writing: Literature Studies for Musicians
- OLART-205Game Design Principles
- OLART-215Creative Writing: Poetry
- OLART-216Creative Writing: Finding Your Voice
- OLART-160Introduction to Digital Cinematography
- OLART-233Music History of the Western World 1: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque
- OLART-234Music History of the Western World 2: Classical, Romantic, and Modern
- OMPRD-250Music Video Editing with Final Cut Pro
- OLART-170Rock History
- OLART-400Career and Job Success in the Music Industry
- OLART-220History of Film Music
- Complete four social science courses from the following:
- OLSOC-150The Language of Film and TV
- OLSOC-180Project Management for Musicians
- OLSOC-200Business Communications
- OLSOC-226New Media Economics: Music, Mobile, Gaming, and Online Markets
- OLSOC-210Music, Self, and Society
- OLSOC-307Music Cognition
- Complete three math and science courses from the following:
- OLMSC-101Music Production 101
- OLMSC-130Applied Mathematics for Musicians
- OLMSC-260Sampling and Audio Production
- OMBUS-475Music Business Finance
- OLMSC-150Introduction to Computer Programming for Musicians
How should I set up my schedule, based on the above requirements?
Check out this handy planning guide to help you understand which courses you should take during which semester.
View Sample ScheduleHow to Apply
- Fill out the online application (15 minutes)
- Create a 500-750 word essay, or a 3-5 minute video essay
- Prepare a Demonstration of Musicianship
- Get your official transcripts
- Ask for two letters of recommendation
Save
65%
Online undergraduate degree tuition vs. campus tuition
Affordable Tuition
Online undergraduate degree tuition is $59,880 for 120 credits. To get started, this degree program includes a $75 (non-refundable) application and a one time comprehensive fee of $350.
Available Financial Aid
Already started your degree, or want to transfer credits to complete your degree?
We will accept up to 60 academic credits earned from an accredited institution, or earned from our certificate programs or individual courses. Learn more here.