CalArts' Minor in Music Theory is intended for undergraduate students who wish to receive advanced training and accreditation in Music Theory as a supplement to their Major, with applications to the analysis and creation of music in concert, film, popular, jazz, electronic, Western, non-Western, historical, contemporary and experimental styles.

Students who complete the Minor in Music Theory will have deeply engaged with an array of theoretical and analytical approaches applicable to music of diverse historical, stylistic and cultural origins. We believe that such conceptual breadth and flexibility are needed by musicians who want to understand and creatively participate in our contemporary Western musical culture, which increasingly encompasses an unprecedentedly diverse confluence of different styles and aesthetics.

Curriculum Requirements for the Minor

The Minor in Music Theory is awarded to undergraduate students who have formally declared their intention to pursue it before graduation and who have completed all of the course requirements for the Minor in accordance with CalArts’ Course Catalog.

For further information about the Minor in Music Theory, please contact the Shared Curriculum Coordinator in the Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts.