The Bachelor of Arts in Music and Sound Design requires completion of 140 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. The program usually spans eight semesters of 15 weeks each, or four academic years. See Degree Requirements for more information.
This is a sample sequence of courses for a student in the 2024-2025 academic cohort. This sequence should not be used for advising purposes. Instead, contact your Student Success Advisor for assistance.
| Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | COL 101 College Life and Academic Skills | 1 |
| ENG 110 Composition | 3 | |
| FLM 115 History of Film and Animation | 3 | |
| MAT 120 Mathematics of Music and Sound I | 3 | |
| MUS 110 Private Lesson I: Instrumental or Vocal | 1 | |
| MUS 112 Vocal Ensemble | 1 | |
| MUS 120 Music Theory and Musicianship I | 2 | |
| MUS 120L Music Theory and Musicianship I Lab | 1 | |
| MUS 150 Sound Design Project I | 2 | |
| MUS 150L Sound Design Project I Lab | 2 | |
| Semester Total | 19 | |
| Semester 2 | COM 150 Introduction to Communication | 3 |
| FLM 201 Cinematography | 3 | |
| MUS 111 Private Lesson II: Instrumental or Vocal | 1 | |
| MUS 113 Vocal Ensemble | 1 | |
| MUS 121 Music Theory and Musicianship II | 2 | |
| MUS 121L Music Theory and Musicianship II Lab | 1 | |
| MUS 151 Sound Design Project II | 2 | |
| MUS 151L Sound Design Project II Lab | 2 | |
| PHY 115 Introduction to Applied Math and Physics | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 18 | |
| Semester 3 | CS 116 Introduction to Computer Technology and Programming | 4 |
| MUS 210 Private Lesson III: Instrumental or Vocal | 1 | |
| MUS 212 Vocal Ensemble | 1 | |
| MUS 220 Music Theory and Musicianship III | 2 | |
| MUS 220L Music Theory and Musicianship III Lab | 1 | |
| MUS 230 Composition I | 2 | |
| MUS 240 Sound Design Collaborative Project I | 1 | |
| MUS 250 Sound Design Project III | 1 | |
| MUS 250L Sound Design Project III Lab | 2 | |
| MUS 260 Music History and Literature I | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 18 | |
| Semester 4 | CS 174 Audio Scripting | 3 |
| MUS 211 Private Lesson IV: Instrumental or Vocal | 1 | |
| MUS 213 Vocal Ensemble | 1 | |
| MUS 221 Music Theory and Musicianship IV | 2 | |
| MUS 221L Music Theory and Musicianship IV Lab | 1 | |
| MUS 231 Composition II | 2 | |
| MUS 242 Sound Design Collaborative Project II | 2 | |
| MUS 251 Sound Design Project IV | 1 | |
| MUS 251L Sound Design Project IV Lab | 2 | |
| MUS 261 Music History and Literature II | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 18 | |
| Semester 5 | ||
| COL 499 Career Search Preparation: Materials, Logistics, and Communication | 1 | |
| English Elective Any three-credit ENG course. | 3 | |
| MUS 310 Private Lesson V: Instrumental or Vocal | 1 | |
| MUS 320 Conducting and Instrumentation | 2 | |
| MUS 330 Advanced Composition I | 3 | |
| MUS 340 Sound Design Collaborative Project III | 1 | |
| MUS 350 Sound Design Project V | 1 | |
| MUS 350L Sound Design Project V Lab | 2 | |
| PHY 116 Physics of Music and Sound | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 17 | |
| Semester 6 | HSS Elective Any three-credit Humanities or Social Sciences course. | 3 |
| MUS 311 Private Lesson VI: Instrumental or Vocal | 1 | |
| MUS 321 Introduction to Orchestration | 3 | |
| MUS 322 Adaptive Music for Video Games | 3 | |
| MUS 331 Advanced Composition II | 3 | |
| MUS 342 Sound Design Collaborative Project IV | 2 | |
| MUS 351 Sound Design Project VI | 1 | |
| MUS 351L Sound Design Project VI Lab | 2 | |
| Semester Total | 18 | |
| Semester 7 | ||
| Open Elective An elective of the student’s choice from any department at DigiPen. | 3 | |
| Humanities and Social Sciences Elective Any three-credit Humanities or Social Sciences course. | 3 | |
| Humanities and Social Sciences Elective Any three-credit Humanities or Social Sciences course. | 3 | |
| MUS 410 Private Lesson VII: Instrumental or Vocal | 1 | |
| MUS 450 Sound Design Project VII | 1 | |
| MUS 450L Sound Design Project VII Lab | 2 | |
| Music Elective Any three-credit MUS course. | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 16 | |
| Semester 8 | Open Elective An elective of the student’s choice from any department at DigiPen. | 3 |
| LAW 115 Introduction to Intellectual Property and Contracts | 3 | |
| MUS 411 Private Lesson VIII: Instrumental or Vocal | 1 | |
| MUS 451 Sound Design Project VIII | 1 | |
| MUS 451L Sound Design Project VIII Lab | 2 | |
| Music Elective Any three-credit MUS course. | 3 | |
| Music Elective Any three-credit MUS course. | 3 | |
| Semester Total | 16 | |
| Degree Program Total (minimum credits required) | 140 | |