Electronic Music Minor

The electronic music minor focuses on the study of creating music using the tools of modern technology. It is designed to complement the music major or programs in other media by providing instruction in advanced skills of audio production, sound synthesis, and computer-assisted composition.

Course Requirements

Lower-Division Courses

Music survey requirement

Take one course from the following list. A similar music survey/history course taken here or at another institution may be approved by the department - email music@ucsc.edu if you have questions regarding a possible substitution.

MUSC 11AIntroduction to Western Classical Music

5

MUSC 11BIntroduction to Jazz

5

MUSC 11DIntroduction to World Music

5

MUSC 11CPopular Music in the United States

5

MUSC 11EGlobal Popular Music

5

MUSC 80C requirement

MUSC 80CHistory, Literature, and Technology of Electronic Music

5

Music theory requirement

Students must take the Theory Placement Exam in order to test into the appropriate western music theory course (MUSC 14, or MUSC 30A). If a student places into MUSC 30A via the exam, they will automatically satisfy the minor's theory requirement. Students who place into MUSC 14 must pass the course to satisfy the minor's theory requirement.

MUSC 14Beginning Western Theory and Musicianship

5

Upper-Division Courses

Upper-division electives

Take three of the following courses. Testing out of MUSC 123A (formerly MUSC 123) is possible via placement exam. If a student tests out of MUSC 123A via exam, they still need to do three upper-division courses and should plan to take another course from this list, outside the 123-series.

MUSC 105H
/DANM 205H
Hip Hop Music and Culture in the 20th Century

5

MUSC 123AElectronic Music: Synthesis & Composition I

5

MUSC 123BElectronic Music: Synthesis & Composition II

5

MUSC 123CElectronic Music: Synthesis & Composition III

5

MUSC 150NNoise, Music, Politics

5

MUSC 150P20th-Century Popular Song

5

MUSC 150RField Recording: Mapping and Composing Sound, Identity, and Place

5

MUSC 206B
/DANM 217
Computer-Assisted Composition

5

MUSC 206C
/DANM 217A
Composing for Instruments and Live Electronics

5

Workshop requirement

Take two of the following courses. All courses in list, except MUSC 167R, can be taken more than once/repeated for credit.

MUSC 73Music and the Ocean

3

MUSC 129Live Electroacoustic Music Ensemble

2

MUSC 167Workshop in Electronic Music

2

MUSC 167RRecording Workshop

2

MUSC 267
/DANM 267
Workshop in Computer Music and Visualization

2

Technical sound elective requirement

Take one course from the following list. A similar music course that has a technical focus may be approved by the department - email music@ucsc.edu if you have questions regarding a possible substitution.

MUSC 71Laptop Music

5

MUSC 80KSound in Art, Science, and the Environment

5

MUSC 80LArtificial Intelligence and Music

5

MUSC 80RMusic in the Digital Age

5

PHYS 80U
/MUSC 80U
Physics and Psychophysics of Music

5

MUSC 72Fundamentals of Music Technology

2

FILM 171ASound

5

THEA 114Sound Design and Engineering for the Theater

5

Programming requirement

Take one of the following courses. A similar programming course taken here or at another institution may be approved by the department - email music@ucsc.edu if you have questions regarding a possible substitution. A test-out option is available for CSE 20. If a student tests out of CSE 20 via the exam, they will automatically satisfy the minor's programming requirement. Students who place into CSE 20 must pass the course, or another from the list, to satisfy the minor's programming requirement.

CSE 5JIntroduction to Programming in Java

5

CSE 20Beginning Programming in Python

5

PHYS 160Practical Electronics

5

ECE 101Introduction to Electronic Circuits

5

ECE 153Digital Signal Processing

5

ECE 171Analog Electronics

5

Planner

The table below is for informational purposes and does not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information.

Two-Year Electronic Music Minor Plan

Fall Winter Spring
1st MUSC 80C MUSC 123A MUSC 123B
CSE 20^ MUSC 14~
2nd MUSC 123C MUSC 167R MUSC 167
MUSC 80L# MUSC 11B*

^Satisfies programming requirement; can be replaced with CSE 5J, or other classes

~Satisfies music theory requirement; can be fulfilled by placing directly into MUSC 30A via the Theory Placement Exam

#Satisfies technical sound elective; can be replaced with MUSC 80K, MUSC 80R, MUSC 80U, MUSC 71, MUSC 81T, or other classes

*Satisfies the MUSC 11/MUSC 80P requirement; can be replaced with MUSC 11A, MUSC 11D, or MUSC 80P

General Education (GE) Codes

The MUSC 11/80P requirement will satisfy one of the following GE codes, depending on which course the student chooses to take: MUSC 11A - IM; MUSC 11D - CC; MUSC 11B & MUSC 80P - ER.

MUSC 167 satisfies the PR-C code GE requirement.

Students must complete all other general education requirements.