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

Complete the following requirements. All upper-division courses attempted toward the minor must be taken for a letter grade. Lower-division courses can be taken for a letter grade or Pass/No Pass.

Lower-Division Courses

Electronic Music History Requirement

Take the following course.

MUSC 80C

History, Literature, and Technology of Electronic Music

Lower-Division Music History Elective

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 11A	Introduction to Western Classical Music	5
MUSC 11B	Introduction to Jazz	5
MUSC 11C	Popular Music in the United States	5
MUSC 11D	Introduction to World Music	5
MUSC 11E	Global Popular Music	5

Lower-Division 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 14

Beginning Western Theory and Musicianship

Technical Sound Elective

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 71	Laptop Music	5
MUSC 72	Fundamentals of Music Technology	2
MUSC 80K	Listening to the Environment	5
MUSC 80L	Artificial Intelligence and Music	5
PHYS 80U /MUSC 80U	Physics and Psychophysics of Music	5
FILM 171A	Sound	5
THEA 114	Sound Design and Engineering for the Theater	5

Introductory Programming Elective

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 5J	Introduction to Programming in Java	5
CSE 20	Beginning Programming in Python	5
ECE 101	Introduction to Electronic Circuits	5
ECE 153	Digital Signal Processing	5
ECE 171	Analog Electronics	5
PHYS 160	Practical Electronics	5

Upper-Division Courses

Upper-Division Lecture/Seminar Electives

Take four (4) of the following courses. Testing out of MUSC 123A (formerly MUSC 123) is possible via technical assessment. If a student tests out of MUSC 123A via assessment, they should plan to take another course from this list, outside the 123 series, to fulfill their last elective.

MUSC 105H	Hip Hop Music and Culture in the 20th Century	5
MUSC 123A	Electronic Music: Synthesis & Composition I	5
MUSC 123B	Electronic Music: Synthesis & Composition II	5
MUSC 123C	Electronic Music: Synthesis & Composition III	5
MUSC 150N	Noise, Music, Politics	5
MUSC 150P	20th-Century Popular Song	5
MUSC 150R	Field Recording: Mapping and Composing Sound, Identity, and Place	5
MUSC 150Z	Interdisciplinary Arts Production Lab	5
MUSC 206B	Computer-Assisted Composition	5
MUSC 206C	Composing for Instruments and Live Electronics	5

Upper-Division Workshop/Ensemble Electives

Take three (3) of the following courses. All courses in list, except MUSC 167R, can be repeated for credit.

MUSC 73	Music and the Ocean	3
MUSC 129	Live Electroacoustic Music Ensemble	2
MUSC 167	Workshop in Electronic Music	2
MUSC 167R	Recording Workshop	2
MUSC 267	Workshop in Computer Music and Visualization	2

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 150Z%	MUSC 167R+	MUSC 167+
		MUSC 80L#	MUSC 11B*

^Satisfies programming elective; can be replaced with CSE 5J, or other classes from list

~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 71, MUSC 72, MUSC 80K, MUSC 80R, MUSC 80U, or other classes

*Satisfies the music history requirement; can be replaced with MUSC 11A, 11C 11D, or 11E

%Satisfies an upper-division elective requirement; can be replaced with other courses from the list

+Satisfies an upper-division workshop/ensemble requirement; can be replaced with other courses from the list

General Education (GE) Codes

The MUSC 11 requirement can satisfy one of the following GE codes: MUSC 11A - IM; MUSC 11B - ER, MUSC 11C - ER, MUSC 11D - CC; & MUSC 11E - ER.

All workshops/ensembles listed satisfy the PR-C GE, except MUSC 167.

The technical sound elective can satisfy one of the following GE codes: MUSC 71 - PR-C; MUSC 80K - PE-E; MUSC 80L - MF; MUSC 80R - PE-T; MUSC 80U - MF.

The programming requirement can satisfy one of the following GE codes: CSE 5J - MF; and CSE 20 - MF.