Degrees in Music, Theatre and Dance

The BA in Music at Chico State provides a comprehensive foundation in music theory, history, ear training, and more. Tailor your path with options like general music, delving into composition, jazz studies, and performance. Opt for music education, a K-12 program preparing for a Single Subject Credential. Engage in hands-on learning, mastering conducting, teaching, and diverse instruments. Choose applied music to develop a more wide-ranging course of study including music composition, jazz studies, performance, and more.

The Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry and Technology prepares students for diverse roles in the audio and music industry. Our hands-on curriculum, coupled with practicum experiences in CSU system-leading studios, ensures students acquire valuable skills to prepare them for the music and audio business. Opt for music industry, partake in learning business skills and how to organize, manage, network, promote, and produce live concerts and events on and off campus. Or choose from recording arts, to build a strong foundation for a successful career in music and sound engineering.

Theatre at Chico State offers focused, pre-professional training within a broad liberal arts framework. Applied studio courses, workshops, and productions equip students with essential theatre skills for entry-level jobs or advanced studies. Textual analysis, literature, and theatre history deepen cultural understanding, fostering critical thinking and effective communication. The BA provides a well-balanced curriculum with electives in performance, technical theatre, and dramatic literature. The BFA in Musical Theatre focuses on acting, singing, and dancing, providing a specialized track within the common core. Join us in cultivating versatile theatre professionals!

Theatre students at Chico State receive pre-professional training within a broad liberal arts study. Our programs, BA and BFA, provide a strong foundation in history, literature, and aesthetic principles. Through studio courses, workshops, and productions, students acquire practical theatre skills for professional employment or advanced study. Textual analysis, literature, and theatre history enhance critical thinking and creative imagination. The BA offers a well-balanced curriculum with elective choices, while the BFA in Musical Theatre focuses on specialized training in acting, singing, and dancing after completing core courses. Prepare for a dynamic journey in the world of theatre arts at Chico State!

The Certificate in Keyboard Pedagogy is a specialized course of study intended for those who will teach private or group piano lessons. Students receive both theoretical and practical training in the art of teaching, including ongoing participation through observation, assisting, and teaching in group and studio keyboard settings.

The program can be completed in two semesters and is for students who already have a degree in music or who wish to take the program in conjunction with the BA in music. Candidates with prior private or institutional training and/or teaching experience may apply up to nine units of transfer credit in lieu of required or elective courses.

The Certificate in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy is a specialized course of study for those whose career goals include either vocal performance or teaching.

The Minor in Music provides opportunities for students in other majors to take courses and become a member of ensembles within the Department of Music and Theatre, broadening their college experience.

The Minor in Theatre Arts provides courses and production opportunities for students in other majors who wish to add intellectual and practical understanding of theatre to their college experience.

The Minor in Dance provides courses and production opportunities for students in other majors who wish to add intellectual and practical understanding of dance to their college experience.