Music Composition

Types of Degrees Music Composition Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many music theory & composition graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	344
Doctor’s Degree	66
Graduate Certificate	10

What Music Composition Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, music composition majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Music Composition Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in music composition should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Skills for Music Composition Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to music composition:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Music Composition Majors

Music Composition majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Music Composition Major?

People with a music composition degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Art, Drama, and Music Professors	12.0%	$69,960
Music Composers and Arrangers	5.7%	$49,630

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Music Composition?

This major attracts more men than women. About 59% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of music composition majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	14
Black or African American	13
Hispanic or Latino	31
White	166
International Students	103
Other Races/Ethnicities	17

Geographic Diversity

Music Composition appeals to people across the globe. About 29.9% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Music Composition

Some careers associated with music composition require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to music composition have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	5.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.8%
Some College Courses	9.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	4.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	16.8%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.1%
Master’s Degree	35.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	5.0%
Doctoral Degree	21.3%

Online Music Composition Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	8	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	5	0
Associate’s Degree	11	1
Bachelor’s Degree	10	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	78	2
Post-Master’s	6	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	31	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	0

Majors Related to Music Composition

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to music composition.

Major	Number of Grads
General Music	10,957
Music Performance	7,240
Music Technology	1,763
Other Music	1,126
Voice Performance	747
Stringed Instruments	622
Jazz Studies	589
Keyboard Instruments	566
Music Pedagogy	450
Music History	186
Woodwind Instruments	175
Conducting	167
Musicology & Ethnomusicology	148
Brass Instruments	120
Percussion Instruments	42
Sound Arts	33

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.