Cost & earnings at Chatham University What students borrow here, and what they go on to earn
Chatham University's Bachelor in Music is a liberal-arts–rooted undergraduate degree for students who want rigorous training in performance, musicianship and creative practice within a supportive, small-college environment. It suits aspiring performers, composers, educators and arts administrators who value one-to-one instruction, ensemble experience and interdisciplinary study across music and theatre.
The programme combines core musicianship training with applied study and ensemble performance. Typical areas of study include music theory and aural skills, music history and literature, applied lessons (private instruction), chamber music and large ensembles, sight-singing and ear training, and directed performance projects. Students can expect modules or course units in composition, arranging, conducting fundamentals, music technology and recording, and courses that explore music in cultural and historical contexts.
Performance is central: most students take weekly one-to-one lessons on their principal instrument or voice, participate in choirs, orchestras, bands or musical theatre productions, and present juries and recitals. The curriculum also offers elective options in theatre, music pedagogy, arts management and interdisciplinary studies, enabling students to combine musical study with broader creative or academic interests. Capstone experiences typically include a senior recital or a substantial creative/analytical project.
Applicants should hold a secondary-school completion credential equivalent to a high-school diploma. Admission commonly requires an audition on principal instrument or voice demonstrating technical ability, musicality and repertoire appropriate to the level of study; alternative assessments (recorded auditions) may be possible for distance applicants. Schools often request academic transcripts and a personal statement outlining musical goals and experience.
Additional materials that strengthen an application include teacher or mentor recommendations, a curriculum vitae listing performances and activities, and for some candidates a portfolio of compositions or recordings. International applicants must satisfy English-language competence through an accepted test or institutional proof of proficiency. Specific audition repertoire, minimum academic standards and submission formats are available from the university's admissions guidance.
Graduates enter a range of music and theatre-related careers. Common pathways include professional performance (solo, chamber, orchestral, choral, musical theatre), music education at community and school levels, private music teaching, and roles in arts administration and production. Skills developed in the programme—performance, ensemble collaboration, score reading, arranging, digital audio and project management—also apply to careers in music technology, recording, composition for media and freelance arts entrepreneurship.
Many alumni combine professional practice with further study (graduate performance degrees, teaching certification, composition or musicology) or pursue internships and positions with regional arts organisations, theatres, community music programmes and educational institutions.
Chatham offers a small-college setting with close faculty mentorship, frequent performance opportunities and an emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. The institution supports personalised applied instruction, ensemble participation and public performance as key components of musical development. Students benefit from collaboration across music and theatre programmes and from access to rehearsal spaces, practice rooms and performance venues maintained for student use.
The university’s liberal-arts foundation encourages students to pair musical training with studies in related fields such as theatre, education, communications or business, preparing graduates for a range of professional pathways. Faculty are active performers, teachers and scholars who provide practical guidance on audition preparation, career planning and postgraduate study.
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