Certificate in Music

The Certificate in Music provides UH West O‘ahu students with
an opportunity to improve skills and gain knowledge in four areas of Music: Music Performance; Music Theory and Music Writing; Music Technology; and Music History and Literature. Students will benefit from a diverse set of experiences designed to enhance musicianship in traditional and contemporary music ensembles, encourage music creativity, and foster a better understanding of music’s role in our world. Students desiring life-long participation in community ensembles will find the Certificate in Music useful as a bridge to post-college music-making. Graduates of the Certificate in Music will also be better prepared to incorporate Music into their career pursuits. Elementary educators, for instance, incorporate Music into their classroom teaching; Business/Marketing use their knowledge of Music Literature to support an effective advertising campaign; and Creative Media majors use their practical skills in the recording studio to reinforce the impact of a film or documentary.

Students in the Certificate in Music will pursue a self-curated course of study with up to four of the following learning outcomes:

  • MUS1: (For students taking courses in Area #1) Sing or play an instrument in a traditional or contemporary ensemble setting (i.e., Band, Chorus, Hawaiian Ensemble, Strings, etc.).
  • MUS2: (For students taking courses in Area #2) Analyze and create notated music at a basic college level.
  • MUS3: (For students taking courses in Area #3) Use industry standard music technology to create music and sound.
  • MUS4: (For students taking courses in Area #4) Discuss music’s historic and contemporary roles in our world.

The 18-credit Certificate in Music requires MUS 280, Basic Theory and Aural Skills (3 credits); and 15 credits from a self-curated course of study (5-6 courses). To fulfill those 15 credits, students can choose classes from four (4) areas: Music Performance; Music Theory and Music Writing; Music Technology; and Music History and Literature. In order to graduate with the Certificate in Music, students must maintain a grade of “C” or better.

Required:

MUS 280 Basic Theory and Aural Skills (3 cr)

And a total of 15 credits from any of the following 4 areas below:

AREA #1: Music Performance

Any of the courses below may be repeated once (taken a total of 2 times) for credit towards the additional 15 credits for the certificate.

  • MUS 114 University Chorus (2 cr, repeatable)
  • MUS 121α Class Instruction, instrument or voice (2 cr,
    repeatable)
  • MUS 211 Intro to Hawaiian Ensemble (2 cr, repeatable)
  • MUS 311 Hawaiian Ensemble (2 cr, repeatable)
  • MUS 419 University Band (2 cr, repeatable)
  • MUS 410H University Strings (2 cr, repeatable)

AREA #2: Music Theory / Music Writing

  • MUS 108 Fundamentals of Western Music (3 cr)
  • MUS 208 Intro to Songwriting (3 cr)
  • MUS 289 Intro to Music Writing for Media (3 cr)
  • MUS 389 Intermediate Music Writing for Media (3 cr)
  • MUS 489 Advanced Music Writing for Media (3 cr)
  • MUS 308 Songwriting II (3 cr)

AREA #3: Music Technology

  • MUS 240 – Intro to Music Technology (3 cr)
  • MUS 314 – Music, Sound and Media (3 cr)
  • MUS 343 – Audio Production: Intro to Mixing (3 cr)

AREA #4: Music History and Literature

  • MUS 106 Intro to Music Literature (3 cr)
  • MUS 107 Music in World Cultures (3 cr)
  • MUS 366 Stormy Weather: A Jazz History (3 cr)
  • MUS 367 History of American Popular Music (3 cr)
  • MUS 368 Cool Runnings: A Reggae History (3 cr)
  • MUS 369 K-Pop & J-Pop: Korean & Japanese Music (3 cr)
  • MUS 395 Dialectics & Aesthetics of Sound (3 cr) xlst POLS

The faculty contact for the Certificate in Music is:

Dr. Jon Magnussen
Email: jonmagnu@hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 689-2357

Want to know more?
Contact Dr. Jon by email jonmagnu@hawaii.edu if you have questions about the program, or contact student advising on how to add a music certificate to your degree.