<p>I've been trying to find some colleges that offer high-caliber programs in both of these areas (music and engineering) for undergrad study, but without too much success, since this type of cross-ranking usually isn't done. 4-year programs (not 3/2, or other) would be optimal, and my preferred specialization for the degrees would be violin performance and electrical engineering. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>UC Berkeley. I had a floormate in my dorm that was dual music/math major...kinda a right-brain, left-brain thing.</p>
<p>I don't think you can major in engineering and music simultaneously at Berkeley, since they are in different "colleges". You could probably minor in music though.</p>
<p>Berkeley has strong music and engineering programs.</p>
<p>I believe it's possible to do a dual degree at Johns Hopkins/ Peabody conservatory. Univ. of Rochester / Eastman is another possibility, don't know if you can do a dual degree.</p>
<p>Bucknell would meet your requirements nicely. It has a solid engineering program and a by audition conservatory-like music program.</p>
<p>USC has a strong engineering program and the Thorton School of music.</p>
<p>I second Berkeley -- that's what comes to mind for engineering and music.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon University
Johns Hopkins University
Northwestern University
Rice University
University of California-Berkeley
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Rochester
University of Southern California</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a perfect fit. It is very strong both in electrical engineering and music.</p>
<p>Double majoring is actually quite difficult, but music is a common minor for several electrical engineering students at CMU.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt University has both the Blair School of Music and the School of Engineering, and has quite a few EECS majors who do dual majors in both of those schools. A couple of years ago, one of the computer science students (EECS) triple majored in computer science, math and music; he is at MIT for grad. school, according to a presentation shown to prospective engr. students. The head of the computer science dept recently mentioned to me that music performance is a popular second major with some of their strongest students. </p>
<p>A word of warning, though. It is much easier to complete dual degrees of this sort if you enter college with a good deal of advanced standing and/or credit for AP or university courses completed while in high school. In that regard, Vanderbilt may be a better choice than some of the other schools mentioned above; if your record is strong--good grades and 5s on the AP exams--the engineering school will give you clearance to skip over some of the math and science classes. It is an individualized decision.</p>
<p>My son has taken the advanced standing and is attempting to triple major and still finish in four years. Not everyone will be in position to do so.</p>
<p>Case Western and the Cleveland Institute of music have a great relationship. Most engineering majors minor in music.</p>
<p>Rice is another school with strong programs in both engineering and music</p>
<p>I hate to tell you this, but I bet you'd be hard pressed to find anybody who was able to double major in music performance and engineering. Seriously. You could not pick two more demanding or exacting majors. (A minor is a different ballgame, however not all conservatory level performance programs will permit a minor.)</p>
<p>To do engineering and music performance majors the scheduling alone would be impossible (unless you want to take 6 or more years perhaps).</p>
<p>Call a few of these schools music departments and ask them if anybody has ever done it.</p>
<p>Here is the page from Eastman that talks about dual degrees.</p>
<p>weenie, I think in general you are correct, but see my post # 9 above. There are in fact, some students doing a double major in some engineering fields and music performance at Vanderbilt, in four years. It is not easy, and the dean I spoke with mentioned that it is primarily their very strongest students, who came in with advanced standing, which eased up the schedule enough to fit in courses that would otherwise overlap and prevent finishing in four years. </p>
<p>I think most engineering programs would not even let their students attempt it. The OP and anyone else seriously considering this course absolutely must talk with advisers in both programs before making a commitment.</p>
<p>Depending on the student and the school, most any combo program can be done.</p>
<p>Both weenie and midmo make excellent points, but realize that to do this as an undergrad in these two disciplines will be quite demanding. Expect to spend 5 years, maybe summers.</p>
<p>The Rochester link is an excellent take on this subject.</p>
<p>At conservatory level programs, the demands of a performance degree require an inordinate amount of time beyond the actual class room for practice, fulfilling ensemble and performance related requirements.
Thoughts of a particular studio instructor may figure very prominently even in schools that allow/encourage double majors.</p>
<p>I'm also going to assume that a major like EE will also require some courses involving lab courses and possibly seminars and maybe a practicum in the upper levels. An engineering degree in an of itself is an intense concentration.</p>
<p>Be advised of conflicting class time schedules. There may be no flexibility in trying to arrange a schedule around requirements for either degree.</p>
<p>Yes, for some people, it's possible. For others, it is not.</p>
<p>I would spend a few minutes reading the double major threads at the music major forum. There are many discussions there detailing observations, experiences, and pitfalls covering a wide range of schools and mixed disciplines.</p>
<p>Another thought to consider is an undergrad degree in one discipline, a masters in the second. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Afterthought: MIT has an exceptional music program (I'm don't think they actually confer a BM in performance) but they have a very well deserved rep of fielding high level ensembles and players from within the ranks of the student body. If credentials are good enough, you may well want to investigate that option, deferring a performance degree and still being able to partake in a very high quality music experience.</p>
<p>Just another thought...</p>
<p>Columbia has a joint program with Julliard- though it's incredibly hard to get into and I think it's a 3/2 program. (I'm not sure...)</p>
<p>The Columbia/Juilliard program is extremely selective... I recall numbers in the single digits for those admitted; the Tufts/NEC program is also fairly restrictive.</p>
<p>There are many very good schools mentioned that could well serve the parameters of the OP.</p>
<p>The earlier mention of MIT reminded me that a poster on cc recently mentioned that music was the most popular minor at MIT. Of course, getting into MIT can be quite a challenge; observing recent MIT decisions from my town leads me to think that an outstanding music record can be a significant positive factor, however.</p>
<p>UC Berkeley's music department offers a performance emphasis option, but is not a conservatory -- the major is "general" and requires music history, ethnomusicology, musicianship, and performance. There is a good orchestra, chorus, and chamber music program but the tenured faculty is academic. Nonmajors can easily participate in the orchestra and chamber music programs (unlike UCLA, where the music performance department is in a separate college from engineering). There are practice rooms and a small subsidy for lessons for music majors only. It is nothing like doing Columbia-Juilliard (which is so restrictive an option that it is hardly worth considering; they take about 1 person a year, even of the tiny pool of students who get into both schools, and while it is possible to go to Columbia and take lessons at Juilliard, you are on your own arranging that and, most often, paying for it too), but there are many excellent teachers in the Bay area.</p>
<p>For those interested, here is the link from the (Hopkins)/Peabody pages discussing double majors/dual degrees. <a href="http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/doubledegree%5B/url%5D">http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/doubledegree</a></p>
<p>The "articles" from the Peabody pages (follow the links on that page) as well as these from Rice/Sheperd <a href="http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/%7Enavmusic/careerpaths/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~navmusic/careerpaths/index.html</a> should be mandatory reading for all those considering a music degree/career, whether singly or in conjunction with a secondary discipline.</p>
<p>They are both excellent sources and a wealth of information.</p>
<p>Rochester also has a strong music department of its own, apart from Eastman.
<a href="http://www.rochester.edu/College/MUR/%5B/url%5D">http://www.rochester.edu/College/MUR/</a>
It may be easier to double major in music without going through Eastman. Of course, Eastman is one of the most selective conservatories in the country; if you are of the level to get accepted to Eastman, you may not be satisfied with a non-conservatory department.</p>