<p>Which colleges have both really good academics and a great opportunity to get degrees in both music AND something else? I know Harvard lets you get degrees from NEC and Harvard at the same time, but what other schools do something similar?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Oberlin College, you can dual enroll in the Conservatory and the CAS, but you have to be accepted into both.</p>
<p>You can double major in music and something else at a lot of schools... It kind of depends on what kind of music degree you want (i.e. performance, theory/comp, production, etc)</p>
<p>University of Toronto</p>
<p>No problem double-majoring in Music Theory or Composition and something else, but a Music Performance double major (as in the Harvard-NEC collaboration) is a rarity. It generally requires five years, and even then, you'd probably be essentially a Music Performance major who's just taking extra coursework - I doubt you'd have the time or flexibility to participate in a cohort of majors in the other field. Northwestern and Bard both advertise double-degree opportunities in addition to Oberlin.</p>
<p>Rice- but it's extremely difficult to do. Admission to performance programs is very competitive.</p>
<p>There is also a Juilliard-Columbia program, but very few get admitted let alone complete it.</p>
<p>The Harvard/NEC and Columbia/Juilliard combined programs as well as the Tufts/NEC are all extremely tough admits, and one needs to be at the top of the food chain musically, as well as academically. The accepted numbers are small, those completing smaller still. Realize also these are audition based performance geared admits at two of the best conservatories in the country.</p>
<p>A lot will depend on your focus, as well as your prior musical training and experience, and whether the music degree is for enlightenment or a potential career.</p>
<p>Rice and Oberlin are great options, as might be Rochester/Eastman Music needs a tighter definiton as to your intended discipline as some of the Ivy, Ivy-like institutions have great music academic departments, but can be marginal or less in terms of performance based opportunities and instruction. Peer level quality can also be lacking if one is performing at a conservatory level or above.</p>
<p>A science and a performanced based combo is virtually impossible in anything less than five years. A liberal arts based academic degree and a non performance music BA (as opposed to a BM) might be do-able in four years for the driven.</p>
<p>There are numerous discussions on CC's music major forum about specific programs and discipline combinations.</p>
<p>A science and a performanced based combo is virtually impossible in anything less than five years. A liberal arts based academic degree and a non performance music BA (as opposed to a BM) might be do-able in four.</p>
<p>A huge amount of music majors at Northwestern double major in something outside of music. I think it's something like 50 or 60 percent. When I was there this summer, they made it sound like it wasn't all that hard to do.</p>
<p>One of the major stumbling blocks in a music/academic double degree program can be course scheduling conflicts. All BM performance programs normally require a full eight semesters of instrumental performing organization participation, as well as small ensemble and specialty focus participation. These can be less for non-performance degrees, or BA music programs. </p>
<p>IPO's take up large blocks of time, usually two to three hours, two or three days a week. Studio classes also are a large frame time block. Often these are in conflict with non-music classes, even at larger institutions offering numerous time slots of the same course. </p>
<p>Add in personal practice time, jury and recital prep, and actual performance time and there is often more required hours than available time. Many will utilize summer and winterterm courses to pick up missed courses for the academic based major, or fulfill general degree cross requirements, but this adds duration as well as expense. Summer coursework can also limit intense summer immersion/fellowship participation, a must for those with professional performance based aspirations. </p>
<p>Yes, anything is possible, and many do accomplish it. The trick is knowing the pitfalls going in, knowing your degree requirements inside and out, effectively mapping your schedule, and utilizing your advisor(s). If you have limited financial resources, the issue is compounded.</p>
<p>I had the OP's dilemma when I was applying to colleges this fall. I've always wanted a balance between academics and music. I was conservatory-prepped for Eastman, Juilliard, and was even working on my repertoire for Curtis...but I realized that I needed a REAL balance since I was having problems realizing which one I wanted to make my career and the other my passionate hobby. Most of the conservatories are a 70:30 balance when it comes to music and academics. I also wanted it to be enjoyable and not overly competitive (but still stimulating and nurturing). I looked into Harvard or Tufts and NEC, but the commute between campuses made it difficult. Plus, I want to live on ONE campus, TWO degrees.</p>
<p>I only saw a few options after I made my specifications: Northwestern or Rice. Eastman and U-R was still good. I never really considered Johns Hopkins and Peabody (their piano faculty is nothing stellar at the moment). I ended up going with Northwestern because it has a tailored 5-year double degree program with either liberal arts (insert major), engineering, or journalism with the music school--which has a performance degree. And it's all on the same campus, so you don't lose that "college experience." </p>
<p>A couple other schools that have fantastic music programs:
University of Michigan
University of Southern California
Florida State University
Indiana University (although lacking in the academics)
University of Cincinnati+Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (lacking in academics as well)</p>
<p>I had a really hard time going through this application process. I didn't want to feel cheated, you know? But I'm extremely happy with my decision, and can't wait to start Northwestern in the fall :D</p>