Bachelor in Music (Bachelor's)

Tuition is Tuition and fees are subject to change and are published annually by the college..

The Music programme at Smith College integrates global musical genres with critical analysis of music's role in society. Students engage in interdisciplinary study across composition, theory, ethnomusicology, and performance. The curriculum emphasizes research, writing, and practical application through coursework and performance. Faculty guide students in exploring music through lenses of culture, politics, and identity.

Focus areas include Composition and digital music, Ethnomusicology and world music, Musicology and music history, Popular and vernacular music, Theory and analysis of music, Performance.

The major requires ten semester courses and four performance credits, including foundational courses, six electives across five areas, and a senior capstone seminar. Performance credits may be earned through lessons, conducting, or ensemble participation.

Graduates pursue careers in music performance, music scholarship, composition, and music education.

Applicants must complete MUS 102, MUS 110, and MUS 202 as foundational courses. Auditions are required for performance courses and ensembles. Students must meet departmental approval for substitute or transfer courses.

The programme totals about 40 credit hours. On-campus, full-time, four-year programme. For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 20% of applicants.

Residential life is central to Smith. The college has 40 self-governing houses rather than conventional dorms, and most students live on campus throughout their college career. House communities bring together students from all four class years and sustain traditions such as Friday afternoon tea. The campus includes Paradise Pond, formed in the 18th century by a dam on the Mill River. It serves as a campus attraction and a living laboratory for science students. Smith is in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Smith’s open curriculum gives students room to shape an education across disciplines. Current students combine fields such as computer science and psychology, sociology and landscape studies, or neuroscience and chemistry. The college supports paths into STEM, the humanities, graduate study, professional school, and service programs. Career support begins when students arrive, with nine career advisers, internship opportunities, conference funding, fellowships advising, and access to Smith Career Connect. Eighty-seven percent of graduates complete at least one internship while at Smith.

International students can draw on a worldwide alumni network of 53,000 people in more than 130 countries. Praxis grants support unpaid internships around the world, while Smith’s fellowship advising includes opportunities such as the Fulbright program. Recent student experiences have included work connected to Ghana, international taekwondo competition, and climate research in Rhode Island. The college’s location in Northampton places campus life within a Massachusetts setting while its academic and alumni networks extend well beyond the United States.