Popular Music Programs - United States

Here you'll find an ever-growing list of college and university level Popular Music (PM) across the world. The programs listed focus on aspects  of popular songwriting/composition, performance, popular music studies, and popular musicology. While some programs listed also include aspects of recording technology, music business, and/or entrepreneurship this is in conjunction with a songwriting and/or performance focus. In the near future I hope to add secondary PM programs as well. If your program is not listed below, please contact me at steveholleymusic@gmail.com Thanks!

 

Alabama

Samford University

  •  BA in Commercial Music

Arizona

Arizona State University 

  • BA in Popular Music

California

Azusa Pacific University

  • BM in Commercial Music

California Institute for the Arts

  • BM in Musical Arts/Experimental Pop

Point Loma Nazarene University

  • BA in Commercial Music with a concentration in Composition or Performance

University of Southern California

  • BM in Popular Music
  • Minor in Songwriting
  • Minor in Popular Music 
  •  MM in Popular Music Teaching and Learning

Colorado

Community College of Aurora

  • AAS in Music and Entertainment Entrepreneurship with a concentration in Music Performance
  • AAS in Music and Entertainment Entrepreneurship with a concentration in Music Production

University of Colorado-Denver

  • BS in Singer/Songwriter
  • BS in Performance

Florida

Florida Atlantic University

  • BM in Commercial Music
  • Minor in Commercial Music

Palm Beach Atlantic University

  • BM in Popular Music
  • Minor in Popular Music

University of Miami

  • BM in Musicianship, Artistry Development, and Entrepreneurship
  • Minor in Creative American Music 

Illinois

Columbia College-Chicago

  • BA in Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music
  • BM in Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music
  • Minor in Hip-Hop Studies 

Greenville University

  • BA in Commercial Music with Performance or Songwriting emphasis

Millikin University 

  • BM in Commercial Music

Louisiana

Loyola University-New Orleans

  • BS in Popular and Commercial Music 
  • BS in Urban and Electronic Music Production

Maine

University of Maine at Augusta 

  • BM in Contemporary and Popular Music

Maryland

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

  • BA in Jazz and Popular Music

Massachusetts

Berklee College of Music

  • BM in Performance
  • BM in Professional Music 
  • BM in Songwriting
  • Minor in American Roots Music
  • Minor in Electronic Performance
  • Minor in Performance Studies in Latin Music 

Minnesota

Minnesota State University-Moorhead

  • BS in Commercial Music
  • Minor in Commercial Music

Missouri

Webster University

  • BM in Songwriting

New Jersey

Bergen Community College

  • AFA in Music with a concentration in Popular Music

Rider University

  • BA in Popular Music Studies

William Paterson University

  • BA in Music with Popular Music Emphasis

New York

City College of New York

  • BA in Music with a concentration on Popular Music Studies 

Clive Davis Institute for Recorded Music at New York University 

  • BFA in Recorded Music

Longy School of Music of Bard College

  • AD in Jazz and Contemporary Music
  • MM in Jazz and Contemporary Music 

New York University Steinhardt School of Music

  • BM in Music Theory and Composition: Concentration in Contemporary Production and Songwriting
  • MM in Music Theory and Composition: Concentration in Songwriting

The New School

  • BA in Contemporary Music 
  • Minor in Contemporary Music

State University of New York-Oneonta

  • BA in Music Industry 

North Carolina

Catawba College

  • BA in Popular Music 

Western Carolina University

  • BM in Commercial and Electronic Music

    Ohio

    Cleveland State University

    • BA in Popular Music 

    Kent State University

    • BA in Music with a concentration in Contemporary Popular Music

    Tiffin University

    • BA in Professional Music
    • BA in Commercial Music with a concentration in Performance and Entrepreneurship
    • BA in Commercial Music with a concentration in Production and Engineering
    • BA in Commercial Music with a concentration in Management and Marketing

    University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

    • BM in Commercial Music Production

    Oklahoma

    University of Central Oklahoma

    • AA in Contemporary Music Performance
    • Minor in Contemporary Music Performance

    Oregon

    University of Oregon

    • BA in Music with a Popular Music concentration
    • BM in Music with a Popular Music concentration

    Pennsylvania

    Kutztown University

    • BA in Commercial Music

    South Carolina

    University of South Carolina Upstate

    • BA in Commercial Music 
    • Minor in Commercial Music 

    Tennessee

    Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University 

    • BA in Songwriting

    Belmont University School of Music

    • BM in Commercial Music with an emphasis in Composition and Arranging
    • MM in Commercial Music with an emphasis in Performance or Arranging

    Middle Tennessee State University

    • BS in Recording Industry with a concentration in Commercial Songwriting

    Tennessee State University

    • BS in Commercial Music

    University of Memphis

    • BM in Commercial Music 

    Texas

    Dallas College

    •  AAS Commercial Music with an emphasis in Digitial Music Production or Performing Musician

    University of Texas-El Paso

    • BM in Commercial Music

    Utah

    Brigham Young University

    • BM in Commercial Music

    Snow College

    • BM with emphasis in Commercial Music 

    Utah Valley University

    • BM in Commercial Music

    Virginia

    Liberty University

    • BM in Commercial Music with Songwriting emphasis

    Shenandoah University

    • BA in Contemporary Musicianship and Entrepreneur Development
    • MM in CCM Vocal Pedagogy

    Wyoming

    Western Wyoming Community College

    • AA in Popular Music, voice