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Music Degrees for Military and Veterans

Follow Your Passion: Start Your Career with a Degree in Music

Does the thought of a Monday-to-Friday, 9-to-5 job make you want to forgo retirement and re-enlist? How about the prospects of an office job and TPS reports? Don’t despair; there are a plethora of potential jobs that are desirable, enjoyable, and profitable.  A degree in Music can be found as an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral program.

Careers with a Degree in Music

A degree in music can prepare a student for a wide variety of exciting careers including:
  • Music entertainer (vocal or instrumental, soloist or group, live performance artist or session musician, DJ, etc.)
  • Event production (including planning, management, etc.)
  • Artist management
  • Arts administrator
  • Music director (band, choral, orchestras; K-12, college, community, youth, domestic/international)
  • Composer
  • Music teacher (K-12, college, university, conservatory, religious organizations, private studio)
  • Music production and design (including audio engineering, mastering, mixing, music directing, producing, programming, recording engineer, studio manager, etc.)
  • Music for film (including composing, editing, supervising, arranging/adapting, mixing)
  • Music store proprietor (including owner, manager, sales)
  • Music critic or reviewer
  • Music marketing
  • Music media (including writing, editing, publishing).
  • Personnel manager (orchestras, arts organizations, shows, events)
  • Instrument sales, tuning, repair
  • Radio – programming, research, management
  • Recruiter for talent agencies, artists, bands, etc.
  • Song writer (including composer; lyricist; jingle writing for television, radio, and internet; freelance work)
 

Associate Degree in Music

An Associate Degree in Music prepares students for a career in music and further educational success. An Associate Degree in Music will serve as an introduction to the field of Music and touch on topics such as:

Jobs with an Associate Degree in Music

Musicians and Singers

Play instruments or sing for live audiences and in recording studios. Perform in a variety of styles, such as classical, jazz, opera, hip-hop, and rock. Hourly wages vary by industry:

Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries                 $40.36

Religious, civic, professional, and similar organizations                   $25.24

Educational services; state, local, and private                                        $25.07

GI Bill-Approved Schools Offerings Associate Degrees in Music

Ready to start your Associate Degree in Music? Check out these great programs available at our partner schools:

California College of Music

Located in Pasadena, CA, the California College of Music offers associate degree and certificates in music and music performance.

Allan Hancock College

Offers an Associate in Arts in Music.

Scottsdale Community College

Offers an Associate of Arts in Music.

Bachelor’s Degree in Music

A Bachelor’s Degree in Music will provide students with a comprehensive, interdisciplinary education. Students can individualize their studies based on interests and future career goals. Popular specializations include:Upon graduation, students can choose to enter the workforce and/or pursue further education by earning a graduate degree.

Jobs with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music

Music Director

Lead musical groups during performances and recording sessions. Median Annual Salary: $52,000.

Composer

Write and arrange original music in a variety of musical styles. Median Annual Salary: $52,000.

Public Relations Specialist

Create and maintain a favorable public image for the artists or organizations they represent. Median Annual Salary: $63,000.

GI Bill-Approved Schools Offerings a Bachelor's Degree in Music

Ready to start your Bachelor’s Degree in Music? Check out these great programs available at our partner schools:

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music is located in Boston, MA and offers several bachelor's degrees in music with different areas of focus.

Biola University

Offers a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Biola also offers several varieties of Bachelor’s in Music (BM) including Composition, Performance, Education, and Therapy. Biola University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

Cairn University (Online)

Offers a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Music (BMus) in Worship and Music. These degrees can be individualized in a wide variety of specialties including Performance (by instrument), Composition, and Education. Cairn University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

Michigan State University

Offers a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music as well as several other undergraduate majors in Music including: Composition, Jazz Studies, Education, and Performance. Michigan State participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

Pomona College

Offers a Bachelor's Degree in Music and participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

Syracuse University

Offers a wide variety of Bachelor Degrees in Music including Composition, History and Cultures, Performance, and Education. Syracuse University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

Tiffin University

Offers a Bachelor's Degree in Music and participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

Online Schools Offerings Bachelor's Degrees in Music

GI Bill-approved schools with online bachelor’s in music programs.

Fort Hays State University

Offers a fully online Bachelor of Arts in Music. Fort Hays State University also offers a wide variety of campus-based Bachelor’s Degrees in Music including Performance, Composition, and Music Education. Fort Hays State University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

Master’s Degree in Music

A Master’s Degree in Music is a popular choice for those seeking to become an expert in their field. Because of the wide range of specialties in the music field, desirable graduate programs will allow students the freedom to specialize their studies in a particular area(s) of interest with one or even several concentrations. From performance and specific instruments to composition to education, the field of Music is vast and offers students an endless variety of future successes.

Jobs with a Master’s Degree in Music

Producer (Music)

Work on motion pictures, television shows, live theater, commercials, and other performing arts productions. Median Annual Salary: $76,000.

Postsecondary Teacher

Instruct students in Music courses beyond the high school level. Median Annual Salary: $80,000.

Author

Develop written content for various types of media on the topic of Music and the Performing Arts. Median Annual Salary: $82,000.

Schools Offerings Master's Degrees in Music

Ready to start your Master’s Degree in Music? Check out these great programs available at our partner schools:

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

For more info, please go here.

Cairn University

Offers a Master of Arts in Worship and Music. Cairn University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.  For more info, please go here.

George Mason University

Offers a Master’s of Music (MM) degree. This is a comprehensive and advanced program of study with a choice of concentrations in performance, music education, composition, conducting, jazz studies, collaborative piano, and pedagogy. George Mason University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program. For more info, please go here.

Michigan State University

Offers a Master of Arts in Music and a Master of Music. Degree concentrations include: collaborative piano, composition, conducting (wind, choral, and orchestral), jazz studies, music education, music performance (brass, percussion, piano, strings, voice, and woodwinds), music theory, musicology, and piano pedagogy. Michigan State participates in the Yellow Ribbon program. For more info, please go here.

University of North Georgia

Offer's a Masters in Music.

 

Online Schools Offerings Master's Degrees in Music

Kansas State University Online

Offers a Master of Music. Please note that this program does require one week-long session on K-State’s main campus. K-State participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.  For more info, please go here.

Doctoral Degrees in Music

A Doctorate in Music can be earned as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or as a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA). The PhD is primarily focused on research and/or teaching at the postsecondary level. A DMA is usually focused on performance, composition, conducting, and/or music education.

George Mason University

Offers a PhD in Music Education. This program is a research-intensive degree focusing on the gathering, processing, and interpretation of information. George Mason University participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

Michigan State University

Offers a Doctor of Musical Arts and Doctor of Philosophy. Degree opportunities include: collaborative piano, composition, conducting (winds, choral, and orchestral), music education, and music performance (brass, percussion, piano, strings, voice, and woodwinds). Michigan State participates in the Yellow Ribbon program.

*All statistics and calculations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For more information click here.

In summary, your goal in selecting a school is to find a college with a music degree program for military students that fits your needs and study goals. Always check out the school's accreditation and make sure you can get the registered education benefits you need. Ask to speak to the music department chair and visit the school's music facilities, and if possible, arrange for a private lesson with a music professor.

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