The Music Composition degree program offers instruction in the craft and art of composing music. It is designed to prepare students for freelance work as composers, arrangers, and copyists, for graduate work, and for a wide variety of professions in related fields. As an academic degree within the department of music, there is a strong emphasis on musical analysis, critical thought, and the wider undergraduate liberal arts curriculum for which Miami University is so highly ranked.

All Composition majors undertake private study with Composition faculty. Early lessons serve to introduce the skills and concepts necessary to successfully realize coherent original compositions. Lessons include review of works in progress, discussion of relevant repertoire and current compositional trends, and preparation for a final concert. Composition students work directly with student and guest performers and with Composition faculty to realize new works effectively in a concert setting.

• Program requirements (Miami General Bulletin: scroll down near the end of the page to Program Requirements: Music Composition)
• Sample four-year Composition degree map

The Bachelor of Music in Composition degree requires a minimum of 124 credit hours.

Electronic and Computer Music

The study of digital and analog technology for the creation of music is an integral component of the Composition degree. All majors have access to state-of-the-art electronic music studios. We offer a variety of classes covering a range of topics from basic production to music programming languages. Additional technology classes are offered through Miami’s renowned Department of Emerging Technology in Business+Design and the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering.

Auditions and Applied Study

All Composition students audition and study a primary instrument. These include: