Popular Music, Minor
Do you love popular music? Have you considered working in the music industry? This program is for musicians, producers, sound engineers and anyone interested in the music business or creating music for today's audiences.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Minor description
In the popular music minor program, you gain a working knowledge of music production and the music industry in the popular music minor program. You are invited to use the state-of-the-art popular music facilities and participate in visiting artist and extracurricular programs, including an annual career conference, industry partner activations, and performances at local venues.
Courses
This undergraduate minor includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below:
2026-2027 Catalog Year
The minor requires 21 credit hours. A "C" minimum is required for all courses in the minor, although students must maintain a 3.00 GPA in the post-baccalaureate certificate program.
| Requirement | Minimum grade | Credit hours |
|---|---|---|
|
The School of Music, Dance and Theatre offers a popular music minor consisting of 21 credit hours of coursework, including nine credit hours of upper division courses. A minimum grade of "C" (2.00) is required in all courses for the minor. For those pursing a minor, a minimum overall GPA of "C" (2.00) is required. |
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|
MSC 115 Music Production Fundamentals
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
MSC 451 Popular Music Industry Studies I
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
MUS 100 Fundamentals of Music Notation
3 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 3 |
|
6 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 6 |
|
6 credit hours
Minimum
grade:C
|
C | 6 |
|
Prerequisite courses may be needed in order to complete the requirements of this minor.
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If students test out of MSC 115 and/or MUS 100, they should replace those credits with MSC 221 Popular Music Lab. |
Enrollment requirements
GPA Requirement: None
Incompatible Majors: BA in music (popular music)
Other Enrollment Requirements: None
Current ASU undergraduate students may pursue a minor and have it recognized on their ASU transcript at graduation. Minor requirements appear on the degree audit once the minor is added. Certain major and minor combinations may be deemed inappropriate by the college or department of either the major program or the minor. Courses taken for the minor may not count toward both the major and minor.
Here are the admission and application details
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
Career options for graduates include professional opportunities in and around:
- composition
- engineering
- live event production and management
- music business
- music production
- music technology
- musical performance
- scoring
- songwriting
- sound design
They also pursue careers as independent artists and in areas such as education and advocacy work.
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
School of Music, Dance and Theatre
|
MUSIC 167
mdtadmissions@asu.edu
480-965-5069
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
