Some of the colleges that provide Associate of Arts (AA) degrees in guitar include Cecil College (Maryland), Fresno City College (California), Orange Coast College (California) and the Musician Institute (California), an independent school that provides an Associate of Arts in Guitar Performance degree. Depending on the school, such things as the study program, tuition fees and admission requirements will vary.
The general coursework is typically comprised of musicianship subjects, such as harmony, theory, sight reading, studio recording, performance, music ensemble participation, ear training and instrument specific subjects, such as improvisation techniques, rhythm guitar styles, learning new genres and styles, jazz studies, and electives courses. Additionally, general education subjects can be also part of the Associate degree program in colleges, where some of the subjects include cultural anthropology, art electives, freshman composition, music literature and appreciation and more.
College admission requirements for students pursuing Associate degrees may include high-school graduation diploma, GED scores, 18 years old or older, high-school GPA or California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) certification.
Musicians Institute admission requirements include SAT or ACT scorer or college transcripts, recommendation letters, application fees and an essay.
Foreign student pursuing an Associate degree in any of the U.S colleges or independent institutes must provide TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores of 500 (paper-based) and 173 (computer-based). SAT or ACT scores might also be required, depending on the school. Most colleges and institutes' fees are higher for foreign or international students.