Undergraduate majors in a wide variety of pure sciences, applied sciences and other technological fields lead toward the Bachelor of Science degree. The Bachelor of Musical Arts degree represents a more specific field: music performance, theory and history. However, students in both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Musical Arts programs can complete second majors in unrelated fields.
The Bachelor of Science degree typically represents a purely academic curriculum rather than a specific pre-professional one. The curriculum leading toward a Bachelor of Musical Arts degree falls somewhere between that of the more common Bachelor of Music (BM) degree, a pre-professional degree, and the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, an academic degree with a major in music. BMA degree programs, such as the one offered at DePauw University, typically include rigorous professional training in performance, theory and music history, just as a Bachelor of Music degree program would require. However, the BMA degree also requires students to complete a broader range of courses in the liberal arts. Students might complement their music major with a second liberal arts major, or with a major in education or business.
Almost all colleges offer the Bachelor of Science degree. As of 2010, this degree remains one of the most common baccalaureate degrees, along with the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Fewer schools offer the Bachelor of Musical Arts degree. Schools offering this degree include DePauw University, the University of Michigan and Pennsylvania State University. Many more schools offer Bachelor of Music (BM) degrees.
Requirements for both the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Musical Arts degree vary from school to school. Different schools have different general education requirements that all students, regardless of their degree program, must complete. These general requirements, often referred to as distribution requirements, might include a certain number of foreign language courses, quantitative skills courses, writing courses or history courses. Students also must complete requirements specific to their major or majors. BMA degree students typically must complete a certain number of courses in music performance, theory and history.
Both of these degrees allow for a wide variety of career possibilities. The added liberal arts component of the BMA degree ensures that students do not confine their future options to the music profession. Graduates with either a BS or a BMA degree can continue their education in graduate school or enter immediate employment in a field related to their majors. Science majors might apply for research jobs, and music majors might apply for jobs in music marketing or arts administration. Both degrees would prepare students for eventual teaching careers.