20 Bachelor's degrees offered by the university

For more than 50 years, at Northwestern University, the Bienen School of Music’s Brass program has enjoyed the highest international reputation as well as a close relationship with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Beyond the development of skills and training in techniques, the study of art involves gaining both an understanding of visual thinking and an awareness of the histories, issues and concepts that bear on the direction and role of the visual arts in our culture today. We offer a bachelor degree in Art Theory and Practice at Northwestern University.

The dual degree program in Music and Communication at Northwestern University offers students the opportunity to earn either a bachelor of music or bachelor of arts in music and either a bachelor of science or bachelor of arts in communication in five years.

The Jazz Studies program at Northwestern University currently offers the bachelor of music and master of music degrees. In addition to the excellent instruction at the Bienen School of Music, students have ready access to a wide array of challenging coursework in other fields, something that can be found only at a major research university.

The Percussion program at Northwestern University provides a program of study in orchestral, solo, chamber, world and jazz idioms. Students work with world-class artists in both private and master class settings, creating an unequaled experience in percussion training.

The Performance Studies program at Northwestern University explores performance in all its forms, extending and deepening the understanding of performance as central to the human condition.

Northwestern University has been in the forefront of Music Education for decades, producing literally thousands of teachers that can be found throughout the world.

Encompassing much more than music history, the Musicology Program at Northwestern University approaches music as a social activity shaped by aesthetic movements and intellectual theories – in essence, the humanistic study of music in culture.

The Woodwinds program at Northwestern University has a long and distinguished history. Since its beginnings in the 1950s, the program focal point has been an outstanding faculty, many of whom have also been affiliated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

At Radio, Television and Film from Northwestern University you’ll receive hands-on training in creating, editing, and producing innovative media—films, computer animation, soundtracks, and video installations. Student work regularly wins awards in the U.S. and abroad. 

The Composition and Music Technology program at Northwestern University is among the most vibrant and progressive in the country, featuring internationally recognized faculty members whose works are regularly performed by top orchestras, chamber ensembles, and soloists throughout the world.

If you have the ability and commitment, you can explore these two complementary fields simultaneously through the Combined Music and Engineering Program at Northwestern University.

The Manufacturing and Design Engineering (MaDE) program at Northwestern University is the Segal Design Institute’s undergraduate program that culminates in a bachelor of science degree from Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering. The MaDE program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

The Strings program at Northwestern University has assembled one of the finest string faculties in the nation. Each teacher is recognized not only for performing ability and scholarship but also for a love of the creative process that transforms a talented young instrumentalist into an accomplished professional musician.

The Art History program at Northwestern University is designed to provide knowledge of a geographically and historically diverse corpus of art and architecture, as well as the related cultural practices of the societies that produced and encountered them.

The Voice and Opera program at Northwestern University has a long and illustrious history. Today, program alumni fill the ranks of opera houses and university faculties worldwide. For more than a century, the Bienen School has offered a unique combination of conservatory-level musical training with the academic rigor of a top-tier research institution. 

Northwestern University’s Program in Music Theory and Cognition is unique in its combination of two related disciplines that share a common goal: to examine how musical structure interacts with creativity (composition, improvisation), performance (reproduction, movement), and reception (listening and interpretation).

Studying the Theatre program at Northwestern University you’ll develop the ability to analyze situations and complex social issues from a variety of perspectives, while developing skills in research, writing, group discussion, oral presentation, performance and production.

The Piano program at Northwestern University is designed to prepare young artists for the multifaceted opportunities awaiting them in today’s music world. The relatively small size of our program—typically less than 50 students total in all degree programs—creates a community that is collegial but motivated toward achievement.

At the Dance program at Northwestern University you’ll study composition and choreography in depth as you are challenged to write, research, and analyze the field of dance.