Music
Associate in Arts for Transfer School of Arts and Social Sciences · Merced College · 2026-2027 Catalog
School of Arts and Social Sciences
The Associate in Arts in Music for Transfer degree at Merced College is designed to prepare students to successfully transfer to a CSU campus as music majors. The AA-T Music degree offers students the opportunity to obtain basic music skills in theory and musicianship, applied music, and ensemble performance. It is designed for students to complete the first two years of core major coursework required at CSU campuses. Students enrolling in the AA-T Music degree will be required to pass a keyboard proficiency exam in order to receive their degree. Upon beginning the program, students will need to determine an area of Applied Performance and will be placed on the basis of audition.
Music faculty are dedicated to assisting students at every step in their studies in the music department of Merced College and are committed to helping students explore their performance, teaching, and professional opportunities, and the process of transferring to baccalaureate programs in music.
Students completing this degree are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, but not a particular campus or major. Students should be aware that most CSU campuses require placement exams for music majors, even with a completed AA-T Music degree.
For more information on the AA-T Music degree, contact your counselor or Merced College music faculty.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
A. Perform selected exercises and compositions that reflect the standard repertoire of lower division instrumental or vocal performance courses at four-year institutions.
B. Apply standard theoretical concepts in the understanding of existing compositions, the organization of musical sounds, and in the creation of original compositions.
C. Demonstrate an understanding of performance ensemble skills including blend, balance, intonation and interpretation as a part of either vocal or instrumental performance groups using a variety of musical styles
D. Demonstrate piano proficiency.
For an Associate in Arts in Music for Transfer (AA-T), students must complete the following:
60 semester CSU-transferable units.
the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) pattern.
a minimum of 18 semester in the major or area of emphasis as determined by the community college district.
obtainment of a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
earn a grade of C (or P) or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis.
Note: Students are not required to complete any additional local graduation requirements for the AA-T (e.g., PE and Computer and Information Literacy courses).
Program Requirements:
Program Core: (22 Units)
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUST-01 | Music Theory I (Diatonic Harmony) | 3 |
| MUST-02 | Music Theory II (Diatonic Harmony II) | 3 |
| MUST-03 | Music Theory III (Chromatic Harmony) | 3 |
| MUST-04 | Music Theory IV (Music Theory of the 20th and 21st Centuries) | 3 |
| MUST-05 | Aural Skills I | 1 |
| MUST-06 | Aural Skills II | 1 |
| MUST-07 | Aural Skills III | 1 |
| MUST-08 | Aural Skills IV | 1 |
| Music Applied: (2 units) | ||
| MUSA-20 | * Applied Music | 0.5 |
| Music Ensembles: (4 units) | ||
| MUSE-41 | * Concert Band | 1 |
| MUSE-42 | * Jazz Ensemble | 1 |
| MUSE-43 | * Guitar Ensemble | 1 |
| MUSE-44 | * Chorale | 1 |
| MUSE-45 | * Chamber Singers | 1 |
| Total Units toward the Major | 22 | |
Total Units that may be double counted: (0 units)
General Education (Cal-GETC ) Units: (34 Units)
Elective (CSU Transferable) Units: (4 units)
Total Degree Units: (60 Units)
*Repeatable for credit.