Music (BA)

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Program Description

The Music Program at NYU Abu Dhabi is committed to educating a new generation of musicians, capable of making and thinking about music from transnational and interdisciplinary perspectives. We seek to enrich the education and experience of all NYUAD students, and foster a vibrant and diverse musical community.

The music major at NYU Abu Dhabi focuses on developing well-rounded students, no matter which track they choose. In the Music Practice track, students develop an artistic practice combining composition, technology, and performance. The Music Studies track produces scholars of music with proficiency in research and a sophisticated understanding of music as a global cultural phenomenon.

Non-majors may engage with the Music Program in a variety of ways—from developing musical skills through lessons and ensembles to integrating one of our many crosslisted seminar courses into a broader program of study.

In the twenty-first century, music defies boundaries. Composers and performers now consistently stretch their art beyond the strictures of traditional instruments and sounds, and sometimes even beyond the realm of sound itself into engagement with movement and interactive media. Meanwhile, music has become a topic of cutting-edge scholarly work in such diverse disciplines as computer science, disability studies, history, neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, and sociocultural anthropology.

The Music Program fully embraces this reality. The faculty engage with multiple disciplines in their scholarly work, creative work, and teaching. The Program maintains key participation in the minors in Anthropology, African studies, Peace Studies, and Sound and Music Computing, as well as curricular synergies with Film, Theater, and Interactive Media.

By taking advantage of the uniqueness of Abu Dhabi as a cosmopolitan city and an international hub, the Music Program offers students opportunities to learn firsthand about a diverse range of traditional and popular music spanning various cultures and styles.

We connect our students to the thriving music and media scenes in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other dynamic urban centers in the MENA, East Africa, and India (not to mention Europe and North America), by facilitating artist visits, field trips, and various opportunities for study and internship. What is more, the close relationship between the Music Program and the NYUAD Arts Center opens many opportunities for students to engage with world-renowned artists through a range of activities, from educational workshops to recording sessions in our state-of-the-art facilities.

Study Away Pathway for Music

The study away pathway for the Music major can be found on the NYUAD Student Portal at students.nyuad.nyu.edu/pathways. Students with questions should contact the Office of Global Education.

Admissions

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU.  For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.