Ethnomusicology Minor - The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music

Ethnomusicology Plus a
Major Concentration

Questions about the Ethnomusicology Minor?

The Ethnomusicology Minor is designed for students who wish to augment their major program with a group of related courses that provide a systematic introduction to the study of world music and performance.

Students in the minor participate in world music ensembles and academic courses through the UCLA Herb Alpert School’s department of Ethnomusicology, which offers courses on music from virtually every region of the world, courses on the music of diverse groups in the U.S., and courses on popular music and film music. Many academic courses focus on how musical arts and practices relate to other aspects of culture, society, politics, and economics.

To complete and earn the Ethnomusicology Minor, students must complete 9 courses, totaling around 31 – 32 units.

  • Ethnomusicology 5 “Music Around World” OR Ethnomusicology M25 “Global Pop”
  • Ethnomusicology 83 “Basic Principles of Ethnomusicology”
  • One Additional Ethnomusicology Course
  • One Upper Division Ethnomusicology Ensemble (taken 3 times for a total of 6 units)
  • Three Upper Division Ethnomusicology Electives (minimum 4 units each)

Please see below for the requirements to complete the Optional Focus In Iranian Music.

Please refer to the UCLA General Catalog to review the full list of applicable courses for the Ethnomusicology Minor. Note: Always check that you are accessing the most current Catalog year (e.g. 2026-27).

UCLA General Catalog
UCLA General Catalog
UCLA General Catalog

Minor Requirements

Lower Division Courses
ETHNMUS 5 “Music Around World” (5 units) OR ETHNMUS M25 “Global Pop” (5 units)

 

ETHNMUS 83 “Basic Principles of Ethnomusicology” (4 units)

Ethnomusicology 83 is typically offered once a year in the Fall quarter. The course is restricted to Ethnomusicology majors and minors, so prospective minor students should reach out to the course instructor to request a PTE to enroll.

One Additional Ethnomusicology Course

Select From: ETHNMUS 7, 15, 30, M35, 40, 45, M50A, M50B, 60, 73, M110A, M110B

To learn more about a course, please refer to the General Catalog. To see when a course will be offered, please refer to the Schedule of Classes.

Upper Division Courses
Upper Division Ethnomusicology Performance Course

Ethnomusicology ensembles are 2 units each. To satisfy this requirement you must pick ONE Upper Division Ethnomusicology ensemble to complete THREE times, for a total of 6 units.

Select from: ETHNMUS 161A – 161Z

Learn more about the Ethnomusicology Ensembles here!

Three Upper Division Ethnomusicology Electives

Select From: ETHNMUS 100 to 167, 168, 169 to 199

Courses must be 4 units each, with the exception of: ETHNMUS 185 (2 units) OR 2 courses from ETHNMUS 168A-Z (2 units each) for a total of 4 units. You do not need to take the same ETHNMS 168 course. No more than two ETHNMUS 168 courses can be used toward the elective requirement. No more than one course from Ethnomusicology 195A through 199 may be applied.

Optional Focus in Iranian Music

Students completing the minor with the optional focus in Iranian music should select the following courses to satisfy their Upper Division Ethnomusicology Performance Ensemble and Three Upper Division Ethnomusicology Elective requirements:

Upper Division Ethnomusicology Performance Course:

Ethnomusicology 161L “Advanced World Music Performance Organizations: Music of Persia” (taken 3 times for a total of 6 units)

Three Upper Division Ethnomusicology Electives:
Minor Policies

Unit Overlap: A minimum of 20 units applied toward the minor requirements must be in addition to units applied toward major requirements or another minor.

Grading Policy: Each minor course must be taken for a letter grade (courses offered only on a P/NP grading basis are acceptable), and students must have an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better in the minor. Successful completion of the minor is indicated on the transcript and diploma.

Admissions

Next Application Cycle:
Fall 2026 Application Cycle opens on Monday of Week 1 (9/28/26)

To declare the Ethnomusicology Minor, you must be approved via the School of Music minor application process.

The application cycle is open twice a year, in Fall and Spring quarters. Applications open Monday of Week 1 and close Friday of Week 4 at 5pm (all times Pacific).

Please review all the information below to learn how to apply.

Have questions about applying? Contact us!
Have questions about applying? Contact us!
Have questions about applying? Contact us!

Ethnomusicology Minor Application

Who can Apply?

To enter the minor, students must have:

  • an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better and be in good academic standing,
  • completed one lower-division course* with a grade of C or better, and
  • completed at least two (2) quarters of the same lower-division ensemble course** (Ethnomusicology 91A though 91Z).

**Optional focus in Iranian music: Students must select ETHNMUS 91L as the lower-division ensemble course.

*Note: This lower-division course should be selected from the list of required Lower Division Courses for the Ethnomusicology Minor (see above) and, if admitted to the minor, will satisfy one of these requirements.

The Ethnomusicology Minor application is submitted through a digital form. This form is only active and accessible during the application period. However, students are encouraged to begin completing the required application materials (see below) BEFORE the application opens. Off cycle or late application submissions will NOT be considered. 

PLEASE READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION.

The time that you submit your application during the application period does NOT impact your chances of admission to the minor. We encourage you to take your time, read all instructions, and ensure all materials are completed accurately before submitting your application. If you need to resubmit your application with new materials, ONLY your most recent submission will be reviewed and considered.

During the application period, please navigate here to access the application form:

APPLY TO THE ETHNOMUSICOLOGY MINOR

To apply to the Ethnomusicology Minor, you must complete the following in your application submission:

  1. Student Information, including but not limited to:
    • Current degree program(s), degree expected term (DET), Cumulative GPA, Academic Standing

     

  2. Statement of Intent
    • Provide a short statement (no more than 500 words) explaining why you are pursuing the Ethnomusicology Minor. Please refer to the application, when open, for additional prompts that your statement must address.

     

  3. Undergraduate Program Change Petition
    • Complete the Undergraduate Program Change Petition. Under “Current Program (before change)”, list your current declared program(s). Then under “Proposed Program (after change)”, in the Minor(s) row write in “Ethnomusicology Minor”.
    • Your current College/School will not change if you are admitted to the Ethnomusicology Minor — please write in the same College/School under both “Current Program (before change)” and “Proposed Program (after change)”. If you do not know your College/School, it is listed in the top left corner when viewing your degree audit report.
    • REQUIRED SIGNATURE (Non-School of Music majors only): For your application, you do NOT need to obtain a signature from the Ethnomusicology Minor on the Undergraduate Program Change Petition. Only the signature(s) of the advisor(s) of the program(s) listed under “Current Program (before change)” is required. Please obtain their signature on the form before submitting your application or your application will be considered incomplete.

     

  4. Ethnomusicology Minor Checklist
    • The Ethnomusicology Minor Checklist is how you show which Ethnomusicology minor requirements a) you have completed, b) are in-progress, and c) are planned for a future term. Students who apply to the Ethnomusicology minor must demonstrate through their submitted checklist that they will be able to complete all degree requirements for the minor by their degree expected term (DET).
    • All requirements for the Ethnomusicology minor must be reflected on the checklist. Please review the requirements for the minor to ensure all minor requirements are represented and accurate. When deciding future planned courses, students are encouraged to review the Schedule of Classes to reference tentative future schedules and past course offerings.
    • How to complete the checklist for:
      • Completed Courses: In the Quarter column, input the quarter you completed the course (e.g. F24, SU25, SP26, etc). In the Grade column, input the final grade you received in the course (e.g. A-, B, etc).
      • In-Progress Courses: In the Quarter column, input the current quarter (e.g. F26), and in the Grade column input “IP”.
      • Future Planned Courses: In the Quarter column, input the quarter you plan to take the course and leave the Grade column blank. What you input for future coursework is not binding upon admission, but it should reference when a course has historically been offered and be feasible within your remaining degree time.

Amending your submission:

If you need to amend your application submission while the application period is still open, please submit a new submission to the application form — you do not need to email the Ethnomusicology Minor to request to submit an updated application. Please note that if you resubmit your application during the same application cycle, ONLY your most recent submission will be reviewed and considered.

Application Review:

Review of submitted applications begins once the application period has ended. Admissions results will not be released while the application period is open.

Review of submitted applications takes place between Weeks 5 – 8 of the respective quarter. Please note that this may overlap with the upcoming quarter’s enrollment cycle, so you should not anticipate having access to restricted Ethnomusicology courses in the same quarter as your application submission.

Decisions Release:

Ethnomusicology Minor admissions decisions are released by Friday of Week 9 of the respective quarter. You will receive a notification from the Minor, either via email or another method, notifying you of your admission, and if applicable, next steps to declare the minor. If you are in a professional school (e.g. TFT, SOAA, etc.), additional steps may be needed to add the Ethnomusicology Minor – please connect with your respective advising unit if you have questions.

If admitted to the Ethnomusicology Minor during the Fall application cycle, your admission will be effective in Winter quarter. if admitted during the Spring application cycle, your admission will be effective in the Fall quarter — except if you are in your graduating term, in which case the minor will be effective on your record in the same term as admission.

Advising

Contacting the Minor

Email is our primary method of communication. Prospective and current students can contact the address below for questions regarding the Ethnomusicology Minor. Please allow 5 – 7 business days for a response, and expect delayed response times during application cycles and other high demand times during the academic year.

Students, please include your UID in all communication with the Ethnomusicology Minor.

Email: ethnomusicologyminor@schoolofmusic.ucla.edu

 

Students can also contact the Ethnomusicology Minor using the MyUCLA Message Center. When sending a message, please select “Academic Counseling unit” →  “Ethnomusicology”.

Advising Meetings

When appropriate, students can request to meet with an advisor for the Ethnomusicology Minor. Please request a meeting via email, providing your availability and reasons for meeting.

We encourage students to review all our digital advising resources before requesting a meeting. If we are unable to offer a meeting, we aim to assist you via email. Thank you for your understanding.

Students can visit the Office of Student Affairs (1642 Schoenberg Music Building) to speak with one of our Troubadours (Peer advisors) or an available advisor about our minor programs. See our office hours here.

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