The Bachelor of Arts in Musicology welcomes students from diverse musical backgrounds and allows them to shape programs of study that reflect their individual interests and goals. In groundbreaking, unique courses that cover virtually every period, style, and genre, students learn to research, analyze, and understand many different musics: ancient and recent, classical and popular, Western and global, within culture and through a critical lens.

The major culminates in a year-long capstone project in which each student conceives and executes individual research on a specialized topic, ultimately presented as a substantial written essay or in an alternate format, such as a lecture-recital or video/audio presentation. Graduating seniors organize a public conference presenting their capstone work each spring. The major also includes a performance requirement, which can be fulfilled in a number of ways and does not require formal musical training.