What's happening? 

Fall 2023, the music theory program will begin phasing in a new undergraduate music theory curriculum. This will affect all new incoming undergraduates and those enrolled in Basic Musicianship prior to Fall 2023. This update modernizes the courses in the current core and adds additional course options and flexibility for programs and students.

In Fall 2024, we'll begin phasing in a new music history curriculum and updates to the graduate coursework. 

Where's the info I need? 

Check out the pages on this site to explore:

• The Curriculum Map, showing the general layout and sequence of new courses

• Course Descriptions, prerequisites, syllabi, and information about when courses are offered

• The Rollout Map detailing how and when each component of the UG theory curriculum will be phased in

• The FAQ Page with answers to frequently asked questions.  

What are the goals of the update? 

1) To make our curriculum more diverse and inclusive.

• Currently, only 1.67% of musical examples in the 7 most commonly used undergraduate music theory textbooks are by BIPOC composers; only 2.15% of the examples are by women (Ewell 2019, Maust 2022). A significant part of this reform updates the anthology of core examples used in all of our theory and aural courses to incorporate more repertoire by BIPOC composers, women, non-Western composers, and other under-represented groups.  

• The update also introduces students to a broader range of musical repertoire, analytical approaches, and critical listening skills for engaging with music from various styles and genres including common-practice classical and contemporary music, popular music, musical theatre, and non-Western music. 

2) To provide more flexibility for students.

• Fundamentals, Music Theory I/II,  and Aural I/II will be offered in both the fall and spring semesters. 

• Advanced theory and aural courses may be taken in any order and simultaneously with other core theory courses, if needed, to provide flexibility for study abroad and other degree obligations. 

• Students who study abroad for a semester, drop/fail a course, or begin the music major or minor mid-year will be able to start right away with the course they need in the next semester without waiting. 

3) To provide more flexibility for programs. 

• Individual programs may customize their own required tracks through the theory sequence to fit program needs, or allow students to determine their own tracks based on individual career goals and guidance from advisors. 

• The advanced theory and aural courses may also serve as additional music electives for students wishing to take another theory course or dig deeper into a topic of interest. 

4) To increase student engagement.

• By providing students with the opportunity to determine their own path through the sequence and take courses that more closely align with their musical interests, they're more likely to be engaged and invested in the material, improving the classroom environment for all of our students.  

• Final projects replace final exams in all advanced theory and aural courses, allowing students the opportunity to combine learned skills with a hands-on project at the end of the semester. 

Additional Grant Support for the Project

Clifton Boyd (NYU CAS) and Sarah Louden (NYU Steinhardt) were recently rewarded a $10,000 Working Group Grant and $6500 Teaching Advancement Grant to support music theory curriculum updates at both NYU Steinhardt and the College of Arts and Sciences, in a two-year joint project called “Music Theory For Whom? A Comprehensive Reform of Music Theory Curricula Across NYU.” Awarded by the NYU Centers for Humanities and Faculty Advancement, the project will bring together faculty and graduate students from Steinhardt, CAS, and other schools in a working group to address diversity and inclusivity in music theory pedagogy, and reframe the curricula in both programs to promote music by traditionally under-represented composers, popular musics, and musical traditions across the globe. The funding will provide support for the development of course resources, teaching materials, guest speakers, and impact more than 18 core courses across CAS and Steinhardt.