BA Music at The Ohio State University

Programme overview

The Bachelor of Arts music major is the liberal arts program of choice for many of our students who wish to combine scholarly studies spanning a broad range of courses with music, or to pursue a major that can combine readily with a second major program in another field. Scholarly course work is central to the BA degree. Students in this program participate in ensembles, have the opportunity to engage in private study in voice or a primary instrument (with audition), and participate fully in the School of Music. Offered at: Columbus.

Faculty: Arts and Sciences | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbus, OH, United States

What you will study

Core courses: - Aural Training - Ensembles - Music History - Music Theory

Career pathways

Graduates of the BA in Music program are prepared for employment in arts-related areas including arts administration, music publishing, journalism and music therapy. They are also equipped for graduate work in fields including musicology, performance and music theory. Some graduates go on to pursue law or medical school.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission to the university (and the Arts and Sciences college where applicable) applies; no separate programme-specific requirement published. After applying to the university, students planning to take private lessons as part of their degree program must complete a separate School of Music application and schedule an audition. Transfer students and students already at Ohio State must also complete these steps before entering the program. Find a step-by-step application guide at music.osu.edu/apply.

Domestic applicants: USD 12,921 a year (2026-27). Columbus campus on-campus Instructional Fee (tuition) for students beginning Autumn 2026: $6,460.50 per semester at 12-18 credit hours, shown as two semesters (Autumn and Spring). The Ohio State Tuition Guarantee fixes this rate for four years for Ohio re Source

Entry terms for first-year applicants to the Columbus campus: Autumn 2027 and Spring 2027 (Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026). Summer first-year applications are not accepted.

Transfer applicants can start in Spring, Summer or Autumn 2027.

First-year, Columbus campus, Autumn 2027: early action (non-binding) deadline November 1, 2026; regular decision deadline January 15, 2027; financial aid priority date February 1; acceptance fee deadline May 1, 2027. Early action decisions: December 11 (Ohio residents and Stamps Eminence applicants) and January 22 (non-Ohio residents and international applicants); regular decision decisions March 5.

First-year applicants apply with the Common Application. ACT or SAT scores are required for first-year Columbus applicants (superscored; sent directly by the testing agency); applicants out of high school two or more years are not required to submit scores. The essay is not required.

Transfer applicants (Columbus campus): Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027; Summer 2027 deadline May 15, 2027. Regional campuses: December 1, 2026, April 15, 2027 and July 15, 2027 respectively.

International transfer applicants: Spring 2027 deadline October 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027.

Apply through the official page: https://undergrad.osu.edu/apply

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