Bachelor of Arts in Black Music and Culture
The Bachelor of Arts in Black Music and Culture will provide students with an in-depth study of the impact of the global African Diaspora. Through the lenses of the social sciences, literature, history, politics, and music, students will examine how Afrodiasporic cultures traveled and shaped multiple genres of music, theater, dance and other art forms, and they will learn, interpret, and assess the ways in which the multiple cultures of the African continent have influenced traditions, societies, and cultures around the globe.
In addition, students will learn harmony and ear training in Berklee College of Music’s core music curriculum, offering them similar preparation to enter the music industry as students who earn the Bachelor of Music degree, but with a greater emphasis on the humanities both in their major and in available electives.
As of fall 2026, students already enrolled in a Bachelor of Music program can transfer into the BA in Black Music and Culture. For fall 2027, this major will have its own direct application. Students interested in this program will have to audition and interview and will declare a principal instrument. Please see Admissions for more information.
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
- investigate, synthesize, and generate new understandings and applications of the global African diaspora’s impact on, and shaping of, music, dance, theater, and other art forms;
- create and perform new music through the lens of the global African diaspora;
- examine and evaluate a variety of artistic traditions in relation to the African diaspora; and
- critique the historic, social, and cultural contexts of the African diaspora, as well as the role of community, race, ethnicity, and gender.
This program is 120 credits and can be completed in four years (eight semesters).
| Africana Studies Core (21 credits) |
| AFST-111 Black Creative Expression: An Introduction to Africana Studies (3 credits) |
| AFST-221 Global Afrodiasporic Musics (3 credits) |
| AFST-312 Entrepreneurship in Black Creative Expression (3 credits) |
| AHIS-301 Women in Africa and African Diasporic Cultures (3 credits) |
| AMAS-302 Black Liberation Music (3 credits) |
| AMAS-304 The Sugar Road: A Sweet and Sour History of the African Diaspora (3 credits) |
| AFST-401 Africana Studies Research Seminar Capstone (3 credits) or AFST-402 Take Me To the River Seminar Capstone (3 credits) |
| Black Music and Culture Track (choose one track; 15 credits) |
| Gospel Track |
| AFST-320 Spirituals and Black Folk Traditions (3 credits) |
| AFST-421 Gospel Music 1: Artistry, Industry, and Culture (3 credits) |
| AFST-422 Gospel Music 2: Artistry, Industry, and Culture (3 credits) |
| AFST-423 Pathways to Gospel Music Industry Leadership (3 credits) |
| AFST-424 Global Impact of Gospel Music (3 credits) |
| Africana Studies Track |
| AFST-321 Music of the African Continent (3 credits) |
| AFST-324 Black Music of the Caribbean and the African Diaspora (3 credits) |
| AFST-325 Black Music of Central and South America (3 credits) |
| AFST-326 Black Music in the United States (3 credits) |
| AFST-327 Black Music of Europe, Asia, and the African Diaspora (3 credits) |
| Core Music (24 credits) |
| PW-111 Music Application and Theory (4 credits) |
| HR-112 Harmony 2 (2 credits) or HR-114 Harmony 2 Entering (2 credits) |
| HR-211 Harmony 3 (2 credits), HR-213 Harmony 3 Entering (2 credits), or HR-215 Harmony 3 Intensive (2 credits) |
| ET-111 Ear Training 1 (2 credits) |
| ET-112 Ear Training 2 (2 credits) or ET-123 Ear Training 2 Entering (2 credits) |
| ET-211 Ear Training 3 (2 credits) or ET-223 Ear Training 3 Entering (2 credits) |
| Private Instruction: PIxx-111 Private Instruction - Level 1 (2 credits), PIxx-112 Private Instruction - Level 2 (2 credits), PIxx-211 Private Instruction - Level 3 (1 credit), and PIxx-212 Private Instruction - Level 4 (1 credit) |
| Ensemble Courses: ENxx-xxx (4 credits) |
| General Education (40 credits) |
| LENG-111 Introduction to College Writing (3 credits) |
| LENG-223 Literature Topics (3 credits) |
| LMSC-xxx Mathematics/Natural Sciences (level 200 or higher) (3 credits) |
| LSPN-xxx, LFRN-xxx, or LJPN-xxx Foreign Language (3 credits) |
| PM-340 The Artist Entrepreneur (2 credits) |
| MB-211 Legal Aspects of the Music Industry (2 credits) |
| Lxxx-xxx/Axxx-xxx Liberal Arts and Sciences/Africana Studies Electives (24 credits) |
| General Electives (20 credits) |
| Take any courses. |
Updated for the fall 2026 catalog year.