The Butler School of Music offers a minor for students at The University of Texas at Austin who are interested in studying music broadly while pursuing a different major. Students can add a minor in music to supplement their studies and join a thriving artistic community on campus.
Minor in Music
The music minor is open to all undergraduate students, excluding music majors, who are following the 2026-2028 Undergraduate Catalog. Applicants need to plan for a minimum of four long semesters to complete the minor. Applications will open in August 2026. If demand exceeds space available, the Butler School of Music reserves the right to pause admission to the minor until demand can be met.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
15 semester hours of coursework in Ensemble (ENS); Music (MUS); or music performance (Bassoon (BSN), Clarinet (CLA), Double Bass (D B), Euphonium (EUP), Flute (FLU), French Horn (F H), Guitar (GUI), Harp (HAR), Harpsichord (HSC), Oboe (OBO), Organ (ORG), Percussion (PER), Piano (PIA), Recorder (REC), Saxophone (SAX), Trombone (TRO), Trumpet (TRU), Tuba (TBA), Viola (VIA), Violin (VIO), Violoncello (V C), or Voice (VOI), including a minimum of six semester hours of upper-division and nine semester hours in residence, chosen from the following:
Ensemble (ENS):
All ENS courses are open to any university student who can qualify by audition. Some ensembles do not require an audition to join. Information for joining a specific ensemble, including audition requirements, can be found on that ensemble's web page.
Music (MUS):
MUS 201J. Beginning Class Piano for Nonmusic Majors
MUS 201K. Second-Semester Class Piano for Nonmusic Majors
MUS 101Q. Beginning Guitar Class
MUS 201S. Beginning Music Performance: Class Harp
MUS 201T. Beginning Music Performance: Second-Semester Class Harp
MUS 101V. Beginning Violin Class
MUS 302L. An Introduction to Western Music
MUS 302P. Introductory Topics in Western Music
MUS 303C. Fundamentals of Music: Classroom Instruments
MUS 303D. Fundamentals of Music: Guitar
MUS 303E. Fundamentals of Music: Piano
MUS 303M. Introduction to Music in World Cultures
MUS 303N. Introduction to Popular Music in World Cultures
MUS 303P. Topics in Music of World Cultures
MUS 605. Musicianship
MUS 306M. Elements of Music
MUS 307. Topics in Popular Music
MUS 312C. Music and Culture
MUS 214C. Beginning Composition
MUS 319D. Foundations of Digital Sound and Music
MUS 220P. Practicum in a World Music Tradition
MUS 321J. Twentieth-Century Musical Analysis
MUS 329E. Introduction to Electronic Media
MUS 329F. Projects in Electronic Media
MUS 329J. Introduction to Computer Music
MUS 329M. Intermediate Computer Music
MUS 331J. Advanced Studies in Music Theory
MUS 334. The Music of the Americas
MUS 337. Music and Film Sound
MUS 342. Area Studies in Ethnomusicology
MUS 343J. History of Jazz
MUS 346R. Music and Religious Identities in the US
MUS 354F. Music Performance, Listening, and Appreciation
MUS 259T. Topics in Instrumental Technology
MUS 275T. Teaching and Learning in Music
MUS 176M. Special Topics in Music Studies
MUS 376J. Special Topics in Music Theory
MUS 379K. Advanced Topics in Music Literature
MUS 379Q. Musical Acoustics
Music Performance
Bassoon (BSN) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Bassoon (BSN) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Clarinet (CLA) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Clarinet (CLA) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Double Bass (D B) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Double Bass (D B) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Euphonium (EUP) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Euphonium (EUP) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Flute (FLU) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Flute (FLU) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
French Horn (F H) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
French Horn (F H) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Guitar (GUI) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Guitar (GUI) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Harp (HAR) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Harp (HAR) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Harpsichord (HSC) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Harpsichord (HSC) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Oboe (OBO) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Oboe (OBO) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Organ (ORG) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Organ (ORG) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Percussion (PER) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Percussion (PER) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Piano (PIA) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Piano (PIA) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Recorder (REC) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Recorder (REC) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Saxophone (SAX) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Saxophone (SAX) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Trombone (TRO) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Trombone (TRO) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Trumpet (TRU) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Trumpet (TRU) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Tuba (TBA) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Tuba (TBA) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Viola (VIA) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Viola (VIA) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Violin (VIO) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Violin (VIO) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Violoncello (V C) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Violoncello (V C) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Voice (VOI) 201. Lower-Division Music Performance: Secondary
Voice (VOI) 251. Upper-Division Music Performance: Secondary
A 2.50 overall grade point average in minor coursework is required. All courses must be taken on the letter-grade basis.
Please see the Butler School of Music Non-Music Majors page for information on enrolling in Ensemble and Music Performance classes.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Visit the Minor/Certificate Application website
Click “Apply for Auto-approved Minor”
Select “MUS Music” for Field of Study
Click "Continue"
Select “MUSIC (MN5MUS01)”
Click "Continue"
