Commercial Music (AA) Music Total Units: 18.0

Term Effective: Summer 2025

The requirements for this program of study are effective beginning the semester shown above. If you began working on this program before the effective semester, you may not be affected by the changes. Consult with the program contact person or the department chair to determine your eligibility to complete the program under previous requirements.

Associate Degree Requirements:

The major is one of several requirements students need to fulfill in order to be awarded the Associate Degree, the highest level of academic achievement recognized by Santa Rosa Junior College. Please note that all of the following requirements must be met in order for the degree to be conferred:

For all students admitted for the Fall 2009 term or any term thereafter, a grade of "C" or better, or "P" if the course is taken on a pass/no pass basis, is required for each course applied toward the major.

Previous Versions:

Commercial Music - effective Fall 2024
Digital Media: Audio - effective Fall 2021
Digital Media: Audio - effective Fall 2016
Digital Media: Audio - effective Fall 2013
Digital Media: Audio - effective Spring 2011
Audio Production for Digital Media - effective Fall 2010
Audio Production for Digital Media - effective Spring 2010

Description:

The purpose of the Commercial Music Program, (formerly Audio Production for Digital Media), is to provide students with an overview of MIDI sequencing, sound synthesis, audio recording, digital and analog audio technology, live sound, electronic music production, basic music theory, sound design for multimedia applications including video games (for educational and/or entertainment purposes), and delivery of audio content over radio, television, and the Internet. Graduates are prepared for entry-level positions in professional audio production including audio engineering, sound design, audio-for-video post-production, broadcasting, and CD/DVD mastering.

Career Options
Audio production technicians use hardware and software to create, record, store, and edit musical and non-musical sounds. The development of multimedia and the Internet have created a variety of occupations built around the development and use of platform-specific tools for linear and non-linear digital audio production.

Potential Careers:

  • Sound Designer
  • Audio Engineer
  • Record Producer
  • Post-Production Mixer/Editor
  • Sound Effects/Dialog Editor

This program of study is also available as a Certificate of Achievement.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate technical proficiency with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW);
  2. Create digital audio recordings and master them for distribution.
  3. Design audio for video, computer games, and other multimedia applications.
  4. Produce and write commercial songs.

Program Requirements:

The requirements for the Commercial Music program are:

  • Complete 18.0 units from
    • Commercial Music Requirements
    • Information Learning Resources Requirement

Commercial Music Requirements - complete 17.00 units
MUSC 50Introduction to Music Technology3.00
Complete any combination totaling at least 12.00 units from the following:
CourseDescriptionUnits
For Recording students, take these 4 courses:
MUSC 51Electronic Music3.00
MUSC 52Audio for Multimedia3.00
MUSC 60AAudio Recording 13.00
MUSC 60BAudio Recording 23.00
For Music Industry students, take these 4 courses:
MUSC 60AAudio Recording 13.00
MUSC 60BAudio Recording 23.00
MUSC 70AMusic Industry 1: Fundamentals3.00
MUSC 70BMusic Industry 2: Marketing & Distribution3.00
For Songwriter students, take these 4 courses:
ENGL 4ABeginning Creative Writing3.00
MUSC 2AMusic Theory 13.00
MUSC 51Electronic Music3.00
MUSC 55Songwriting3.00
Complete any combination totaling at least 2.00 units from the following:
CourseDescriptionUnits
MUSC 1Music Fundamentals3.00
MUSP 11AClass Piano 12.00
MUSP 19ABeginning Guitar2.00
MUSC 51Electronic Music3.00
MUSC 52Audio for Multimedia3.00
 
Information Learning Resources Requirement - complete 1.00 units
LIR 10Introduction to Information Literacy1.00

Course Prerequisites and Advisories:

Courses in a program of study may have prerequisites or advisories; that is, courses that must or should be completed before taking that course. Please check for prerequisites or advisories by clicking on the course numbers in the Program Requirements section.

It is important that students who are completing an Associate Degree and desire to transfer to a four-year institution meet with a counselor to plan their lower division coursework. While many majors at SRJC are intended to align with lower division major preparation required by California public universities, specific lower-division major requirements vary among individual campuses. See a counselor, visit the Transfer Center, and check Guides For Transfer in Specific Majors, and ASSIST to review transfer preparation guides for specific schools and majors.

Notes:

Courses may appear in more than one Major area. Courses within the major may be used only once to satisfy major requirements.

Contact
Information
Phone Email Website
(707) 527-4790
rbudginas@santarosa.edu