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Music Education Abroad Guide

City View of Sydney Australia with bridge and Conservatorium of Music
CU Boulder Education Abroad offers over 400 programs in over 70 countries! You can go abroad for a semester, year, 2-12 weeks in the summer, or even winter break. Going abroad is strongly encouraged by the Music department. Use the following information as a general guideline to plan your time abroad, and connect with your academic advisor as well. Work with Education Abroad advisors to get more details on how to get started, discuss your program options, and next steps. 

Quick Facts

  • Go abroad sophomore or junior year
  • Avoid going abroad during a semester when you will complete a sophomore proficiency or junior/senior recitals.
  • The most common degree requirements taken abroad are upper-division MUSC electives, certain Gen Ed classes, and general elective hours
  • Use the Course Approvals List to find programs that offer courses approved for the credit you need

Planning and When to Go

  • First-year: Take Gen Ed and Music courses that may not be available on the education abroad program you choose (see below for more details). 
  • Sophomore: Finish lower-division MUSC courses so you'll have the pre-reqs needed for the upper-division MUSC classes you need upon return to CU Boulder. If needed, make sure your language abilities match the program you wish to attend. Some students go abroad their sophomore year depending on their degree plan.
  • Junior: Go abroad! Going abroad during your junior year allows you plenty of variety in your choices of classes.
  • Senior: Work closely with your advisor to ensure that you can get all of your requirements completed. Education Abroad during your senior year is possible during fall only; education abroad during your very last term is not possible for Music students. Be sure that you know when the credits may be transcripted, as this can delay your official graduation date.

What Kind of Credit Can You Earn Abroad?

Usually Doable Tricky Probably Not
General Electives  A&S Gen Ed MUSC A&S Gen Ed MUSC A&S Gen Ed MUSC
Overall credit hours 
 		 Arts and Humanities, Natural Science (Non-Lab), Social Sciences Upper-division Music History and Theory; Non-Western Music Global Diversity Upper-division MUSC electives; Core Music Theory Natural Science (Lab), Written Communication For Music Education: Practicum/Internship

For Music Performance: Junior/Senior Recital or Senior Thesis

Suggested Programs

Use these links to find programs that may be a good match for you and your course needs.
   

Additional Resources

Last Updated March 2023