Bachelor Programme
Music Performance (Orchestral Instrument)
ASU's BMus in Performance with an orchestral instrument concentration, in the School of Music, Dance and Theatre (NASM-accredited), offers eight semesters of focused study of repertoire, solo literature and chamber music with a faculty mentor. Students get coaching from faculty and visiting artists, master classes and frequent performances with large ensembles, chamber groups and as soloists. The degree also covers professional skills such as audition preparation, networking and entrepreneurship. Students apply to ASU through the ASU application or the Common App, choosing this major in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, plus a separate School of Music, Dance and Theatre application and audition.
University
Arizona State University
Country
United States
Level
Bachelor
Field
Arts & Humanities
Duration
4 years full-time (120 credit hours)
Language
English
Campus
Tempe campus
Degree
Bachelor of Music (BMus) in Performance (Orchestral Instrument)
Intake
Fall (August) or spring (January); auditions are in January-February for fall and November for spring
Application Deadline
Music application deadline for fall 2027 entry: 5 January 2027 (15 October 2026 for spring 2027), alongside the ASU application. Fall 2027 entry (first-year applicants): ASU's priority admission date is 1 November 2026 (applying by then gives the most scholarship consideration) and the regular admission date is 15 January 2027. Apply with the ASU application or the Common App (no essay required); the fee is US$55 for Arizona residents, US$85 for domestic nonresidents and US$90 for international applicants. Barrett, The Honors College has a separate application due 15 January 2027. International applicants should apply early to leave time for the I-20 and visa; ASU's international page lists a 1 November 2026 priority deadline for spring 2027
Tuition Information
2026-27 tuition and mandatory fees for a full-time undergraduate (12+ credits, two semesters, ASU's approved schedule): US$14,726 for Arizona residents, US$39,134 for out-of-state (nonresident) US students and US$42,480 for international students. This is base tuition (US$12,178 resident, US$35,716 nonresident, US$39,062 international) plus a US$175-a-semester tuition surcharge, US$404 a semester of student-initiated fees, the new US$100-a-semester Advanced Technology Fee and the Design and the Arts college fee (US$595 a semester for residents, US$1,030 for nonresident and international students). Adding ASU's 2026-27 Tempe on-campus allowances for housing (US$11,473), food (US$7,346), books (US$1,320), travel (US$1,650), personal costs (US$2,343) and loan fees (US$72) gives a cost of attendance (adding up ASU's published line items) of about US$38,930 (resident), US$63,338 (nonresident) and US$69,849 (international, which also includes the US$400 International Student Fee and US$2,765 of required student health insurance). Barrett, The Honors College adds US$1,100 a semester, and course-specific fees are extra. Students from Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) states may qualify for a reduced nonresident rate of 150% of resident tuition plus fees. All first-year applicants, including international students, are automatically considered for ASU's New American University merit scholarships; federal need-based aid (FAFSA, priority date 15 January) is only for US citizens and eligible non-citizens
Admission Requirements
- College: Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Applicants choose the major on the ASU or Common App application
- University first-year standards: four years of math, four of English, three of lab science, two of social science, two of the same second language and one of fine arts or career and technical education, plus one of: top 25% of the high school class, a 3.00 GPA in these competency courses, or ACT 22 / SAT 1120 (ACT 24 / SAT 1180 for nonresidents). International first-year applicants need at least a 3.00 GPA (or equivalent) with four years of math and three of lab science
- Testing: SAT and ACT are optional at ASU. Scores are one way to meet the admission standards for this major and are also used for course placement
- English proficiency (international applicants whose native language is not English; scores no more than two years old at the start date): at least TOEFL iBT 61 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 3.5 on the new scale, IELTS 6.0, PTE Academic 53, Duolingo 95 or Cambridge English 170. Applicants below these scores may get conditional admission and complete English study at ASU Global Launch first (valid for up to three semesters)
- Audition required: applicants submit a separate School of Music, Dance and Theatre application in addition to the ASU application. Admission to the music program is highly selective and based on the audition, held in January and February for fall entry (November for spring). Students admitted to ASU but not yet to the school (or who miss the audition deadline) are enrolled as music audition majors and must pass the audition in their first semester before taking music major courses