The Department of Music offers both a major and a minor in music. Both programs give students the opportunity to gain proficiency in the theory, history, and interpretation of music throughout the world, and help them build a solid set of applied critical and listening abilities demanded of musicians and listeners today. The major offers students opportunities for independent research during their final year.<br><br>The department teaches a wide range of innovative courses in ethnomusicology, popular music, the cultural study of music, and sound studies. Many of these courses are open to non-majors. Some recent courses include: Music in the Post-9/11 World, Introduction to World Music, Music in New York, Music, Global Hip-Hop, and the Politics of Culture, and Music, Sound, and Technology.<br><br>The department's Waverly Labs provide digital resources for composition and research. The department hosts the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society and a number of other performing ensembles and initiatives. Our majors and minors may also take private instrumental instruction with department support, and are eligible to join performance ensembles at the Steinhardt School. Our students take advantage of our location in one of the world's major cultural centers by attending concerts and pursuing internships with New York recording companies, music magazines, or major performing arts organizations.