Music theory is the study of the inner workings of music composition. Students who enjoy improvising, learning about how music is put together, and digging deeper into the inner workings of the mechanics of music composition may be music theorists or composers. Composition students with a theory emphasis learn how to write music as a way of understanding its structure from the inside out. They work one-on-one with our composition theory faculty to create original research in the area of music theory. Majoring in music provides students with a sense of aesthetics and an understanding of human expression valuable to many employers. Majoring in music composition with a theory emphasis will prepare a student who is interested in teaching music theory at the high school or collegiate level.