The BA in Music History and Industry is not a technical or business degree, it is a liberal arts degree in musicology whose subject is the music industry, combining the focus on music as an art form with practical training and experiential learning based in the music industry. It includes courses that help students develop their skills in popular music creation and production as well as practical skills appropriate to the fiscal, entrepreneurial, and legal needs of the contemporary music world. A required internship in the Los Angeles music industry is a distinctive feature.<br><br>The Music History and Industry major is a designated capstone major. Undergraduate students must complete a senior thesis that demonstrates the skills and expertise they have acquired in earlier coursework. Students are expected to conceive and execute a project that (a) identifies an issue, problem, or opportunity in the music industry and engages with it practically and critically, or (b) brings to fruition a substantial creative project in contemporary music with tangible results. While an extended essay is the default expectation for a completed project, students are encouraged to seek alternative formats, such as a lecture-recital, business or marketing plans, set of lesson plans, website, studio sound recording, or video/audio presentation. Students discuss and critique the work of their peers and present their work to other students and, if they choose, to the public as part of a student-organized live event and conference.