The West Valley College Commercial Music Certificate of Achievement, a 16 to 18 unit program, offers four distinct career paths: Recording Arts, Music Production, Songwriting, and Creating Music for Film, TV & Gaming. The courses are designed for students of all levels, providing hands-on experience and thorough training in the creative and technical challenges specific to commercial music. All of the Commercial Music pathways are designed for completion in a single academic year.
Major Core Requirements (4 units)
| Course Number | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MUSC039H | Applied Music: Commercial Music Production | 1 unit |
| MUSC070 | Music Business | 3 units |
Complete one of the following Career Tracks (12-14 units)
| Course Number | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Recording Arts MUSC065A MUSC065B MUSC065C Select one: MUSC054 MUSC057 | Recording Arts I Recording Arts II Audio Mixing & Production History of Rock and Roll Music History and Culture of Hip-Hop | 3 units 3 units 3 units 3 units 3 units |
| Music Production MUSC063A MUSC063B MUSC065C Select one: MUSC054 MUSC057 | Introduction To Music Production Commercial Music Production Audio Mixing & Production History of Rock and Roll Music History and Culture of Hip-Hop | 3 units 3 units 3 units 3 units 3 units |
| Songwriting MUSC030A MUSC063A MUSC066 MUSC069A MUSC069B Select one: MUSC007 MUSC054 MUSC057 | Beginning Piano, Level 1 Introduction To Music Production Digital Audio and Notation Songwriting, Level 1 Songwriting, Level 2 Film Music Appreciation History of Rock and Roll Music History and Culture of Hip-Hop | 1 unit 3 units 1 unit 3 units 3 units 3 units 3 units 3 units |
| Creating Music for Film, TV & Gaming MUSC007 MUSC064 MUSC067A MUSC067B | Film Music Appreciation Sound Design Creating Music for Film, TV, and Gaming: Foundations Creating Music for Film, TV and Gaming: Techniques | 3 units 3 units 3 units 3 units |
Total Certificate Units: 16-18 units
To be awarded a certificate, a student must:
- Complete all the major requirements.
- Earn a grade of “C” (or "P") or better for all required courses.