The purpose of this study was to investigate the content, student learning outcomes, and types of measures used for assessment in music appreciation courses across the State University of New York (SUNY) community colleges. Data was collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire; instructional faculty of music appreciation courses at SUNY community colleges were invited participants (N = 43). Data from a questionnaire were compiled and tallied in order to answer to the following questions: (1) Is music appreciation being taught as Western art music (WAM) in SUNY community colleges? (2) What levels of the cognitive domain are targeted in the assessments? (3) What measures are being used to assess student learning in these types of courses? From the results of this study, it was concluded that the content typically covered in SUNY community college music appreciation courses is narrowly focused on WAM and lacks diversity of content that would be more reflective of the twenty-first century student. Music appreciation coursework does not appear to be comparable at institutions within SUNY, a system that prides itself on transfer mobility and seamless transfer. Findings from this study may be used to transform current practice and initiate a SUNY-wide review to improve the quality of these courses. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]