Major Requirements

Also see the Major Requirements Schedule to create a four-year plan.

Prerequisites (may be waived by examination):

MUS 101    Pre-Theory  
MUS 111     Aural Skills  I
MUS 121    Music Theory  I

A minimum of 44 semester credits, distributed as follows:

Forty hours from the following:

Music Theory and Composition:

MUS  212     Aural Skills  II
MUS  213     Music theory  II
MUS  222     Aural Skills  III
MUS  223     Music Theory  III

Music History and Literature:

MUS  162     History of Western Music  I
MUS  163     History of Western Music  II

Four semester credits of a single major instrument including voice.  Declared majors must enroll in studio instruction every semester on campus.

Six semester credits of ensemble, at least four of which must be from Orchestra, Choirs or Wind Symphony.

Eight semester credits of upper-division theory or composition chosen from: 

MUS  314     20th-Century Theory and Aural Skills
MUS  316     Jazz Theory
MUS  321     Seminar in Electroacoustic Composition
MUS  324     Orchestration
MUS  329     Counterpoint
MUS  331     Conducting
MUS  416     Advanced Musicianship and Conducting

Four semester credits of upper-division music history or literature from:

MUS  302     Jazz History
MUS  305     World Music: Asia
MUS  306     World Music: Latin America and the Caribbean
MUS  361     Music and Language
MUS  362     Topics in History and Music  I
MUS  363     Topics in History and Music  II

Pass the piano proficiency examination.

Two semester credits in Music 490. Senior project requirements by area of major:

• Composition: Preparation of professional-quality manuscripts. Recital of original musical works; graded by jury.
• Ethnomusicology: Thesis in ethnomusicology; graded by committee.
• Music Education: 1) work sample similar to those required by our graduate school’s M.A.T. program. 2) satisfactory evaluations by both cooperating teachers. 3) satisfactory evaluation by the supervising faculty member. 4) public or videotaped demonstration of work with students for faculty review.
• Musicology: Thesis in musicology; graded by committee.
• Performance: Recital on the major instrument; graded by jury.

Four credits of specific requirements by area of major:

Composition: Three semester credits of 392 and 1 semester credit of Western ensemble. It is strongly recommended that composers who wish to pursue graduate work take 324, 329, 331, and 416.

Ethnomusicology: One additional course in ethnomusicology. Recommended: Sociology/Anthropology 100 or 110, 200.

Music Education: Music 331 and two credits from Music 385, 386, 387, 388, 389 (1 credit each). Recommended: Music 416 and Education 201. 

Musicology: Music 361. Recommended: Music 362 and Music 363.

Performance: Three additional credits of instruction on the major instrument. One additional credit of Western ensemble. Recommended: Four additional credits of Western ensemble, as well as Music 331, 416.