All baccalaureate students of the university must satisfy the General Education Core (GEC) and Graduation Requirements. In addition, all music majors, regardless of which program they are in, must satisfy the Music Core, a Recital Attendance requirement, Grade Requirements for Music Majors, and the Capstone Experience.
All music majors must satisfy the Music Core which consists of four semesters of theory and aural training, and two semesters of music history and literature.
- Theory and Aural Training—12 credits
- MUS 281-2, 283-4, 285-6, 287-8
- Music History—6 credits
- MUS 265, 266
The recital attendance requirement (MUS 199) was established as a necessary part of undergraduate music degree programs. For each semester of MUS 199 enrollment, a music major is required to attend a minimum of six (6) events on a list of concerts (mostly) offered by the music department; only programs on this list qualify for attendance credit. The course must be taken on a credit/no credit basis. The numbers of semesters required for each degree are as follows:
- Bachelor of Arts majors must complete four (4) semesters of MUS 199.
- Bachelor of Education (Music) majors must also complete (4) semesters of MUS 199.
- Bachelor of Music majors must complete six (6) semesters of MUS 199.
Music majors must earn a minimum grade of C for all courses in the music component of their degrees. If a grade of C- or lower is earned, that course must be retaken in order for it to count in the student’s degree program. In sequential courses, a grade of C- or lower means that the student will not be allowed to progress beyond the course for which the (below minimum) grade was received.
If a student takes a class that is required for the major and earns a C- or lower in the class twice, the student goes on probation. The student will have only one more chance to pass the class and then be dismissed from the program if he or she fails to earn a C in the class on the third attempt.
All undergraduate music majors must complete a capstone experience. This may be a recital (junior for BA majors with performance emphasis; senior for BM performance and composition majors), student teaching (for Music Education majors) or a senior project (for all other BA majors). Students approved for a recital should consult with their applied music teacher for the department guidelines. The senior project (MUS 495, 1 credit), which students develop in consultation with the their advisor and complete in the final year of study, may consist of an internship (e.g. with a school, arts organization, cultural association or music related enterprise), a research paper or some other suitable project determined in consultation with the students advisor. Since some projects may require lengthy preparation or coordination with external groups, the department encourages students to plan ahead and explore various possibilities with their advisors during the junior year of study. Proposals must be submitted to the Undergraduate Chair in the semester prior to commencing the project.
View the fillable Senior Project Proposal Form.