Bachelor of Arts in Music
We welcome students from throughout the university community to join our ensembles, take private lessons, enroll in music history and theory courses, and participate in our performances. The study of music is both a way of thought and way of being; these inform one another and further support a student’s development as a liberally educated individual. Toward these ends, we offer a Bachelor of Arts degree including general studies in music and the liberal arts, and a Bachelor of Arts with Performance Certificate containing concentrations in performance (instrumental, vocal, or composition). Both degrees study music in the context of the liberal arts. The Bachelor of Arts in Music is ideal for students who want to study music and pursue either a double major or multiple minor degrees; the Bachelor of Arts in Music with Performance Certificate provides a foundation for students to pursue additional music study after graduation.
Performance is an essential part of the learning process. The applied skills acquired during private instruction, ensemble practice, and Class Piano illuminate and vivify the underlying musical principles and precepts. We expect all majors in the Bachelor of Arts in Music program to fully participate in this musical and scholarly conversation.
All prospective Bachelor of Arts in Music students must audition on a principal instrument or voice to determine their placement in one-credit (semester hours) or three-credit applied lessons. Students who wish to be considered for a music scholarship must demonstrate a performing level commensurate with three-credit lessons. Additionally, students who wish to pursue the Performance Certificate must demonstrate eligibility for three-credit lessons at their audition. Students who wish to study composition must also submit original compositions for evaluation by the composition faculty.
At the conclusion of the fourth semester of study, students in the Bachelor of Arts Performance Certificate degree will prepare a jury for the appropriate applied faculty, who, in consultation with the academic adviser, will determine whether the student is permitted to continue towards the Performance Certificate. In questionable cases, the adviser is permitted to recommend that the decision be delayed for a maximum of one additional semester, in order to evaluate further the student's progress; this recommendation is subject to the approval of the Department Chair. Students who do not pass the jury may continue in the Bachelor of Arts in Music program (with the understanding that choosing another major may lengthen the amount of time to complete the degree).
Students in the Bachelor of Arts program will take a written comprehensive exam during the final semester of study, typically in the spring; students in the Bachelor of Arts Performance Certificate program will perform a final recital, typically in the final semester of study.
All Bachelor of Arts students must complete a minimum of four semesters of private instruction in a performance area at either one or three semester hours of credit per semester, depending on the student’s interest and qualifications. All students must also complete a minimum of four semesters of any music performing organization, such as University Symphony Orchestra, University Chorus, or Wind Ensemble. Students will select the appropriate ensemble in consultation with the music adviser. All ensembles require the student to pass an audition before being permitted to register. Students who wish to pursue the Bachelor of Arts Performance Certificate must take eight semesters of applied lessons at three semester hours, and eight semesters of performing organization.
All students are required to study piano, as keyboard skills are crucial for gaining a full understanding of musical concepts. Beginners will normally take Class Piano I and II, though more advanced students may audition for private instruction; in this case, the piano lessons may count toward both private instruction and piano requirements, and the two prerequisite credit hours of Class Piano will be waived.
Music elective credits (or when used as substitutes for music course credits), may be satisfied by either MUS or MUPI (Music Private Instruction). In order for MUPI credits to count toward the degree, a jury is required. Students who take private piano instruction in lieu of Class Piano are not required to perform a jury.
For both Bachelor of Arts degrees, one of the music elective courses in the Major Area must focus on the music of a non-Western European region or on music that falls outside the scope of Western classical music (by advisement).