Undergraduate Division

Bachelor of Science Degrees  

Music and an Outside Field (Composition Emphasis) 

Applicants should submit:

  1. a portfolio of two to four scores and
  2. a list of completed compositions, including date, instrumentation, duration, and any performances (recordings of performances are recommended).

Those invited to interview should be prepared for a brief ear-training examination.

Admission to “Performance Study Option 1” requires a classical audition on an instrument or voice.

Major Ensemble

X0—(2 cr.) required every fall semester, spring semester, and second summer session in which the student is registered for any course, music or non-music. Instrumental students, X040 University Instrumental Ensembles; vocal students, X070 University Choral Ensembles; keyboard students, X070 University Choral Ensembles or, with permission of the choral department, X002 Piano Accompanying.

Composition Study
  • K400: minimum of 2 credit hours each semester until senior recital is passed. Concurrent registration in I500 Performance and Composition Masterclass (0 cr.) for every semester of K400 Composition Major.
  • K214-K215 Instrumentation I-II (2-2 cr.)
  • K451-K452 Advanced Orchestration I-II (2-2 cr.)
  • Entrance interview
  • upper-division examination, K402 Senior Recital in Composition (0 cr.)

Strongly recommended but not required: K133 Notation and Calligraphy (1 cr.), K231-K232 Free Counterpoint I-II (2-2 cr.).

Performance Study

Instrument or Voice: enrollment (2 cr.) on the same instrument or voice required every fall and spring semester.

  • Option 1: study at the 400 level; entrance audition, freshman jury, upper-division examination, eighth-semester jury.
  • Option 2: study at the 100 level; entrance audition, upper-division examination, and eighth-semester jury not required.
Seondary Piano and Keyboard Proficiency

All students must pass a keyboard proficiency examination. Students whose primary instrument is not piano, organ, or harpsichord must take an examination for placement in P111 Piano Class 1, Music Majors (2 cr.); P121 Piano Class 2, Music Majors (2 cr.); P131 Piano Class 3, Music Majors (2 cr.); P141 Piano Class 4, Music Majors (2 cr.); or P100 Piano Elective/ Secondary (2 cr.) and continue study each semester until the keyboard proficiency examination is passed.

Core Music Courses

27 credit hours

  • Placement examination or T109 Rudiments of Music I (3 cr.)
  • T132 Musical Skills I (1 cr.)
  • T151 Music Theory and Literature I (3 cr.)
  • T152 Music Theory and Literature II (3 cr.)
  • T231 Musical Skills II (1 cr.)
  • T232 Musical Skills III (1 cr.)
  • T251 Music Theory and Literature III (3 cr.)
  • T252 Music Theory and Literature IV (3 cr.)
  • T331 Musical Skills IV (1 cr.)
  • T351 Music Theory and Literature V (3 cr.)
  • M401 History and Literature of Music I (4 cr.)
  • M402 History and Literature of Music II (4 cr.)
  • Or equivalent honors courses

A grade of C or higher is required in T109 Rudiments of Music I, T132 Musical Skills I, T231 Musical Skills II, T232 Musical Skills III, and T331 Musical Skills IV.

General Education

24 credit hours

  • Written and Oral Expression English composition, 2 credit hours or competency.
  • Foreign Language 4-8 credit hours in a single language or proficiency, equivalent to two semesters of first-year language study.
  • Humanities 3 credit hours.
  • Life and Physical Sciences and Mathematics 3 credit hours.
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences 3 credit hours.
  • Electives 6-10 credit hours selected from “General Education Requirements.”
Outside Field

27 credit hours, subject to approval of the director of undergraduate studies and the advisor of the outside field department or program.

To Complete Degree

Free music or non-music electives as needed to bring the total credit hours to 120, excluding major ensemble and I400.

Academic Bulletins

PDF Version

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Previous Bulletins

Students are ordinarily subject to the curricular requirements outlined in the Bulletin in effect at the start of their current degree. See below for links to previous Bulletins.