Regulations and Procedures
Individual Studio Study and Performance-Related Policies
Examinations and Goals in Performance
Level of Achievement
Each student taking performance courses must make satisfactory progress each semester as determined by the various examinations in performance.
First-Year Jury
The first-year jury is a milestone requirement, intended as a check on each student’s progress in their chosen curriculum. The examination is usually administered as follows:
For BM majors in performance: the jury is administered at the end of fall semester of the first year for all performance areas except piano, string, and woodwind majors, who have their juries at the end of the spring semester of the first year.
For BME concentrations, BS concentrations, and BM composition and jazz studies majors: the jury is administered at the end of spring semester of the first year. Students who have a valid reason to postpone the examination may petition them Director of Undergraduate Studies. The examination may not be postponed past the third semester of study. The first-year jury must be passed before the upper-division examination can be attempted.
Departments may determine the composition of the jury committee, but that committee must include the student’s major teacher. The committee votes to pass, fail, or require the student to retake the first-year jury. A written report of the committee’s comments will be prepared by the Office of Undergraduate Studies and furnished to the student and teacher. If the student fails, they will be dismissed from the Jacobs School of Music. Students required to retake the first-year jury do so no later than the following semester, and the committee must vote either to pass or fail the student.
Students who do not pass will be dismissed from the Jacobs School of Music. Students should consult the relevant performance faculty for more specific information about scheduling and grading procedures.
For transfer students who begin their studies with at least sophomore standing, departments may waive the first-year jury if the student is deemed prepared to complete their upper-division examination within their first year of study at the Jacobs School of Music.
Upper-Division Examination
The purpose of the upper-division examination is to assess the undergraduate student’s general progress and to determine continuation in the chosen curriculum. The examination is administered, usually in the last week of classes, at the end of the fourth semester of study or, for transfer students, at the end of a semester to be determined by the instructor/department. Students who have a valid reason to postpone the examination may petition the director of undergraduate studies of the Jacobs School of Music. The examination should not be postponed past the time when an estimated four semesters of degree work remain to be completed.
A committee composed of the student’s major department faculty members (in some cases including a Jacobs School of Music administrator) administers the examination. A written report of the committee’s comments will be prepared by the Office of Undergraduate Studies and furnished to the student after the upper-division examination. The committee votes to pass, fail, or require the student retake the upper-division examination. If the student fails, they are dismissed from the school of music. Students required to retake the upper-division examination do so the following semester. For any retake of the upper division examination, the committee votes to pass or fail the student. Students who do not pass are dismissed from the school of music.
Bachelor of Music Education and Composition majors (Option 1) have a departmental examination in addition to the performance portion of the examination. Audio Engineering and Sound Production majors have only a departmental examination.
Each student who is studying performance is given a grade on the upper-division examination. The grade given by the departmental committee is an average of the grades given by each member of the committee. This grade will comprise 25% of the final semester applied grade. The grade given by their studio teacher for the work done during the semester will comprise 75% of the final semester applied grade.
Other Examinations in Music Performance Courses
Students should consult the relevant performance faculty for specific information on the scheduling of examinations, the constitution of the hearing committee, and grading procedures. Examinations other than the first-year jury and upper-divison examination usually are held as follows:
BM majors in performance: Committee-graded junior and senior recital hearings, together with faculty grading of the recital, constitute examinations for the third and fourth years. BME concentrations, BS concentrations, and jazz studies majors: the committee-graded senior recital hearing, together with faculty grading of the recital, constitutes examination for the fourth year.
BM & BS composition (Option 1): the senior composition recital and the 6th semester jury examination for their performance instrument constitues examination for the fourth year.
MM majors in performance: committee-graded recital hearings, together and faculty grading of recitals, constitute performance examinations for the degree.
Performer Diploma majors in solo performance, chamber music, collaborative piano and organ improvisation: committee-graded recital hearings, together with faculty grading of recitals, constitute performance examinations for the diploma.
Artist Diploma and Doctoral majors in performance: committee-graded recitals constitute the performance examinations for these programs.
Non-music majors in elective performance (undergraduates and graduates): each semester of enrollment.
Music majors enrolled in 100-, 700-, or 800-level performance study: each semester of enrollment, or as determined by the department.
Individual departments may require additional performance examinations beyond those described here. Additionally, in the case of any student who is making doubtful progress in the curriculum, it is the prerogative of the teacher to ask for a committee examination, with reasonable notice to the student.