The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music is a 120-hour liberal arts degree program. Students must meet all requirements established by the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of the Arts, including a foreign language sequence. Students may select guided electives outside of music to develop a minor in another discipline.

Selected Educational Outcomes

  1. Candidates will demonstrate functional knowledge of the elements of music construction.
  2. Candidates will display conceptual understanding of the literature and historical development of music in Western civilization and of the function of music in world cultures.
  3. Candidates will exhibit broad interests in liberal arts or minor studies.
  4. Candidates will meet all the standards set forth by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) for the liberal arts degree with a major in music.

Examples of Outcomes Assessments

  1. Candidates will produce an in-depth analysis project or paper in which fundamental musical constructs are documented.
  2. Candidates will produce an in-depth paper that demonstrates conceptual understanding of music in Western civilization and/or of the function of music in world cultures.
  3. Candidates will complete a capstone project under the guidance of music faculty as part of the recital. This project will take the form of written program notes.
  4. Candidates will demonstrate performance skill through the jury process (a prepared performance adjudicated by a panel every semester), a performance barrier (after 4 semesters of applied instruction) that leads to upper division applied study, and a senior recital of not less than 20 minutes.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree with a Major in Music

Core Curriculum60
Core Curriculum, Areas A-E (See VSU Core Curriculum)42
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music should take MUSC 1100 in Area C.
Core Curriculum Area F
MUSC 1011Music Theory I3
MUSC 1012Music Theory II3
MUSC 1051Music Theory Lab I1
MUSC 1052Music Theory Lab II1
MUSC 2131Class Piano I1
MUSC 2132Class Piano II1
MUSC 1_20 or MUSC 2_20 Principal Applied Music8
Senior College Curriculum60
Upper Level Courses in Music
MUSC 2011Music Theory III3
MUSC 2012Music Theory IV3
MUSC 2051Music Theory Lab III1
MUSC 2052Music Theory Lab IV1
Principal Ensemble: one or a combination of the following ensembles (see Principal Ensemble Requirement):8
Chamber Singers
Concert Choir
Concert Band
Orchestra
String Ensemble
Jazz Ensemble
Marching Band
Wind Ensemble
MUSC 3_20 or MUSC 4_20 Additional Applied Music8
MUSC 4451History of Music to 17503
MUSC 4452History of Music since 17503
MUSC 1016An Introduction to Computer Applications in Music1
Music Electives3
MUSC 1001Professional Orientation and Seminar for Music Majors0
Foreign Language 16
Select one of the tracks listed below 220
General Track
Education Track
Jazz track
Total hours required for the degree120

General Track

Upper Division electives or Minor 220

 Education Track

MUE 3000Music Teaching2
MUSC 3650Introduction to Conducting1
MUE 3660Intermediate Conducting2
MUSC 3100Arranging for Band, Chorus, and Orchestra2
MUSC 3131Class Piano III1
MUSC 3132Class Piano IV1
Music Guided Electives2
EDUC 2120Exploring Socio-Cultural Perspectives on Diversity3
PSYC 3110Educational Psychology3
SPEC 3000Serving Students with Diverse Needs3
Total Hours20

Jazz Track

MUSC 1171Theoretical Foundations of Jazz Improvisation I1
MUSC 1172Theoretical Foundations of Jazz Improvisations II1
Upper Division Electives 218
Total Hours20
1

See University Foreign Language Requirements

2

Must include at least 6 hours of courses numbered 3000 or above in a single discipline outside of Music.