Admission to Upper Division Studies
A) During the fourth semester of study all students in music programs are formally evaluated for their suitability for their chosen degree program. All applied students must go through an upper division "audition" during the jury of the fourth semester for placement into upper division applied lessons. All grades in the major must be C or better. A GPA of 3.0 is required in all major coursework for the B.A. (Composition and General Music), and the B.M.E.; a GPA of 2.8 is required for those pursuing the B.A. Performance track. A grade of B or better is required in MUED 3800, Introduction to Music Education as part of music education major's admission into the upper division teacher education program. Four grades of "satisfactory" should be achieved in Recital Attendance. In addition to the above requirements, the following checklist, continuously updated during the first four semesters by the student's advisor, is used to determine whether the student has met the standards considered necessary for success at the upper level of course work.
Completion of the following:
Regents Exam – This is required by the state and must be passed before you have completed 30 hours of course work. It is recommended that students take the regents Exam during their first semester of enrollment. Sign up takes place at registration and is normally taken in the second semester.
Functional Keyboard Proficiency – Requirements are as follows:
- Major and harmonic minor scales for all keys - to be played one octave, with each hand, at quarter note = 120
- I, IV, I, V, I chord progression and all possible permutations in all major and minor keys.
- Inversions of tonic and dominate seventh chords in all major and minor keys with each hand, playing at quarter note = 30
- Performance of a simple melody harmonized in block chords. (Examples are available the day before the exam date.)
- Performance of melody transposed up or down a whole step. (Examples are available the day before the exam date.)
Piano Class I: Covers C, G, D, A, E, B, F major and harmonic minor keys for letters a, b, and c and harmonize simple melodies (e above).
Piano Class II: Finishes all major and minor keys for letters a,b,c and add letter d, learn standard accompaniment patterns, play score reading out of elementary textbooks
Piano Class III: Adds ability to play accompaniments and open score reading up to four parts of standard difficulty choral octavos also play vocalizes. Open Syllabus, individualized for each student
Instrumental Music Education Majors must pass Piano Class I
Elementary Music Education Majors must pass Piano Class II and be reassessed before Student Teaching placement.
Choral Music Education Majors must pass Piano Class III and be reassessed before Student Teaching placement.
All BA Music Majors must pass Piano Class II
BME or BA Piano Majors must pass Piano Class II Final Exam
Basic Theory Sequence – MUSC 1500 (class), 1501 (lab), 1510 (class), 1511 (lab),
2500 (class), 2501 (lab), 2510 (class), 2511 (lab).
Ear training/sight-singing Proficiency – (the student must earn the grade of C or
better in MUSC 2511 (Advanced Theory II Lab)
B) Students in the B.M.E. program have additional requirements for admission to upper division study in Music Education. These requirements are discussed during Introduction to Music Education (MUED 3800), and contains the following requirements:
Application
- A written paragraph describing the student's philosophy of music education;
- Completion of Introduction to Music Education (Grade B or better)
- Passing of GACE I and Music Education Committee approval.
- Completion of Ethics workshop and background check
- Proof of CMENC membership (Copy of membership card)
Interview
Each candidate for upper division study will be interviewed by the music education faculty and asked questions based on their application and their completed music courses. The faculty teaching in the Music Education curriculum will review each application and interview and recommend or refuse admission based on the merits of the application and the student's work to date.
C) For the B.M.T. program, please contact the Music Therapy Office (Porter 231)
