Degree: B.A., Music
Department of Music
The Department of Music functions as one component of the liberal arts institution. Cognizant of its mission the department offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music that allows students to focus the major with elective courses. Students might use these electives to develop a specialization in composition, history, performance, technology, or theory. Additionally, students may pursue licensure to teach music through the College of Education. The music minor offers structure for students seeking a formalized music education to supplement another major. A number of ensembles offer performance opportunities for the University as well as community musicians. The department also serves the community at large through its offerings of cultural events — lectures, workshops, and concerts. This liberal arts orientation defines the goal of the major program — to allow students to pursue a specialized interest in music beyond a specific core of courses.
The objectives of the major program in music involve preparing students for graduate study as well as for careers in the performing arts, public school teaching, and many other areas. The music department’s Pollard Hall includes a small recital hall, a class piano laboratory, practice and rehearsal facilities as well as a recording studio, electronic music lab and media collection. Nearby duPont Hall houses the department’s music production lab. The music department regularly presents public events in the Weatherly Wing of Seacobeck Hall and Dodd Auditorium.
The department presents a wide variety of public musical performances throughout the academic year. Students and faculty appear in general recitals, senior and faculty recitals, and chamber programs. The department and the University also sponsor visiting performers, composers, and lecturers in recitals, concerts, and master classes. The music department offers individual instruction in all traditional wind, string, and keyboard instruments and voice based on competitive auditions. A maximum of 12 credits in individual instruction and 10 credits in performing ensembles may be counted toward the minimum 120 credits required for a degree.
Students should balance their total program before exceeding these limits. Students planning to major in music should take MUTC 100 Technology for Musicians, MUTH 191 Diatonic Music Theory and MUTH 101 Aural Skills I in the first year. Prospective majors also should audition for admission to individual study in their performance area and to a musical ensemble. Incoming majors also should audition in the winter months for the Aurelia B. Walford and the Henry and Grace Spicer Scholarships, awarded to outstanding performers.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students will recognize, imitate, and critique standard practices of melody, harmony, part-writing, and musical notation.
2. Students will appraise the merits of different interpretations of verbal and musical texts.
3. Students will demonstrate adaptability in their interaction with new challenges.
4. Students will demonstrate increasing mastery of technique and expression in applied studies.
5. Students will immerse themselves in a pre-professional experience.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUTH 101 | Aural Skills I | 1 |
| MUTH 201 | Aural Skills II | 1 |
| MUTH 301 | Aural Skills III | 1 |
| MUTH 191 | Diatonic Music Theory | 3 |
| MUTH 291 | Chromatic Music Theory | 3 |
| MUTH 391 | Post-Tonal Music Theory | 3 |
| MUHL 375 | Music Literature: Genre and Form | 3 |
| MUHL 376 | Music History: Narratives and Ideologies | 3 |
| or MUHL 473 | Special Studies in Music History and Literature | |
| MUTC 100 | Technology for Musicians | 3 |
| Capstone (take in final year) 1 | 3 | |
| Music Seminar (take in final year) | ||
or EDUC 499 | Internship | |
| Demonstrate functional keyboard skills by passing a piano proficiency exam 2 | ||
| Select four semesters of studio lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) | 4 | |
| Select four semesters of ensembles | 4 | |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Jazz Improvisation Workshop | ||
or MUPR 275 | World Music Workshop (Topics) | |
or MUSC 255 | Music Engagement: Street Choir | |
| Select additional 7 credits music | 7 | |
| Total Credits | 40 | |
- 1
Refer to College of Education program information for details about music licensure.
- 2
MUPR 208 Piano Proficiency Preparation is specifically intended to assist students preparing for the piano proficiency exam. Students with little or no piano background may wish to enroll in MUPR 205A Class Piano I , MUPR 206 Class Piano II, MUPR 207A Class Piano III , MUPR 305A Private Piano , and/or MUPR 405 Advanced Private Piano instead.
General Education Requirements
The general education requirements for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degrees apply to all students who are seeking to earn an undergraduate B.A., B.S. or B.S.Ed. degree.
Students seeking a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree have a separate set of BLS general education requirements.
Electives
Elective courses are those that are not needed to fulfill a general education requirement or major program requirement but are chosen by the student to complete the 120 credits required for graduation with a B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. degree or the BLS degree. These courses may be taken graded or pass/fail (or S/U in the case of physical education and 100-level dance). No student in a regular B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. program may count more than 60 credits in a single discipline toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
Total Credits Required for the Degree: 120 credits
Plan of Study - Music Major
This suggested plan of study should serve as a guide to assist students when planning their course selections. It is not a substitute for a student's Degree Evaluation or the Program Requirements listed for this major in the catalog. Academic planning is the student's responsibility, and course selections should be finalized only after speaking with an advisor. Students should familiarize themselves with the catalog in effect at the time they matriculated at the University of Mary Washington. Students should also familiarize themselves with general education requirements which can be fulfilled through general electives as well as major/minor course requirements. Course requirements and sequencing may vary with AP, IB, CLEP, Cambridge or previous coursework, transfer courses, or other conditions. To be considered full-time, an undergraduate student must be enrolled in 12 or more credits for the semester.
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| FSEM 100 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
| MUTC 100 | Technology for Musicians | 3 |
| MUTH 181A | Materials and Sources for Music Theory 1 | 3 |
| Studio Lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) | 1 | |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| MUTH 101 | Aural Skills I | 1 |
| MUTH 191 | Diatonic Music Theory | 3 |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Courses | 11 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| MUTH 201 | Aural Skills II | 1 |
| MUTH 291 | Chromatic Music Theory | 3 |
| MUSC 000 | Music Forum | 0 |
| Studio Lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) | 1 | |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Courses | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MUPR 265 |
Jazz Improvisation Workshop or World Music Workshop (Topics) or Music Engagement: Street Choir |
1 |
| MUTH 301 | Aural Skills III | 1 |
| MUTH 391 | Post-Tonal Music Theory | 3 |
| Studio Lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) 2 | 1 | |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| MUHL 375 | Music Literature: Genre and Form | 3 |
| Studio Lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) | 1 | |
| Ensemble (Elective) | 1 | |
| Music Elective 3 | 3 | |
| General Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| MUHL 376 or MUHL 473 |
Music History: Narratives and Ideologies or Special Studies in Music History and Literature |
3 |
| Ensemble (Elective) | 1 | |
| Music Elective 3 | 3 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| MUSC 490 | Music Seminar | 3 |
| Ensemble (Elective) | 1 | |
| General Electives | 12 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Music Elective 3 | 1 | |
| Ensemble (Elective) | 1 | |
| General Electives | 11 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
If needed
- 2
Attempt Piano Proficiency Exam.
- 3
Music electives must total at least 7 credits.
Plan of Study - Students Pursuing Licensure to Teach Music Through the College of Education
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| FSEM 100 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
| MUTC 100 | Technology for Musicians | 3 |
| MUTH 181A | Materials and Sources for Music Theory 1 | 3 |
| Studio Lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) | 1 | |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| MUTH 101 | Aural Skills I | 1 |
| MUTH 191 | Diatonic Music Theory | 3 |
| Studio Lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) 2 | 1 | |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Courses | 10 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 206 | Foundations of Education | 3 |
| EDUC 207 | Development of the Learner and Instructional Practices | 3 |
| MUTH 201 | Aural Skills II | 1 |
| MUTH 291 | Chromatic Music Theory | 3 |
| MUSC 000 | Music Forum | 0 |
| Street Choir/World Music Workshop/Jazz Improv | 1 | |
| Studio Lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) | 1 | |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Course | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDSE 250 | Survey of Special Education: Characteristics and Legal Issues | 3 |
| EDUC 290 | Teaching Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students | 3 |
| MUPR 214 or MUPR 235 |
Class Woodwinds 3 or Class Strings |
1 |
| MUPR 347A | Conducting | 3 |
| MUTH 301 | Aural Skills III | 1 |
| MUTH 391 | Post-Tonal Music Theory | 3 |
| Studio Lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) | 1 | |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 385 | Managing the Secondary Classroom | 3 |
| MUHL 375 | Music Literature: Genre and Form | 3 |
| MUPR 223 |
Class Brass 4 or Class Percussion or Class Guitar I or Guitar Ensemble |
1 |
| Studio Lessons (MUPR 300- or 400-level) | 1 | |
| MUPR 349 | Conducting Practicum | 1 |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 3 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 351A | Instructional Design and Assessment | 4 |
| MUHL 376 or MUHL 473 |
Music History: Narratives and Ideologies or Special Studies in Music History and Literature |
3 |
| MUPR 235 or MUPR 214 |
Class Strings or Class Woodwinds |
1 |
| STAT 180 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 415 | Literacy and Language Across the Curriculum | 3 |
| EDUC 452 | Content-Area Teaching Lab: Secondary, Pre-K-12 | 1 |
| EDUC 457 | The Teaching of Music | 3 |
| MUPR 225A or MUPR 223 |
Class Percussion or Class Brass |
1 |
| Ensemble | 1 | |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 460 | Internship Seminar: Secondary, Pre-K-12 | 3 |
| EDUC 499 | Internship | 9 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |