A total of 120 credit hours (45 at the Jr/Sr level 300+) is required and is designed to further the student's knowledge, practice, and experience in music composition. To graduate, a student must earn a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in all major courses and a minimum average of 2.0 in all course work.
Students will study with faculty members who are nationally and internationally recognized. Courses in music theory and musicology are part of the exploration of music as are private instruction, ensemble and chamber music opportunities. All students pursuing the B.M. degree will perform a senior recital on their primary instrument/voice.
With this degree, students can go on to pursue graduate studies in music, or create their own paths in music or music-related endeavors.
Instrumental Ensemble Policy
In order to remain enrolled in studio instruction (lessons), all undergraduate (B.A. & B.M.) and M.M. students who enroll in any level of studio instruction (including nonmajor levels) in band and orchestral instruments must audition for and perform as assigned in a major instrumental ensemble1 each semester in which they are enrolled. For music majors, 1 ensemble taken for credit each semester is required for graduation. Exceptions to this policy are allowed on a case-by-case basis and only by the ensemble conductor in consultation with the faculty member in the studio area or the faculty advisor in music therapy as appropriate.
Undergraduate Admission to the School of Music
First-year students should enter the school directly. Students may transfer to the school from other institutions or from other KU schools if they have at least a 2.75 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) and are eligible to return to the college or university last attended in addition to completing a successful audition. Other students can be admitted only with the permission of the dean. Send applications to the Office of Admissions. Visit the Office of International Admissions for information about international admissions.
Students who wish to major in music must audition. All music students academically approved for admission to the School of Music are admitted contingent upon demonstration by audition of satisfactory level proficiency in their areas of applied music. Music audition and application information is available on the School of Music website. There is a limit of two times a prospective student may request an audition for entrance into one of the School's undergraduate degree programs. The second request must be within 12 months of the first and may be as early as 1 month following the first audition. The limitation also applies to students within the School auditioning from one program into another.
Transfer Students
Students may transfer to the school from other institutions or from other KU schools if they have at least a 2.75 GPA (on a 4.0 scale), are eligible to return to the college or university last attended, and complete a successful audition. Only grades of C or higher are accepted in transfer credit toward degrees offered by the School of Music. Students who wish to transfer performance credit from another institution toward any music degree at KU must validate this credit by audition. Music audition and application information is available on the School of Music website. There is a limit of two times a prospective student may request an audition for entrance into one of the School's undergraduate degree programs. The second request must be within 12 months of the first and may be as early as 1 month following the first audition. The limitation also applies to students within the School auditioning from one program into another.
Keyboard Skills Placement Examination:
If a student has a background in piano playing, they may choose to take one or more Piano Quiz-Out tests. Successfully passing a Quiz-Out will exempt a student from having to take a particular class in the PIAN sequence (PIAN 144, PIAN 148, PIAN 284, PIAN 288, and PIAN 310). Students should check with their advisor about how this will impact their particular degree requirements.
Freshmen and transfer students with no previous piano study experience should enroll in PIAN 144. No examination or permission number is necessary. Students should check with their advisor about their particular degree requirements.
More information about the Keyboard Skills Placement Examination including deadlines is available on the School of Music website.
Music Composition
To graduate, the student must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in music theory and composition courses on both the first- and second-year and the junior/senior levels.
Students majoring in music composition (B.A. or B.M.) must complete MTHC 105, MTHC 106, MTHC 115, MTHC 116, and MTHC 205 before preparing a portfolio of their work for application to the professional sequence. The earliest a student may submit a portfolio is the fourth semester. Transfer students must be in residence for at least 1 semester before they can submit a portfolio.
This portfolio must include recent work (musical compositions for composers), 2 letters of recommendation (1 from the student’s major instrument instructor and 1 from a MTHC professor who has had the student in a class), and a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in MTHC courses. The student may be asked to provide a demonstration of musicality on his or her major instrument.
Portfolios are accepted once each semester for admission to the professional sequence the following semester. The portfolio is assessed by the MTHC faculty with one of 3 recommendations: admit, revise and resubmit next semester, or denied. Students in composition are not allowed to enroll in MTHC 583 Composition and MTHC 498 Undergraduate Recital without a favorable recommendation from the faculty.
B.M. Degree Requirements for the Music Composition Major
Students with a major in composition must offer in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements a recital of approximately 45 minutes duration consisting of original works in various media (MTHC 498). MTHC 499 is not required for the B.M. in Music Composition.
Pianists and organists take 16 credits of lessons (2 credits per semester) and do not take the additional 8 credits of piano, organ, and/or harpsichord lessons, while all other instrumentalists or vocalists take only 8 credits of lessons (1 credit per semester) and the additional 8 credits of the piano proficiency course sequence (PIAN 144, PIAN 148, PIAN 284, PIAN 288) and/or piano, organ, and/or harpsichord lessons.
A minimum of 120 hours (45 at the Jr/Sr level 300+) is required for the degree in Music Composition, distributed as follows:
