Requirements for the Composition Option

Students in the Composition option must complete the following:

Applied Study (complete all):21
First Year Composition
Second Year Composition
Second Year Composition
Third Year Composition
Third Year Composition
Fourth Year Composition
Fourth Year Composition
Advanced Music Theory10
Musica Practica 4
and Musica Practica: Aural Skills 4
Renaissance Polyphony
Baroque Counterpoint
Keyboard Skills2
One semester of the listed course is required. Extra credits earned in reaching proficiency will count as music electives.
Elementary/Intermediate Piano for Non-Piano Majors
Large Performance Ensemble (complete 4 credits):4
Wind Ensemble
Concert Band
Treble Choir
Choral Union
Masters' Singers
Chorale
Madrigal Singers
University Chorus
All-University String Orchestra
Chamber Orchestra
University Symphony Orchestra
Orchestration3
Orchestration I
Composition Electives (complete 9 credits from the following:):9
Conducting
Conducting
Contemporary Chamber Ensemble
Jazz Improvisation
Jazz Improvisation
Musical Cultures of the World
Seminar: Cultural Study of Music
Form and Analysis
Form and Analysis II
Jazz Composition and Arranging
Jazz Composition and Arranging
Electives12
Elective credit is earned from courses on the list of electives approved for all options of the Bachelor of Music: Performance program. This list is published in the Requirements section for the program.
Total Credits61

Sample Four-Year Plan

This Sample Four-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it—along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools—to make their own four-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests. As students become involved in athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, volunteer experiences, and/or work, they might adjust the order of their courses to accommodate these experiences. Students will likely revise their own four-year plan several times during college.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MUSIC 1213MUS PERF 1483
MUSIC 1711MUSIC 1223
Large Performance Ensemble 1MUSIC 1721
Music Electives4Large Performance Ensemble 1
Foreign Language4Music Electives2
Communication A3Foreign Language4
 Quantitative Reasoning A 3
 16 17
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MUS PERF 2473MUS PERF 2483
MUSIC 2213MUSIC 2223
MUSIC 2711MUSIC 2721
MUSIC 2113MUSIC 2123
MUS PERF 2002MUSIC 6213
Large Performance Ensemble 1Large Performance Ensemble 1
Ethnic Studies3 
 16 14
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MUS PERF 3473MUS PERF 3483
MUSIC 6223MUSIC 2522
Music History Elective3Music History Elective 3
MUSIC 5233Composition Electives3
Music Electives2Quantitative Reasoning B 3
 14 14
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MUS PERF 4473Global Music Cultures 3
Composition Electives3Composition Electives3
Music Electives1Music Electives6
Natural Science Breadth with Lab4Social Science Breadth 3
Communication B 3 
 14 15
Total Credits 120