Apr 25, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Music, BA


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Undergraduate Academic Programs

College Arts and Sciences
Academic Awards Bachelor of Arts, Music Minor
Credits Required 122 semester credits
Faculty Lead Naomi Fanshier
Majors Music
CIP Code 50.0904

The Music Major is designed to prepare students for careers in music and/or graduate studies.

The Music department offers majors which prepare students to enter a variety of careers relating to musical arts. These majors include preparation for a career in music education, music performance, music technology, or contemporary music industry.

Bachelor of Arts in Music

The Music degree prepares students for graduate programs in music and/or a career in a specific musical field. Students will choose a musical concentration of either music performance, music technology, or preparation for a career in music education. Music as a discipline encourages the growth of excellence in performance, development of analytical skills, and creativity through the combination of theory and technique. Graduates will be prepared to enter graduate programs or apply their musical skill and knowledge in a professional setting.

Graduates with a degree in Music will be able to:

  1. Evaluate musical genres based upon their stylistic characteristics.
  2. Create music utilizing an undergraduate proficiency level of music theory.
  3. Translate notes into sound, and sound into notes utilizing ear training.
  4. Demonstrate proficiency in music technology.
  5. Interpret, prepare, and perform a variety of musical works through collaboration in musical performance.
  6. Integrate the study of music and the Christian faith.

In addition to the above outcomes, students will be able to:

Music Education Preparatory Concentration:

  1. Meet the state competencies for certified music educators.
  2. Enter NU’s MIT program to complete teacher certification and Master’s degree.

Music Technology Concentration:

  1. Further understand music technology and creating with recording equipment and digital audio workstations.

Music Performance Concentration:

  1. Achieve professional competency on a primary instrument through focused performance study and experience.

Sophomore Jury

Students pursuing the Music Performance track will have their progress and potential assessed at the end of the sophomore year (or upon entry as an AA carrying transfer student). The student must perform two works of varying styles or musical eras, no longer than 15 minutes total. Assessments are made by the music faculty via a performance jury. Outcomes are pass/fail; students who fail a jury will be allowed a second attempt at the beginning of their junior year (or second semester as an AA carrying transfer student). Students who fail two attempts will not be allowed to continue in the Music Performance track.

Core Curriculum Requirements: 57


Humanities: 9


6 credits in this area must be from Writing Practice courses* (see Course Descriptions    for applicability)

  • ENGL xxx3 Any Literature course 3 credits
  • HIST   xxx3 Any Course in History 3 credits
  • 3 additional credits selected from the following 3 credits
    • Art (ARTE), Bible (BIBL), Drama (DRAM), English (ENGL), History (HIST), Language (LANG), Music (MUSI), or Theology (THEO)

Social Sciences: 9


6 credits in this area must be from Writing Practice courses* (see Course Descriptions  for applicability)

  • Select a minimum of two disciplines from the following: 9 credits
    • Business Administration (BUSM), Communication (except COMM 1213), Economics, Education (EDUC), Exercise Science (EXSC), Geography (GEOG), Information Technology (INTC), Management (BMGT), Marketing (BMKT), Philosophy (PHIL), Political Science (PSCI), Psychology (PSYC), Sociology/Anthropology (SOCI), or User Experience Design (UXDE)

Science and Mathematics: 7


  • MATH xxxx - College-level Mathematics 3 credits
  • SCIE xxxx - Science course with Lab 4 credits

Formation and Calling: 3


Professional Readiness: 2


Two Core Curriculum elective credits are required to be Career Readiness credits. These credits can be earned by taking a combination of Career Readiness Courses and introductory internship and/or job shadowing experiences. 

  • This two-credit requirement is waived for students who transfer 57 or more credits to NU
  • Students with 44-56 transfer credits are required to take one Career Readiness credit

Core Electives: 6


Select any college-level courses

Music Major: 51-56


Ensemble Requirements: 4-8


Students are required to participate in at least one ensemble each semester. (Transfer students will consult with advisor.)

Select 4-8 credits from the following:

Private Music Lessons: 8


Students may take lessons on up to three instruments.*

  • MUPL x21x - Any Level Piano Instruction 2 credits
  • MUPL xxxx - Private Music Lessons 6 credits

(*Students pursuing the Music Performance concentration must complete 6 credits of applied lessons on their primary instrument.)

Supporting Music Courses: 4


Music Concentration: 9


Select from one of the following tracks, detailed below:

  • Music Education Preparatory
  • Music Technology
  • Music Performance

Music Education Preparatory Concentration: 9


Music Performance (Orchestral String, Woodwind, Brass, Percussion, Piano, or Voice) Concentration: 9


The Music Performance concentration is for student musicians who exhibit advanced talent on their primary instrument (orchestral string, woodwind, brass, percussion, piano or voice). Students must pass a performance jury at the end of their 4th semester (or prior to entry as a transfer student) to pursue the Music Performance concentration.

General Electives: 9-14


Any college-level courses

Total: 122 Semester Credits


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Undergraduate Academic Programs