Nov 22, 2024
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2021-22
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OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2021-22 [Archived Catalog]

Music Major (B.A.)

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Major code BA5195

College of Fine Arts
School of Music
Glidden Hall 440
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.4244
Fax: 740.593.4255

Christopher Fisher, contact person

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.) at Ohio University is designed for students with excellent musicianship and a strong background in music who seek a more flexible degree program than is typically possible within a B.Mus. curriculum. This includes students who want to perform and study music while preparing for law or medical school, students who want to pursue a double major, and students who want to focus on academic music studies in the context of a broader liberal arts background. The B.A. requires fewer credit hours in music compared to the B.Mus. degree, so opportunities abound for study in a second area of interest, whether through additional minors or a double major. The B.A. is a true “liberal arts” degree; students complete a range of coursework including foreign language study, humanities, sciences, and mathematics as well as the core music curriculum in performance, musicianship, music theory, and music history.

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

All undergraduates, whether prospective freshmen or transfer students, are required to audition for admission to the degree programs offered by the School of Music. In general, students may not pursue coursework in the major until they have successfully auditioned and been admitted to a music degree program.

Change of Program Policy

Students currently attending Ohio University who wish to declare a major in music are required to audition for admission to the School of Music before they may declare the major.

External Transfer Policy

All undergraduates, whether prospective freshmen or transfer students, are required to audition for admission to the degree programs offered by the School of Music. In general, students may not pursue coursework in the major until they have successfully auditioned and been admitted to a music degree program.

Opportunities Upon Graduation

The B.A. degree prepares students for a wide variety of careers. In addition to providing a solid foundation for graduate studies in music, the B.A. degree provides enough flexibility for premed and prelaw studies. Or the B.A. in music can be combined with another major, like business or biology. The degree also provides the flexibility for adding a concentration in one of the academic areas of music study, such as music history/literature or music theory.

Requirements

Major Hours Requirement

The Bachelor of Arts major in music requires a minimum of 124 hours.

Universitywide Graduation Requirements

To complete this program, students must meet all Universitywide graduation requirements .

College-Level Requirements for the College of Fine Arts

View the College-Level Requirements for the College of Fine Arts.

College of Fine Arts (COFA) B.A. Degree Requirements

B.A. Degree and Requirements

General requirements for a B.A. are

  1. a minimum of 120 semester hours;
  2. 57 hours of coursework above the 1999 level;
  3. the equivalent of two years of college-level foreign language;
  4. at least 9 hours each of humanities, social sciences, and 6 hours of natural sciences coursework;
  5. OHIO BRICKS  ; and
  6. all requirements stipulated by the school for the chosen major.

Minors are optional.

B.A. Degree Language Options

B.A.: Students must complete 2120 (or its equivalent). Students taking the Spanish, French, or German placement test and who test into 3110 will have fulfilled their foreign language requirement. The placement exam does not count as college credit. Students who test into 3110 are encouraged to take the course they placed into for college credit. These higher-level courses will count as humanities courses (and A&S 2000-level or higher) as well as towards a minor or major in the field.

Students who have prior knowledge of one of the following foreign languages should contact the academic departments listed below for test-out and placement information:

American Sign Language - Contact person: Becky Brooks - saunderb@ohio.edu - 740.654.6711 - Lancaster Campus

French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, or Russian - Modern Languages - Gordy Hall 283 - contact: modern.languages@ohio.edu - 740.593.2765

Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Kikuyu, Khmer, Somali, Sudanese Arabic, Swahili, Thai, Twi, Vietnamese, Wolof, or Zulu - Linguistics - Gordy Hall 383

Greek or Latin - Classics and World Religions - Contact person: Bill Owens owensb@ohio.edu - Ellis 210

Students who have prior knowledge of a foreign language not offered at Ohio University can opt to take the NYU Foreign 12-Point exam (approximate cost $350) to complete their foreign language requirement: www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/departments/foreign-languages/testing/process.html

International Students

For international students whose first or native language is not English, and who completed high school where the first or native language was the one primarily used for instruction, the foreign language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating competence in English. This must be approved by the assistant dean in the College of Fine Arts, and it generally requires the successful completion of at least one or more courses in English as a foreign language.

You may also satisfy the foreign language requirement by taking a foreign language other than your own first language at Ohio University, or by successfully completing the NYU foreign language exam.

Enrollment in the beginning or intermediate level (under 3000) of your own first language(s) will be considered a noncredit course.

Please contact the Fine Arts Undergraduate Student Affairs office at 740.593.1808 for additional information.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirements

Humanities Area Requirement *

The humanities requirement may be met by selecting 9 semester hours from the following:

  1. African American Studies:  AAS 1060 ,  1100 ,  1500 ,  2100 ,  2110 ,  2500 ,  3100 ,  3170 ,  3500 ,  3520 ,  3530 ,  3550 ,  3560 ,   3570
  2. Academic and Global Communication: AGC 1300
  3. College of Arts and Sciences:  CAS 1110 ,  CAS 2300 2411 , 2405 ,  2500 *
  4. Art History: AH
  5. Classical Archaeology,  except CLAR 2110 ,  2120 ,  2130 ,  3650
  6. Classics in English: CLAS
  7. Communication Studies:  COMS 3601 ,  3602 ,  3603
  8. Dance:  DANC 2700 ,  3550 ,  4710 ,  4750
  9. English:  except ENG D150 ,  D160 ,  1510 ,  1610 ,  4510 ,  4520 ,  4911 ,  4912  ,  ENG 1510L
  10. Fine Arts:  FAR 1500
  11. Foreign language courses other than those used to complete the foreign language requirement and  except FR 1199 ,  FR 2930 ,  FR 4640 GER 2930 ,  ITAL 2930 ,   JPN 3410 ,  RUS 2930 ,  SPAN 1199 , and  SPAN 2930
  12. History:  HIST 1210 ,  1220 ,  2270 ,  HIST 2700  ,  2530 ,  HIST 2600 2950 ,  3111J ,  3140 ,  HIST 3141 3144 ,  3146 ,  HIST 3147 3148 ,  3224 ,  3290 ,  3291 ,  3292 ,  3293 ,  3390 ,  3501 ,  3520 , HIST 3521 3531 ,  3532 ,  3533 ,  3540 ,  3541 ,  3542 ,  HIST 3550 3560 ,  3562 ,  3600 ,  3840  ,  3860 ,  3861 ,  3864 ,  3900 ,  4536
  13. Humanities: HUM
  14. Interdisciplinary Arts: IART
  15. International Literatures in English, International Literature: Linguistics, and International Literature: Modern Languages  except ILL 3890
  16. Jewish Studies: (all),  JS 1000 ,  2100 ,  2900
  17. Modern Languages:  ML 2300 ,  2950  ,  3210J  ,  3270J
  18. Music/Music Literature:  1250 ,  1240 ,  2240 ,  3210 ,  3625 ,  4210 ,  4211 ,  4212 ,  4213 ,  4214 ,  4215 ,  4216 ,  4270
  19. Philosophy:  except PHIL 1200
  20. Portuguese:   PORT 3110 ,  3120 ,  3180 ,  3190  ,  4110  ,  4120
  21. Theater:  THAR 2710 ,  2711
  22. University Professor:  UP 1901 ,  1901U ,  4901U  (class subjects vary; check Course Offerings for more information)
  23. Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies:  except WGS 3910
  24. World Religions:  except CLWR 4340 ,  4350

Social Sciences Area Requirement *

The social sciences requirement may be met by a selection of 9 semester hours from the following:

  1. African American Studies:  AAS 1010 ,  1900 ,  2020 ,  2200 ,  2250 ,  2540 ,   3400 ,  3410 ,  3450 ,  3460 ,  3680 ,  4400 ,  4820
  2. Academic and Global Communication:  AGC 1300
  3. Anthropology:  except ANTH 2010 ,  3460 ,  3550 ,  3600 ,  4470 ,  4480 ,  4740 ,  4960 , and those listed as natural sciences below
  4. Business Law:  BUSL 2000 ,  2550 ,  3400
  5. Classical Archaeology:  CLAR 2110 ,  2120 ,  2130 ,  3650
  6. College of Arts and Sciences:  CAS 1120 ,  1415 1425 ,  1605 , CAS 2300  ,  2410 ,  2411 ,  2405 ,  2500 ,  2600 ,  4410 ,  4911 *  
  7. Economics: ECON
  8. Environmental and Plant Biology:  PBIO 2170
  9. Geography: GEOG  except those listed under Natural Sciences (see below)
  10. History: HIST  except those listed under Humanities (see above)
  11. International Studies: INST
  12. International Literature:  ILL 3890
  13. Japanese:  JPN 3410
  14. Law, Justice, and Culture:  LJC 2000 ,  3915 ,  4945
  15. Linguistics: LING
    Modern Languages:  ML 2400
  16. Political Science: POLS
  17. Psychology:  except PSY 1110 ,  2110 ,  PSY 2111 PSY 2112 2210 ,  3110 ,  3230
  18. Social Work: SW
  19. Sociology: SOC
  20. University Professor:  UP 1901S ,  4901S  (class subjects vary; check Course Offerings for more information)
  21. Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies:  WGS 3910
  22. World Religions:  CLWR 4340 ,  4350

Natural Sciences Area Requirement *

The natural sciences requirement may be met by selecting 9 semester hours from the following:

  1. Anthropology:  ANTH 2010 ,  3460 ,  3550 ,  3600 ,  4470 ,  4480 ,  4740 ,  4960
  2. Astronomy: ASTR
  3. Biological Sciences: BIOS,  BIOL 1010
  4. Chemistry:  except CHEM D015 ,  1100 ,  1150 ,  1151 ,  1152 ,  3005 ,  3006
  5. College of Arts and Sciences:  CAS 2411 ,  1415 ,  2405 ,  2600
  6. Computer Science:  CS 3000 ,  4160
  7. Environmental and Plant Biology:  except PBIO 2170
  8. Geography:  GEOG 1100 , GEOG 2060 GEOG 2680 ,  GEOG 2710 ,  3010 ,  3020 ,  3031  ,  3040 ,  3050 ,  3150 ,  3160 ,  3580 ,  GEOG 3650 ,  4035  ,  4060 ,  4070 ,  4080 ,  4090 ,  4110 ,  GEOG 4130 ,  4170 ,  4660 ,  4670 ,  4712 ,  GEOG 4730 ,  GEOG 4760 ,  4770 ,  4941 ,  4942 ,  4943 ,  4944
  9. Geological Sciences: GEOL
  10. Mathematics:  except MATH D004 ,  D005 ,  1060 ,  1090 ,  1101 ,  1102 ,  1200 ,  1300 ,  1321 ,  1322 ,  MATH 1500  , 4100
  11. Physical Science: PSC
  12. Psychology:  PSY 2110 ,  2210 ,  PSY 2111 PSY 2112  , 3110 ,  3230
  13. Physics: PHYS
  14. University Professor:  UP 1901N ,  4901N  (class subjects vary; check Course Offerings for more information)

* May only count in one area.

Note:  Methods  courses are not applicable to area requirements.

*These listings must be used as the official guide for the completion of the Arts and Sciences area (distribution) requirements. Exceptions to the 9-hour Arts and Sciences area distribution will be made only under the most unusual of circumstances and by petition only. Consideration for inclusion of courses not listed is not made on an  ad hoc basis  but requires formal approval of the Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee.

Some courses from these categories may also be applied to the University general education requirements. However, the three Arts and Sciences area categories differ in scope from the five  OHIO BRICKS   groupings. If you wish to select a course that will apply to both the Arts and Sciences and general education requirements, take care to choose a course that has been approved for the desired category in both the College and the University listings. Courses that can fulfill quantitative reasoning and written communication  OHIO BRICKS  requirements and the capstone requirement do not apply to the Arts and Sciences area distribution requirements. Exceptions include  MATH 1350  and  PSY 2110 .

The list of courses appears in the  OHIO BRICKS   section of the catalog.

Level-of-Study Requirement

Hours at the 2000 level or above : Within the total hours applied to the degree, at least 57 semester hours of courses must be above the freshman level (numbered above 1999). These courses are listed earlier in this section under humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and include foreign languages, courses from the department major, and courses taught by faculty in the College of Fine Arts or Arts and Sciences intended to meet the advanced writing or capstone.

Single Application of Credit and Exceptions

Excluding the exceptions listed below, no course may satisfy more than one of the three area distribution requirements in foreign language, humanities, social sciences, or the major requirement. For example, a theater major may not apply any courses in theater toward the humanities area distribution requirement. Courses that fulfill freshman OHIO BRICKS requirements or capstone will not apply to the distribution area requirements.

Exceptions are:

  • MATH 1350  and PSY 2110 (will fulfill the quantitative reasoning requirement, as well as the natural science area distribution).
  • Advanced writing courses offered by departments within the College of Fine Arts or the College of Arts and Sciences  apply to the area distribution requirement except when they are required for the major.

Music Theory

Complete the following courses:

Aural Skills

Complete the following courses:

Music History

Complete the following courses:

Applied Music

Complete 2 hours per semester for 4 semesters on the principal instrument for a total of 8 hours.

Students must attain junior level in performance by completing the following:

  • Passing a qualifying jury at the end of the sophomore year;
  • Complete two performance lab (MUS 1090) performances.

Ensemble Requirement

Complete 4 semesters of major ensemble participation for 1 hour each semester. See School of Music Undergraduate Handbook for ensembles appropriate to the principal instrument and major.

Performance Lab

Complete 4 semesters of the following course:

Additional Requirements

  • Either pass the Keyboard Skill Proficiency (KSP) as required in the School of Music Undergraduate Handbook or complete the following courses with a grade of B (3.0) or better.

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