Some of the following courses may not be available every year. Please inquire at Music office for schedule.
Courses for Undergraduates
100 Fundamentals of Music (2:3)
For non-music majors and music majors and minors who did not pass the fundamentals exam.
Fundamentals of Western music theory, staves, clefs, rhythm, meter, key signatures, scales, and intervals. (Fall)
101 Music Theory I (2:3)
Pr. admission as a Music major or minor; passing score on the music fundamentals exam, or successful completion of MUS 100, if that course is required
Basic principles of the Western musical language. Rhythm and meter, scales, triads, and seventh chords; fundamentals of part-writing and harmonic progression. (Fall & Spring)
102 Music Theory II (2:3)
Pr. 101 and 105, or permission of theory coordinator
Continued study of harmony within the diatonic major-minor system; exercises in part-writing and analysis. (Spring & Summer)
105 Ear-Training I (1:2)
Pr. admission as a Music major or minor; passing score on the music fundamentals exam, or successful completion of MUS 100, if that course is required
Music reading and dictation. Performance, aural recognition, and notation of melody, triads, and two-voice counterpoint. (Fall & Spring)
106 Ear-Training II (1:2)
Pr. 101 and 105, or permission of theory coordinator
Continuation of music reading and dictation. Performance, aural recognition, and notation of melody, rhythm, harmony, and two-voice counterpoint. (Spring & Summer)
115 Composition Skills (2:1:1)
Pr. music major or permission of the instructor
May be repeated for credit.
Students will compose pieces and perform their compositions. Student works will imitate historical styles or be freely devised. Ability to read music and play an instrument or sing is required. (Fall & Spring)
135 *Introduction to Musicology (3:3)
GE Core: GPR
GE Marker: GN
Introduction to the basic tools of musicological inquiry, including music vocabulary, reading in the discipline, basic library research, and expository writing; cultural awareness; attentive listening to Western and global musics. (Spring)
199 Experimental Course: Gender and Contemporary Identity in Popular Music (3:3)
Women's issues as presented in popular music from the early days of rock 'n' roll to the present, focusing on marketing specific to female acts, male portrayals of female sexuality, music as part of a sexual revolution, and other issues. (Offered spring '11)
201 Music Theory III Musical Structure (2:3)
Pr. 102 and 106, or permission of theory coordinator
More advanced study of harmony and musical form within the diatonic major-minor system, with emphasis on modulation and chromatic harmony. Exercises in part-writing and analysis. (Fall & Spring)
202 Music Theory IV Musical Structure (2:3)
Pr. 201 and 205, or permission of theory coordinator
Basic forms and formal processes of Western music, including binary and ternary forms, theme and variations, fugue, sonata form, and rondo. Exercises in analysis. (Spring & Summer)
203 Instrumentation (2:2)
Study of orchestral and band instruments, their ranges, technical limitations, and tonal possibilities with practical application in scoring for small ensembles and instrumental choirs. (Fall)
205 Ear-Training III (1:2)
Pr. 102 and 106, or permission of theory coordinator
More advanced music reading and dictation. Performance, aural recognition, and notation of diatonic and chromatic melody, harmony, and two-voice counterpoint. (Fall & Spring)
206 Ear-Training IV (1:2)
Pr. 201 and 205, or permission of theory coordinator
Continuation of more advanced music reading and dictation. Performance, aural recognition, and notation of melody, harmony, and two-voice counterpoint. (Spring & Summer)
220 Making Music with Computers (3:3)
GE Core: GFA
Hands-on introduction to using computers to create music. Topics include sequencing, editing, sampling, and looping. Software includes Garage Band, Logic Express, Reason, Audacity. (Fall & Spring) (Formerly MUS 320)
231 First Nights: Five Performance Premieres (3:3)
GE Core: GFA
GE Marker: GL
Consideration of five pieces of music both as artworks and moments of cultural history. Study of the techniques of musical listening and the historical context of each premiere. (Spring)
242 Music for Film (3:3)
GE Core: GFA
GE Marker: GL
Familiarizes students with how music operates in films from the major film industries of the world, and introduces and engages musical-cinematic trends over the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
301 Theory V, Musical Structure in the Late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (3:3)
Pr. 202, 206, or permission of instructor
Techniques of pitch and temporal organization in music of the 20th century. Analysis of relevant works and composition exercises based on models. (Fall & Spring)
331 History of Western Music I (3:3)
GE Core: GHP
CAR: GPM
Pr. 333, or permission of instructor
Music history of the Western tradition from its beginnings to about 1600. (Fall)
332 *History of Western Music II (3:3)
GE Core: GFA
GE Marker: GL
Pr. MUS 135
History of Western art music traditions from the early Christian era to about 1750. (Fall)
333 History of Western Music III (3:3)
GE Marker: GL
Pr. 332, or permission of instructor
History of Western art music traditions from about 1750 to the present. (Spring)
343 *Music Cultures of the World (3:3)
GE Core: GPR
GE Marker: GN
Survey of major world music cultures moving from Africa through the Middle East, Iran, India, Indonesia, Japan, China, and America. (Fall & Spring & Summer)
350 *Electronic Music (3:2:2)
Pr. junior standing or permission of instructor
Introductory course in electronic composition. Lecture and laboratory experience. Projects involving analog synthesis, tape techniques, computer and MIDI control of electronic instruments. (Fall)
354 Modern Asia Through Its Music (3:3)
GE Core: GPR
GE Marker: GN
Exploration of modern Asian music and culture. Examines relationships between music and national identity, ethnicity, politics, colonialism, religion, and other cultural phenomena in East, South, and Southeast Asia. (Alt Spring)
410 Experimental Course: Ecomusicology (3:3)
Using ethnographic, historical, literary, and scientific methods, this course considers historical and contemporary music from Western and non-Western traditions that relate human sound and the natural environment. (Offered spring '11)
425 *Music of Sub-Saharan Africa (3:3)
GE Marker: GN
Study of traditional and popular musics in Africa in relationship to social and historical contexts. Topics include regional styles, performers’ roles, instruments, concepts and uses of music, and performance contexts.
426 Experimental Course: Introduction to BioMusic (3:3)
Pr. familiarity with musical notation or permission of instructor
BioMusic is an interdisciplinary field that explores the origins of music-making in animals, including humans. Music and natural sounds are examined in contexts of biodiversity, cultural diversity, and complex communication systems. (Offered spring '10)
431 Selected Topics in Ethnomusicology (3:3)
This course with rotating topics will examine particular music traditions and current issues in the field of ethnomusicology beyond the survey level. Topics may focus on geographical areas (Africa, Indonesia, Native American, etc.) or theoretical/methodological issues (Music and Gender, Music and Identity, Popular Music, Fieldwork, etc.).
434 American Music (3:3)
GE Core: GHP
CAR: GMO
Pr. 101 and 105, or permission of instructor
History of music in America. Psalmody, ballads, spirituals, gospel, blues, jazz, bluegrass, musical theater, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and Native American music. (Spring)
450 Electroacoustic Music Composition (3:3:3)
Pr. 350 or 550, or permission of instructor
Further exploration of compositional concepts dealing with MIDI, sound synthesis, and multitracking basic recording techniques. Includes emphasis on live, interactive electronic music resources including Max/MSP, C-sound, Reaktor, and others. (Spring)
462 Singing Voice in Classrooms and Ensembles (2:2)
Pr. MUE 356, passed Praxis I or ≥ 1100 combined math and verbal SAT score, passed third Teaching Portfolio assessment, passed third Dispositions assessment, senior standing or permission of instructor, and admission to the Teachers Academy
Overview of vocal anatomy/function, care of the voice, vocal repertoire, teaching strategies, and other specialized topics related to singing instruction in music classrooms and choral settings. (Fall)
497 Directed Study in Music (1–3)
Pr. permission of supervising professor and Dean of School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
May be repeated for credit if topic varies.
Supervised research in advanced subject area resulting in written document or composition. Project outline (available in Music office) prepared by student and supervising professor and approved by Associate Dean and Dean of School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. (Fall & Spring & Summer)
