Music B.M. – Composition Emphasis
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Contact: Paul Elwood, Ph.D., Coordinator, Composition and Music Theory
Location: Frasier Hall 108
Telephone: 970.351.2993
Fax: 970.351.1923
Website: www.arts.unco.edu/music
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
Assigned advisor is available through the Ursa login; ursa.unco.edu; under Student tab Academic Profile channel and is term specific. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of two parts:
- Liberal Arts Core (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
Program Description:
The Bachelor of Music degree is the initial professional degree in music. Its primary emphasis is on development of the skills, concepts and sensitivity essential to the professional life of a musician. It also prepares students for advanced study in graduate school.
Program Admission Requirements:
- Students planning to major in music are required to submit an application for admission to the School of Music. An audition is required for all applicants to music degree programs; for some graduate programs, an interview may be conducted in lieu of an audition. Current School of Music admission guidelines and audition requirements are available at: http://arts.unco.edu/music/apply/.
- Students meeting the general admission requirements of the University may be accepted as undeclared majors. However, students may only be designated as music majors upon successful completion of the School of Music application and audition process.
- Composition applicants should upload a portfolio of their work to the application which includes PDFs of three representative scores and accompanying recordings (MIDI recordings are acceptable but live recordings are preferred. Composition students must also gain admittance to a instrumental or vocal study with a separate audition.
Program Requirements:
- In all MUS courses, a student must receive C- or better to fulfill degree requirements.
- Any student receiving lower than a C- in a MUS prefix class for the second time in the same class will be placed on probation. If the student receives lower than a C- a third time in the same class, the student will be removed from the major.
- Students are required to take MUS 100 8 times, based on degree. This is not tied to lessons. MUS 100 should be taken in Composition, not in the secondary instrument.
- After students have fulfilled the requirements for applied lessons in their degree, additional applied lessons will be at the discretion of the studio teacher and Director.
- All students in applied lessons must enroll in a major ensemble. Students that do not have a major ensemble required for the duration of the degree program should follow their degree requirements.
- Any student receiving a grade below a C- in applied lessons will be placed on probation. A second semester of a grade below a C- in applied lessons will result, upon consent from the area, in removal from the major.
- A half Junior Recital and full Senior Recital are required for all emphasis.
- The Class Piano sequence is required also for piano students, who will be placed into the appropriate semester based on an assessment with the Coordinator of Class Piano. Students who test out of a class in the Class Piano sequence will instead take an additional hour of MUS-prefix electives.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
Degree Requirements
1. Required Specified LAC — 9 credits
LAC area 3.a. — Arts
LAC — Electives
Remaining LAC — 31 credits
See “Liberal Arts Core”.
2. Required Major — 67 credits
Take all of the following courses:
Choose one of the following music technology or music business courses:
Music Electives - 13 credits
Take 13 credits from MUS-prefix coursework.