School of Music

Richard Kravchak, D.M., Director
118 College Drive, #5081
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
601.266.5543

Adams, Beard, Brumbeloe, Ciraldo, Coleman, A. Davis, K. M. Davis, Dean, Fuller, Goertzen, Gwozdz, Hafer, Hightower, Kaunitz, Kilgore, Lee, Machado, B. McIlwain, J. McIlwain, McKenzie, Mezzadri, Miles, Moak, Moser, Panella, Parker, Perry, Rand, Redfield, Russakovsky, Rust, Schlegel, Standland, Tesh, Woolly, Wooton, Yarrington

The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music is a fully accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music. Requirements are in accordance with the published regulations of this association.

Music Program

There are three undergraduate degrees available to students in the School of Music: the Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of Music Education (BME), and Bachelor of Arts (BA) in music. Emphasis areas in music are jazz studies, music history and literature, and performance (percussion, piano, strings, voice, and wind instruments). Music education emphasis areas are instrumental and choral.

All prospective music majors must audition regardless of their choice of degree plan. To be admitted to the School of Music, applicants must meet minimum standards in applied music through the Admission Audition and meet the academic requirements of the university.

Students taking applied lessons are required to pay an additional fee.

Major Instrument Requirement

Major instrument credit hour requirements vary based on degree sought. They are as follows:

	Bachelor of Music in Performance	three credit hour lessons for no less than eight semesters
	Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies	three credit hour lessons for no less than eight semesters
	Bachelor of Music Education	two credit hour lessons for no less than six semesters
	Bachelor of Arts	two credit hour lessons for no less than six semesters
	BME and BA majors must take at least one semester at the 400-level. BM majors must take at least three semesters at the 400-level.

Major Ensemble Requirement

The BM, BME and BA degrees require participation in the same major ensemble, excluding summers. Requirements are as follows:

	Bachelor of Music (Performance)	eight semesters of the same major ensemble
	Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies	eight semesters of jazz ensemble
	Bachelor of Music Education	six semesters of the same major ensemble
	Instrumental BME students must participate in marching band a minimum of three semesters.
	Bachelor of Arts	six semesters of the same major ensemble
**	Transfer students will receive one semester of ensemble credit (maximum of four) for each semester of full-time work in an ensemble at their previous institution.

Placement Exams

Every potential music major is required to take a placement examination in piano and music theory.

Recital Attendance Requirements

The term “recital class” refers collectively to the weekly student recital hour (department and general), as well as the 12 formal recitals attended each semester. Course number assigned is MUP 499 . All majors are required to successfully complete recital class. The requirements are as follows:

	Bachelor of Music in Performance	eight semesters of recital class (MUP 499 )
	Bachelor of Music Education	seven semesters of recital class (MUP 499 )
	Bachelor of Arts	three semesters of recital class (MUP 499 )
**	Transfer students receive up to four semesters of credit for recital class for each semester of full-time work earned at another college or university.

Jury Policy

Music majors enrolled in MUP private lessons in their principal applied area must perform a jury for appropriate applied faculty. All others enrolled in MUP private lessons must perform a final examination for the applied teacher. At the finish of each semester, the applied teacher must complete a Final Jury/Examination form for each student and file it with the School of Music office Students enrolled in applied music who do not take a final examination or a jury will receive the grade of F or Incomplete, depending upon the circumstances (see the Bulletin section on grades for policy governing the award of Incompletes). The applied teacher must record and submit any exception to this policy to the academic advisor; signatures of all appropriate area faculty must be included on this form.

Piano Competency

All BM and BME students must pass a piano competency. Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Music and the Bachelor of Music Education degrees must enroll in class piano each semester until this competency is passed. Advanced standing is available for these courses. For BME students, the piano competency must be passed by the semester prior to enrolling in MUP 395 - Music Education Recital .

Senior Capstone Experience

The University of Southern Mississippi requires a senior capstone experience. This experience may be met by a senior thesis, student teaching, or the applied area literature course with a writing-intensive and oral presentation component. This requirement varies by degree. See your advisor for details.

BA in Music

The Bachelor of Arts degree in music offers a classic liberal arts degree with an emphasis on music. Approximately half of the curriculum consists of core classes, while music major classes comprise the other half. The coursework is designed to provide a balance between music study and general education and is fully certified by the National Association of Schools of Music.

Bachelor of Music (BM)

The Bachelor of Music degrees provide education and training for those who seek careers in music performance, in jazz, or in music history. Each curricular emphasis presents a variety of courses, performances and presentations that each student must complete during their undergraduate career at our university. Students in these courses try new things, test their creative limits, engage with the current state of knowledge in their field, and encounter topics they have never explored before. Experiences such as these help to develop the skills our students will need to compete in their chosen specializations while they also encourage our students to keep their curiosity alive and to practice lifelong learning. Our Bachelor of Music degrees are fully certified by the National Association of Schools of Music.

BM (Performance)

The mission of the Bachelor of Music in Performance is to develop the technical and artistic talents of student musicians. These activities should be supplemented by advanced research and writing skills, and informed by detailed knowledge of music theory and history, with the goal of preparing students for entrance into graduate programs or advancement in the field of music.

During the final semesters of matriculation, the student must enroll in an applied-area literature course with a writing-intensive and oral presentation component, and they must perform a senior recital.

BM (Jazz Studies)

Students in the Jazz Studies curriculum will demonstrate competent performance and rehearsal skills during applied classes, laboratory rehearsals, and the required recitals for the degree, while fulfilling the core requirements of the University and taking the full complement of music history and music theory courses expected from the Bachelor of Music degree.

During the final semesters of matriculation, the student must enroll in a course on jazz ensemble management with a writing-intensive and oral presentation component, and they must perform a senior recital.

BM (Music History and Literature)

The curriculum in music history and literature is planned for those who intend ultimately to teach musicology at the college level or for those who desire careers in music librarianship, music journalism, music publishing or the recording industry — fields in which a wide and comprehensive knowledge of music history and literature is essential.

The student in music history and literature will receive a strong foundation not only in his or her chosen field but also in theory and in academic subjects that will enrich the student’s cultural background.

During the final semesters of matriculation, the student must enroll in MUS 491 - Senior Thesis/Research Project (three hours) for an independent study that culminates in a senior thesis. The exact nature of the thesis will be decided by the student and the musicology faculty of the School of Music. The thesis project should reflect significant individual effort that involves library or field research. The project must conform to scholarly procedures accepted within the discipline. A prospectus acceptable to the thesis advisor must be submitted no later than one semester prior to graduation.

Bachelor of Music Education (BME)

The curricula in music education are designed to prepare musicians who will teach in public or private schools or teach privately. The emphases listed below are designed to provide a balance between music performance, music pedagogy and general education. These curricula are fully certified by the National Association of Schools of Music, and satisfy teacher licensure requirements. To satisfy requirements in the state of Mississippi, students seeking the Bachelor of Music Education degree must earn a grade of C or better in ENG 101 , ENG 102 and all music courses.

Before applying for admission to a professional education program, the following requirements must be met: (1) an ACT composite score of 21 or higher, with no scale score below 18, or an SAT of 860 (verbal and quantitative) upon entrance into college or acceptable scores on the Praxis I subscales computerized PPST: Reading (172), Writing (173) and Mathematics (172); (2) a minimum grade point average on the 44-semester-hour general education core curriculum of 2.75; (3) a C or better in freshman English composition (ENG 101 and ENG 102); (4) successful completion of the Basic Technology Literacy Exam (BTLE) or IC3 certification; (5) subscription to the Tk20 Assessment System, which provides an electronic portfolio and storage system for students as well as tracks, stores, retrieves and analyzes data for accreditation purposes; (6) good academic standing at The University of Southern Mississippi (i.e., a student on probation, probation continued, or suspension will not be admitted to teacher education until the transcript reflects good academic standing); and (7) a clear background check via the system selected by The University of Southern Mississippi Professional Education Council. 

Each student who applies for admission to a teacher education program must undergo a background check when applying for the Gold Card. Students who pass the background check process will be issued a background check badge and considered eligible for admission to teacher education pending satisfaction of other admission requirements. Teacher candidates issued Gold Cards prior to fall 2009 and currently enrolled in teacher education programs at The University of Southern Mississippi, as well as students enrolled in teacher education field or clinical experiences that do not require a Gold Card, must also undergo a background check as part of the university policy.

After admission to a professional education program, the following requirements must be met to continue in the program: (1) Continued subscription to the Tk20 Assessment System; (2) a grade of C or better in all content courses in the academic major as well as all professional education courses with an overall grade point average of 2.5; (3) fulfillment of major requirements in subject area; (4) completion of professional education courses required by the major; and (5) completion of the Praxis II content and PLT tests and have scores reported to Southern Miss (code #1479) prior to graduation.

A minimum of 30 clock hours of clinical experience is required prior to teacher candidacy (15 hours of observation and 15 hours of practicum). Specific programs may require more practicum hours.

Requirements for professional education programs are subject to modification. For current program information, students should contact the Dean’s office in the College of Education and Human Sciences.

Prior to student teaching, students seeking the Bachelor of Music Education degree must:

make satisfactory progress with one concentration (e.g., flute, voice) in at least six semesters of applied music study (summers are not included) with at least one semester at the 400-level;
present a 30-minute recital (MUP 395 ), open to the public, that is graded “satisfactory” by the appropriate faculty area;
complete all coursework with no Incompletes; and;
pass the piano proficiency.

Minor in History and Music History

The minor in history and music history is ideally suited for music and music education majors and for anyone interested in exploring the relationship between history and the arts. Students earning this minor must complete 24 hours of coursework, including MUS 307 ; MUS 308 ; HIS 201 or HIS 202 ; HIS 401 ; HIS 413 ; and HIS 424 . Students must also choose one of the following music history electives: MUS 332 ; MUS 360 ; MUS 431 ; MUS 432 ; MUS 433 ; MUS 434 ; MUS 435 ; MUS 436 ; MUS 437 ; MUS 450 ; and/or MUS 471 . For more information, students should contact the school office.

Minor in Music (Applied)

The minor in applied music requires 18 credit hours, including four (4) semesters of private lessons or group study—one (1) credit hour per semester—three semesters in an appropriate major ensemble, plus the following classes: MUS 100 ; MUS 101 , MUS 101L , MUS 102 , MUS 102L , MUS 307 , MUS 308 . Semester requirements are exclusive of summer semesters. For more information, students should contact the school office.

Non-major Enrollment in Private Instrument/Voice Lessons

Non-majors who enroll in private lessons may be unable to take the course due to lack of available instructors. Non-majors should consult the office of the Director of the School of Music before Wednesday of the first week of school to obtain instructor availability.

Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Music Education

Non-degree