Instrumental Track Program Requirements

Music-Instrumental

Bachelor of Music Education

(Certifiable grades K-12)

Admission and audition requirements

Music degrees are designed to develop the student's abilities for performance, public school certification for teaching, private teaching, or composition. These degrees also prepare students for graduate study in music.

Students desiring to pursue a BA, BMus, BME, or BS music major or minor must first audition for a committee of applied faculty in that student’s desired performance area.* This audition should take place during the semester prior to the first semester of enrollment in applied lessons. All students will be required to demonstrate, through successful completion of a Music Theory Entrance Exam, a rudimentary ability to relate musical sound to notation and terminology before beginning the theory and ear-training sequence.

All music majors must apply for formal admission to the degree program. This typically will occur at the end of the sophomore year, and must be completed before the student has finished 75 hours. In order to be admitted to the degree program, students must pass MUS 298, the piano proficiency exam, and have a combined (Missouri State and transfer) GPA of at least 2.75 and a combined (Missouri State and transfer) GPA of at least 3.00 in Music courses. Students who have not been formally admitted to the degree program will be unable to enroll in 300-level and above applied study.

*Students pursuing the minor in either Composition or Recording Arts are not required to audition in a performance area.

Admission to Teacher Education

Application to Teacher Education is automatic upon completion of MUS 200 and is contingent upon completion of requirements. Admission to Teacher Education is required before students are allowed to enroll in additional courses in the professional education component. The criteria below are used to determine admission to Teacher Education.

  1. Completion of 45 credit hours.
  2. Combined GPA (Missouri State and transfer) of 2.75 or higher.
  3. Combined GPA (Missouri State and transfer) of 3.00 or higher in the major requirements (music content).
  4. Piano proficiency passed.
  5. Completion of COM 115, MUS 148, and MUS 200 with a grade of “C” or higher and MUS 298 with a grade of “P”.
  6. Earned a composite score or superscore of 20 or higher on the ACT or earned passing scores on all four sub-sets of the Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA). Refer to the MoGEA website for details.
  7. Completion of Transition Point One.
  8. Approval of the Educator Preparation Provider Council.

Major requirements (63-64 hours):

All students must be admitted to Teacher Education and to Supervised Teaching in order to earn this degree. The curriculum for music education leads to the degree of Bachelor of Music Education and carries with it an Initial Professional Certificate (IPC) to teach in the state of Missouri.

Note: A grade of "C" or better is required in all Music courses counted toward the major.

  1. Music Theory (14 hours): MUS 103(3), 104(3), 203(3), 204(3), 315(2).
  2. Music History/Literature (9 hours): MUS 239(3), 345(3), 346(3).
  3. Conducting (4 hours): MUS 321(2), 323(2).
  4. Secondary Instruments (6 hours): MUS 131(1), 141(1), 142(1), 144(1), 145(1), 146(1).
  5. Music Education Elective (1-2 hours): Select from: MUS 135(1), 136(1), 216(2), 219(2), 327(2).
  6. Specialization (3 hours): MUS 506(3) or 539(3).
  7. Piano (3 hours – may be waived by examination): MUS 137(1), 138(1), 237(1).
  8. Instrumental Arranging (2 hours): MUS 328(2).
  9. Applied Music (14 hours): must include MUS 498(2-4) and 10-12 additional hours from Applied Music courses. Applied music courses are delivered as individual instruction per instrument.
  10. Recital Attendance: MUS 107(0), 108(0), 207(0), 208(0), 307(0), 308(0), 407(0).
  11. Upper Division Applied Status: MUS 298(0).
  12. Large Ensemble (7 hours): As determined by audition, full-time students shall be in one of the following instrumental ensembles, each semester except the supervised teaching semester, until graduation: MUS 174(1), 374(1); MUS 175(1), 375(1); MUS 176(1), 376(1); MUS 177(1), 377(1). No more than two hours of MUS 177 and MUS 377 may be counted toward Large Ensemble credit. Applied keyboard majors may substitute up to three hours of Accompanying: MUS 192(1), 392(1). All Brass, Woodwind, Percussion, Strings (except guitar) must audition for and play in an assigned instrumental ensemble for seven semesters. Brass, woodwind and percussion students are also required to complete two semesters in MUS 177 or MUS 377.
  13. Public Affairs Capstone Experience will be fulfilled by completion of MUS 488(2) and 496(5).

Professional Education requirements (34 hours):

Note: A grade of "C" or better in each course is required for state certification.

  1. Introduction to Music Teaching (2 hours): MUS 148(2).
  2. Principles and General Methods of Music Education (3 hours): MUS 200(3).
  3. Adaptive Music for Special Learners (2 hours): MUS 340(2).
  4. Introduction to Multicultural Education and Diversity (3 hours): EDC 345(3).
  5. Educational Psychology (3 hours): PSY 360(3).
  6. Reading and Writing in the Content Fields (3 hours): LTC 474(3).
  7. Secondary Instrumental Methods and Materials (3 hours): MUS 411(3).
  8. Music in Early Childhood and the Elementary School (3 hours): MUS 430(3).
  9. Student Teaching Seminar (2 hours): MUS 488(2).
  10. Supervised Teaching (10 hours): MUS 494(5), 496(5).
  11. At least a 3.00 combined (Missouri State and transfer) GPA with no grade lower than a "C" in Professional Education requirements.
  12. At least a 3.00 combined (Missouri State and transfer) GPA with no grade lower than a "C" in major requirements.
  13. Additionally Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MoDESE) certification rules require the following:
    1. Completed degree in music education.
    2. Attainment of all Missouri Teacher Education Requirements in effect at the time of certification.
    3. Successful completion of Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA) as established by MoDESE. Refer to the MEGA website for details.

University level requirements:

  1. General Education Program and Requirements
  2. General Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Applied music courses

Amount of credit for each course is determined by the Music Department at registration. All applied music courses may be repeated for credit. Applied music courses: 149, 151, 152, 153, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 249, 251, 252, 253, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259, 260, 349, 351, 352, 353, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 398, 449, 451, 452, 453, 455, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460, 498, 649, 651, 652, 653, 655, 656, 657, 660, 749, 751, 752, 753, 755, 756, 757, 760, 798.

Ensembles

All ensemble courses may be repeated for credit. Only eight hours of ensembles can be counted toward a degree. Ensembles courses: MUS 161, 162, 163, 168, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 178, 192, 193, 280, 361, 362, 363, 368, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 380, 392, 393, 480, 561, 563.

Diploma in Applied Music

A diploma recital may be given by Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music Education majors. Based on excellence in performance, this departmental diploma is granted upon recommendation of the Department of Music. It is not granted to those receiving the Bachelor of Music degree since excellence in performance is evident in the awarding of this degree. Contact the department for more information.