Music, B.A.

Goals:

The goals for the Music Program in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts are: (1) to provide a comprehensive undergraduate training in music, consisting of common courses obligatory to all degree candidates, with supplemental offerings which define each student’s focus area; (2) to stimulate self-reliance and encourage independent intellectual and artistic growth; (3) to provide all students the cultural and humanistic perspectives and skills common to the music profession; (4) to give foundational support to those students who would like to become certified to teach music in the public schools; (5) to provide advanced training to students who are interested in performing; and (6) to contribute to the general cultural and educational aspirations of the campus and the community.

Requirements:

The Department offers one degree: the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Music, with three separate tracks for instrumentalists, keyboard players and vocalists. A diagnostic entrance examination and an audition in the major performance area are required for each track of the degree program, and students are then advised accordingly. A minor in music is available for those wishing to develop their musical interest as a supplement to a different major field. This consists of 18 credits selected with administrative advisement. The Music area is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.

Teacher Certification:

While students who graduate with a B.A. in Music are not certified for teaching, the University offers a dual degree program where students may apply to the Graduate School in their junior year to obtain the Master of Teaching degree (M.A.T.) The student who elects this option may obtain an undergraduate degree in Music and an M.A.T. degree with State of Maryland Teaching Certification in Music in as little as five years.

College-wide Requirements:

In addition to meeting the requirements in General Education and in the major, students must also complete six (6) credits in the Liberal Arts Core required of all majors in the College of Liberal Arts. Options for satisfying this requirement are outlined in the College of Liberal Arts section of the catalogue. Music Majors may not satisfy the Liberal Arts Core with the Performing Arts Option. Also, to qualify for graduation, students must pass the Senior Department Comprehensive Examination with a grade of 70 or higher, must have taken two- thirds of all of their junior- and senior- level requirements in the major at Morgan (unless granted prior written permission by the Dean to take courses elsewhere); and must have earned a cumulative average of 2.0 or better and a major average of 2.0 or better, with no outstanding grades below “C” in the major (which includes all courses required for the major and required supporting courses).