Bachelor of Arts
Music is an extraordinary intellectual discipline that combines creativity, technique, historical awareness, and a fascinating perpetual investigation of the human condition. The faculty of the Music Department at Aurora University is committed to providing students with solid academic scholarship and continuing opportunities to learn about and appreciate the many facets that music presents as a discipline.
The Music Department offers all Aurora University students the opportunity to develop a refined understanding and appreciation of music, while providing its majors with serious, sustained, and comprehensive musical training. For students focusing their academic studies in music, Aurora University offers a bachelor of arts degree with a broad-based core that combines the study of music history, music theory, and performance. Music students may choose between vocal and keyboard studies. The major was created to offer flexibility for students who wish for greater elective choice or the possibility of combining music with another major. Beyond the stated requirements, there are many electives students can choose to amplify and define the degree. For the fulfillment of the degree, the department offers a wide range of music courses, various collaborative activities, numerous performance opportunities, and impressive performance halls, including the stunning Crimi Auditorium which offers superb acoustics and is the on-campus venue for most concerts performed by guest artists, music faculty, and students. This artistic environment provides a rich educational context where students have the potential to achieve the highest results and develop into professional musicians and well-rounded artists.
The experiential learning at Aurora University gives students the tools they need to hold leadership positions in the field of private music instruction, music performance as a soloist and collaborator, music administration, and myriad other ways in which musically trained professionals can enrich the lives of others.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Music Courses | ||
| MUS-1070 | Recital Attendance 1 | 0 |
| MUS-2600 | Musicianship I | 4 |
| MUS-2610 | Musicianship II | 4 |
| MUS-2620 | Musicianship III | 4 |
| MUS-2630 | Musicianship IV | 4 |
| MUS-3400 | Conducting | 2 |
| MUS-3410 | Music History I | 4 |
| MUS-3450 | Music History II | 4 |
| MUS-3510 | Music History III | 4 |
| MUS-4100 | Vocal Pedagogy | 2 |
| or MUS-4300 | Piano Pedagogy | |
| MUS-4990 | Senior Recital/Capstone | 1 |
| Ensemble | ||
| Select 8 semester hours of Ensemble 2 | 8 | |
| Applied Music Courses | ||
| Select 7 semester hours 3 | 7 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
- 1
CR/NCR for all semesters enrolled.
- 2
1 semester hour each. Ensemble must be approved by Music Depeartment faculty.
- 3
See course descriptions.
Pianists must take one semester of Choral Ensemble and MUS-2300 Piano Accompanying.
Vocalists must take two semesters of Applied Piano Study (0.5 semester hours each) or placement by instructor permission
Music Lessons
For courses in the list below, applied music study is offered in the form of a weekly individual lesson for either 0.5 semester hour for one 30-minute lesson or 1.0 semester hour for one 60-minute lesson (except where noted). A final jury examination is required. Applied lessons may require attendance at studio classes and/or live concerts, some of which may be off-campus and/or evenings with additional ticket charges. Instructor or Department Chair approval is required for a student to confirm their registration in lessons.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUS-1410 | Beginning Classical Guitar (0.5 semester hours only) | 0.5 |
| MUS-2200 | Applied Piano for Non-Majors | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-2030 | Applied Voice for Non-Majors | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-2230 | Applied Woodwinds | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-2240 | Applied Brass | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-2250 | Applied Strings | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-2260 | Applied Classical Guitar | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-2270 | Applied Organ | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-3030 | Intermediate Applied Voice | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-3200 | Intermediate Applied Piano | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-4030 | Advanced Applied Voice | 1 |
| MUS-4200 | Advanced Applied Piano | 1 |
Recommended Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MUS-1930 | Chamber Ensemble (Additional ensembles - Opera Workshop.) | 0.5 |
| MUS-2100 | Diction for Singers I | 2 |
| MUS-2110 | Diction for Singers II | 2 |
| MUS-3130 | Vocal Literature | 2 |
| MUS-3330 | Keyboard Literature | 2 |
| MUS-3500 | Applied Conducting | 0.5-1 |
| MUS-4400 | Audio Recording and the Business of Music | 2 |
Undergraduate Degree Requirements
A student who graduates from Aurora University with a baccalaureate degree will have met the following requirements:
- Completion of all requirements for an approved major (with no grades lower than “C”).
- Overall completion of at least 120 semester hours of coursework with a GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (a course may be utilized only once in application toward a degree requirement, unless otherwise noted in the academic regulations). The 120 semester hours of coursework must include:
- At least 52 semester hours completed at a senior college.
- Residency Requirement - At least 30 semester hours completed at Aurora University, including the last 24 semester hours in the degree, and including at least 18 semester hours in the major. (Portfolio assessment credit, life and vocational experience credit, off-campus experience credit, examination credit, participation credit, and block credit, shall not count toward the residency requirement).
- Upper-Division Requirement - A minimum of 30 semester hours numbered 3000 or above. Of these 30 semester hours, 15 semester hours must lie within the major and 15 semester hours must be completed at Aurora University.
- Completion of all General Education requirements (with no grades lower than “C”), as follows:
- Quantitative and Formal Reasoning competency requirement
- ENG-1000 Introduction to Academic Writing
- IDS-1200 Discover What Matters or IDS-3040 Global Justice
- IDS-1150 First Year Experience - Not required for Transfer or AU Online students)
- Satisfactory participation in the junior-year mentoring and assessment process designed to guide students to successful completion of their degree and to encourage planning for next steps beyond graduation. (IDS-3500 Junior Mentoring Program I and IDS-3550 Junior Mentoring Program II - Not required for ADC or AU Online students but may be designated electives for AU Online students admitted with fewer than 15 hours of transfer credit.)
- Distribution Requirements
Students will complete one approved course1 from each of the following categories:- Artistic Literacy
- Cultural Literacy
- Human Inquiry
- Scientific Inquiry
In addition to the above, ADC and Online students will also complete one approved course1 from the following category:
- Discovery and Reflection
- 1
Only courses that are approved to meet the distribution requirement can be used toward this requirement. See the list of approved courses for available options. Courses taken to meet distribution requirements are 4 semester hours apiece, with the following exceptions:
- An approved transfer course of at least 2.50 semester hours can be used to satisfy a distribution requirement.
- Courses with co-requisite laboratory components may be used to satisfy a distribution requirement, provided that the student successfully complete both the three-credit-hour course and the single-credit-hour lab component.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the B.A. in Music, the student will:
- Demonstrate knowledge in music theory and musicianship (critical thinking, effective communication);
- Demonstrate knowledge in the history of music (effective communication, responsible citizenship);
- Demonstrate proficiency in musical performance (effective communication, discovery and reflection).