School of Music

For information regarding the GRADUATE PROGRAM, click here.  

CURRICULA:

• Music Education, B.M.E.
• Music, B.A.
• Music, B.M.

The School of Music offers several curricula and special courses of vocational as well as avocational nature. These curricula are outlined below. The vocational programs prepare students to be performers, composers, scholars, or teachers and culminate with the undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Music. The Bachelor of Music Education degree is designed to train students to teach vocal and instrumental music in the public schools where state certification is required. Persons wishing a broader variety of subjects in addition to a basic foundation in music may follow the curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Arts in Music.

Avocational programs are offered through courses in music appreciation, music history, music fundamentals, and jazz history. Participation in the various performing organizations is also available, based upon audition. Private lessons are offered to students who qualify through audition, based on the availability of teacher time.

The curriculum in music education meets requirements of the Louisiana State Department of Education for accrediting various types of music instructors in the Louisiana public schools and is approved by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the National Association of Schools of Music. The School of Music is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Secondary and primary applied courses, MUS 2130 -MUS 2154  and MUS 3130 -MUS 3154 , are offered for 2 or 3 credits. Students who elect two credits will receive 30 minutes of individual instruction per week; students who elect three credits will receive 60 minutes of individual instruction per week. Graduate applied courses are offered for 2-6 credits. All students registering for MUS 2130 -MUS 2154  and MUS 3130 -MUS 3154  may be required to participate concurrently in one of the following major performing organizations: MUS 4232 , MUS 4233 , MUS 4234 , MUS 4235 , MUS 4236 , MUS 4250 , MUS 4251 , MUS 4252 , MUS 4253 , MUS 4254  or MUS 4261 .

All applied music and ensemble courses may be repeated for credit every semester.

Secondary applied music courses are designed for students who are not qualified to either major or minor in the specific instrument designated by the course number. Primary Applied Music Courses are for students whose declared major or minor is the specific instrument designated by the course number.

Auditions

For Admission • An audition in the major performance medium (piano, voice, etc.) is required of all students wishing to pursue curricula in the School of Music. The audition can be on campus or by tape recording. Contact the School of Music for details.

For Applied Music Courses • All applied music courses are open to both majors and nonmajors by audition only. New students or reentry students who have been out of school for more than one year and plan to continue in a performance curriculum should contact the School of Music to arrange an audition during the semester prior to the one in which the student wishes to be enrolled. All students must complete an audition before registering for applied music courses. 

For Ensemble Courses • All music ensemble courses are also open to both majors and nonmajors by audition only, with the exception of MUS 4230 , MUS 4232 , and MUS 4233  which require no audition. Students should contact the director of the ensemble in which they wish to participate to arrange an audition. These courses are open to all students, including freshmen and sophomores.

More information about admission to music programs and courses can be found here: https://www.lsu.edu/cmda/music/admissions/index.php

General Requirements

Undergraduate students should consult the School of Music Undergraduate Student Handbook for detailed policies and procedures related to their undergraduate career in the LSU School of Music.

All students enrolled for private lessons in performance, regardless of their college or school (with the exception of graduate keyboard and graduate voice students) may, at the discretion of the director of the School of Music, in consultation with the conductor of the organization concerned and the applied teacher, be required to participate in one of the major performing organizations for laboratory experience. Placement in ensembles is at the discretion of the ensemble director and applied faculty member.

Participation in major ensembles appropriate to the major instrument is required of all music majors. (See list of ensembles under Music Courses). MUS 4253  may count as a major ensemble as follows:

(1) BA in Music with a concentration in Jazz, all required ensemble hours; (2) BA in Music with concentration other than Jazz, two of the four required ensemble hours; (3) BM with all concentrations, two of the eight required ensemble hours; and (4) BME with instrumental concentration, two of the seven required ensemble hours.

Students are not charged for private lessons or for use of school-owned instruments, equipment, or practice rooms, although a maintenance/repair fee may be charged. A fee of $50 per year is charged for the use of a locker; a nonrefundable fee of $75 is charged when a recital is scheduled.

An honors curriculum is available within the Bachelor of Music curriculum. Students should contact the Honors College and the School of Music for details.

At the completion of the fourth semester of study, all majors in music and music education will be required to take a performance examination, which will determine continued study as a major at the junior level. Composition majors will be required to submit written examples of their work to the appropriate undergraduate committee. Consult the guidelines, standards, and procedures developed by each individual area.

Bachelor of Music Degree Requirements

• Completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or better on all work attempted
• A grade of “C” or better in all required music courses
• Participation in major ensembles (see “General Requirements”)

Bachelor of Music Education

In view of its responsibility to the teaching profession, the School of Music reserves the right to review at any time a student’s suitability to continue in the teacher education program in music education. Faculty members are encouraged to monitor the growth of prospective teachers enrolled in the program.

To qualify for and remain in the Teacher Education Program at the conclusion of the sophomore year, students must fulfill requirements of the sophomore upper-level examinations in music education. Each student must:

• have a minimum cumulative and LSU grade point average of 2.50 for entry into and continuation in upper (3000/4000) level education courses, including student teaching;
• have passing scores on the Praxis Core Area Skills for Educators Exams or minimum ACT composite score of 22 or minimum SAT composite score of 1030;
• pass the applied music upper-level examinations for music education majors;
• pass a piano proficiency examination and piano majors must satisfy vocal proficiency requirements;
• have favorable evaluations of ensemble work by the appropriate ensemble directors; and
• have a favorable recommendation by the music education faculty on the basis of an interview with that faculty.

Students will not be allowed to take EDCI 3136 , MUED 3170 , MUED 3171 , MUED 3630 , or PSYC 2078  until they have been accepted into the teacher education program in music education by successfully completing the fourth semester performance examination.

All students are expected to earn a grade of “C” or better in one of the following or have the equivalent transfer credit: ENGL 2000  or ENGL 1005  (international students). Students who fail to do so must repeat the course.

Students enrolled in the music education program who are on scholastic probation will be dropped from the program for failure to earn a minimum 2.00 GPA during any semester. Students enrolled in the music education program who fail to earn a minimum 2.00 GPA for two consecutive semesters will be dropped from the program.

Student Teaching

Application for Student Teaching

Application for student teaching must be made to the music education faculty no later than one week following the last day for adding courses in the semester prior to student teaching.

Requirements for Student Teaching

Student teaching is offered each fall and spring semester, scheduled as an all-day, Monday through Friday experience. Student teachers must also plan for 3:30-4:30 p.m. meetings on Monday. The student teaching experience must include a minimum of 270 clock hours, 180 of which must be actual teaching.

No student may schedule more than 15 semester hours of work during the semester in which student teaching is done. Any student who is within 14 hours of graduation and is not qualified for supervised student teaching will be dropped from the program.

To be permitted to do student teaching, the student must have:

• Attained senior standing in the School of Music, with a cumulative average of 2.50 on all work attempted and on all work at LSU, with no grade lower than “C” in all music courses and professional education courses, including psychology, regardless of the institution(s) attended
• Completed all courses or all except one general education course
• Demonstrated proficiency in written expression
• Taken the required PRAXIS II exams no later than the first test date during the student teaching semester

Degree Requirements

Degrees in the music education programs in this college are conferred when the following conditions have been met:

• Satisfactory completion of an approved program of study as determined by all of the following: faculty of the School of Music, the university, and the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education;
• Minimum cumulative and LSU GPA of 2.50 on all work completed;
• Passing scores on all required parts of the Praxis II Series
• Grade of “C” or higher in coursework as specified by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education;
• Completion of the final 30 semester hours of work done in residence on the LSU campus as a registrant in the School of Music; and
• Proficiency in written expression.

Distance Learning Programs Credits

Up to one-fourth of the number of hours required for the baccalaureate degree may be taken through Continuing Education by Distance Learning Programs  (DLP) study, registration as an extension student, or both. Students may not schedule DLP or extramural work during the last 30 hours of their programs. Time limits for DLP study will be imposed to ensure that these courses cause as little conflict as possible with regular classes.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

Offered by the College of Music and Dramatic Arts since 1998-99, the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree is a viable alternative for those students who prefer a more flexible and less intensive music curriculum than is possible under the Bachelor of Music Education or Bachelor of Music curricula. The BA in Music degree could prepare students for careers in arts administration, the music business industry, for further study at the graduate level in music history or music theory, or other areas. The BA in Music with no concentration requires a minor in an area other than music. The BA in Music with a concentration in EM/DM requires completion of the Avatar minor. The Bachelor of Arts in Music is a liberal arts degree that gives students the opportunity to pursue diverse interests and prepare for a variety of career paths. Students in the program have the freedom to choose much of their own coursework, including courses within and beyond the School of Music. The BA in Music provides a more interdisciplinary education. The degree is well suited to students pursuing a double-major or minor, to students interested in the School of Music’s Jazz or Electronic Music and Digital Media (EMDM) programs, to students whose musical interests extend beyond their primary instrument, and to students who envision a career that might include arts administration, academics (musicology and music theory), church music, or theatre. A grade of “C” or better is required in all music courses.

Programs

• Music Education, B.M.E.
• Music, B.A.
• Music, B.M.

• Music Minor