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Additional Requirements

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Recitals

Music majors have several requirements related to recital attendance and performance. Please read more on the recitals page.

Composition Emphasis Students

Each composition emphasis student is required to have a composition performed in recital at least once per year.

Music Jury

Applied composition students must submit their work to a jury at the end of each semester. Admission to upper-division status in the program is contingent upon successful completion of the first two years of composition study as determined in part by the jury following the sophomore year.

Laptop Requirements

To better integrate technology and music learning, the School of Music requires all music majors to own an Apple MacBook Pro that meets the minimum specifications found on the Laptop Requirements page. For more information, contact the School of Music at (626) 815-3848 or schoolofmusic@apu.edu.

Piano Proficiency

Each student must register for Class Piano or Applied Piano until an examination is passed. Examination Fact Sheets are available in the School of Music office. Students will not be cleared to graduate until they have passed the Piano Proficiency Examination, usually met at the conclusion of MUS 108.

Commercial Music and Composition Emphasis Students

There is an enhanced piano proficiency requirement for commercial music and composition emphasis students. Students must be enrolled in piano study until the requirement is met.

Voice Class

All music majors without voice as their major performance area must take one semester of voice class or private voice.

Music Theory Proficiency

The Music Theory Placement Examination is given to incoming students who are not transferring credit for Music Theory I from another college or university. This examination is designed to measure the student's background in music theory, and to ensure placement at the appropriate level. Students who are not ready for Music Theory I will take Music Fundamentals for Music Majors, and then begin the Music Theory sequence in the next semester. The examination may be taken online. Music Theory is taken in sequential order (i.e., I, II, III, IV). Before advancing to the next level, a grade of C or better is required. If a C or better is not achieved, the class must be repeated.

Grade-Point Average

Music students must maintain a 2.5 grade-point average (GPA) for all upper-division music classes. (Upper division courses are those classified as 300-400 level classes.) Students with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0, or who are on probation, are not eligible to participate in a performing group other than Oratorio Choir.

Applied Music

  1. Each student is required to take at least 8 units in one applied area. Voice Class may be substituted for the first semester of private voice. The student must then take 7 additional units of Applied Voice.
  2. Jury examinations are required each semester for all students taking private lessons.
  3. All students, in conjunction with the instructor, are responsible for selecting an accompanist for juries by the indicated deadlines. There are three ways to select an accompanist:
    1. The faculty must request an accompanist with the Accompanist Request Form available in the School of Music office by the indicated deadlines.
    2. Faculty may request a specific accompanist by submitting an Accompanist Request Form available in the School of Music office by the indicated deadlines.
    3. If no Accompanist Request Form is submitted or requested after the indicated deadlines, the faculty members are responsible to make arrangements for their students.
  4. Private Lessons:
    1. Grades for private lessons are issued based on a minimum of 12 lessons per semester. Your grade will be lowered if you attend fewer than the minimum of 12 lessons or if you do not meet the mandatory performance requirement.
    2. A departmental representative will assign an instructor.
    3. When the student is ill and notifies the teacher in advance, a make-up lesson will be rescheduled if possible. "No-show" students do not receive make-up lessons.
Note: This information is current for the 2012–13 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information. For additional information, please contact the appropriate office.