Undergraduate Degrees

Bachelor of Music

The Bachelor of Music (B.M.) is a professional degree granted by the School of Music. The various majors for the degree are listed subsequently along with special requirements for each.

Individual Instruction in Residence

Candidates for the B.M. degree in performance must complete a minimum of three semesters of individual instruction in their major field while in residence.

Senior Recital

All performance majors must present a senior recital consisting of a memorized program one hour long (except in the case of certain wind instruments) in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements. Composition majors present a full-length recital of their original compositions. A candidate's program must be ready for presentation before a faculty committee at least one month before the required public recital. Complete details are available from the Music Operations Office, School of Music.

General Education Requirements

Candidates for the B.M. degree must fulfill, as part of their course work, general education requirements totaling eight courses.

Expository Writing COMP 101ab for students entering fall 1981 or earlier; Skill Level, Composition, for students entering fall 1982 or later.

Areas of Study Six courses, with at least one course from each of the following three areas:

Area A:The Arts (excluding Music courses) and Literature
Area B:Western Culture I
Western Culture II
Non-Western Cultures
Ethical Approaches
Area C:The Natural World
American Public Life
Empirical Approaches

In those majors where a foreign language is required (organ, string instrument and vocal arts), two of the above mentioned six courses must be fulfilled by taking courses I and II in a single language. A student may enroll at any point in the sequence determined by placement examination. If a placement examination is passed at a level equivalent to the completion of course II, the language requirement will be considered met.

Students who have not completed college-level work in a foreign language but who pass the level required will receive subject credit only and must fulfill the general education requirement with six courses as indicated above. Students who have completed some college-level work in a foreign language but who fail to qualify for the next level of instruction through placement testing may be required to repeat for no additional credit the elementary course needed to develop sufficient skills to continue the sequence.

Diversity Requirement

All students must pass one course from the list of courses approved to meet the standard diversity requirement. These courses carry the designation "m" for multiculturalism.

Bachelor of Music in Composition

Entrance Requirements

Knowledge of basic musical materials such as scales, intervals and chords by sight and sound. Reasonable keyboard facility is required. Composition majors must submit one or two original compositions when applying.

Curriculum RequirementsUnits
General education requirements8 courses
MUCD 340 (2), 343 (2)4
Large ensemble*4
Ensemble electives2
MUHL 280ab (6), 385ab (6)12
MUPF 250ab (4), 350ab (4), 401P (4) **12
MUEA 474a or 474b or MUPF 4902
MUTC 132ab (2), 133ab (6), 137ab (4), 220 (2), 232ab (2), 233ab (6), 235ab (4), 237ab (8), 320 (2), 332ab (2), 334ab (4), 336ab (4), 337ab (4), 420 (2),435 (2), 436a (2), 437ab (4)60
Electives in music4
Senior recital0
____
Total required for degree132

*Transfer credit may not fulfill the large ensemble requirement.

**Requirement may be fulfilled with MUPF 201P and MUPF 401P if proficiency level equivalent to MUPF 350b is demonstrated by examination.

In addition to the above curricular requirements, B.M. candidates in composition (including film scoring emphasis) must take departmental comprehensive examinations in six areas:

(1) instrumental performance at an intermediate level;
(2) theory and analysis;
(3) aural skills;
(4) instrumentation;
(5) music literature;
(6) elementary score-reading.

Students must pass in at least four areas to continue on to the senior year of the major and, in order to graduate, must pass in all six areas.

Bachelor of Music in Composition (Film Scoring)

Entrance Requirements

Knowledge of basic musical materials such as scales, intervals and chords by sight and sound. Reasonable keyboard facility is required. Composition majors must submit one or two original compositions when applying.

Curriculum RequirementsUnits
General education requirements 8 courses
MUCD 343 (2) and 442 (2)4
Large ensemble*4
Ensemble electives2
MUHL 280ab (6), 385ab (6)12
MUPF 250ab (4), 350ab (4)**8
MUTC 132ab (2), 133ab (6), 137ab (4), 220 (2), 232ab (2), 233ab (6), 235ab (4), 237ab (8), 320 (2), 332ab (2), 334ab (4), 336ab (4), 337ab (4), 436ab (4), 437ab (4), 440ab (4), 442ab (4), 443ab (4), 470 (2)72
Senior recital0
____
Total required for degree134

*Transfer credit may not fulfill the large ensemble requirement.

**Requirement may be fulfilled with MUPF 201P and MUPF 401P if proficiency level equivalent to MUPF 350b is demonstrated by examination.

Bachelor of Music in Electroacoustic Media

Entrance Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate proficiency on a non-electronic instrument by audition or audition tape. They must show a knowledge of basic musical materials such as scales, intervals and chords by submitting an original, hand-notated musical composition. Success in college preparatory science courses is also expected.

Curriculum RequirementsUnits
General education requirements8 courses
MUCD 340 (2) or 343 (2)2
MUEA 101 (2), 201ab (8), 301ab (8), 401ab (8)26
Large ensemble*4
Ensemble electives2
MUHL 280ab (6), 385ab (6)12
MUPF 180 (2), 250ab (4), 153 (2), 253 (4), 353 (4)16
Four units from the following:
MUPF 475b, (2), 477 (2), 478 (2), 479ab (4), 480 (2), 486 (2), 487L (2), 488ab (4), 489 (2), 491 (2), 492 (2), 493 (2), 494 (4)4
MUTC 132ab (2), 133ab (6), 232ab (2), 233ab (6), 332ab (2) or 342ab (2), 338x (2), 340x (2)22
Senior recital0
Electives12
____
Total required for degree132

*Transfer credit may not fulfill the large ensemble requirement

Next Page

Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
David Henriquez
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu