The Catholic University of America

This text is excerpted from the CUA Announcements. Please consult the Announcements for further information regarding academic policies and programs.

Undergraduate Programs

Programs leading to the Bachelor of Music degree are offered in composition, music education, music history and literature (honors program), musical theatre, or performance (orchestral instruments, organ, piano, voice).

Handbook for students in the School of Music: Students should consult the online Handbook found at http://music.cua.edu/ for music school forms and procedures not detailed in these Announcements.

Waiver of coursework or credit by examination: A student who has extensive professional or academic experience in a specific music subject area may request a waiver of coursework or credit by examination. In either case, an examination will be administered by the faculty in specific subject areas and a faculty recommendation will be submitted to the dean. Credit will be awarded only for outstanding performance in a subject area. If a waiver only is granted in a subject area, an appropriate credit substitution will be made. The maximum number of semester hours a student may achieve by examination in the bachelor's program is six.

Performing organization requirements: Full-time undergraduate students are required to enroll each semester in University Chorus (MUS 507) (MUS 110 Women's Chorus by advisement), University Symphony Orchestra (MUS 508), Wind Ensemble (MUS 508B) according to the requirements of their degree program. Undergraduates who pass the audition for entrance into Chamber Choir (MUS 507A) may use that performing ensemble to fulfill their major ensemble requirements.

Performance juries: Performance juries (major, principal, and secondary) are required each semester. Composition juries: All students enrolled in applied composition are required to submit samples of their work to a jury of the composition faculty for evaluation at the end of each semester.

Studio X (MUS 100): All undergraduate students are required to register for MUS 100 Studio X each semester they are in residence.

Accelerated Harmony: Harmony I-IV is an eight-credit sequence. Students permitted to take Accelerated Harmony I (3 cr) and Accelerated Harmony II (3 cr) have fulfilled the Harmony sequence without further need to make up two credits.

The Music History sequence: The music history courses must be taken in sequence: MUS 325 History of Music I, MUS 326 History of Music II, MUS 327 History of Music III.

Music Certification: The Music Education curriculum leads to K-12 Music Certification in the District of Columbia. Pursuit of reciprocal certification with other state departments of education is possible.

Music Teacher Certification Program (non-degree): Although the Music Teacher Certification Program may stand alone, it is also available to undergraduate students who wish to pursue music education certification simultaneously with the completion of a Bachelor of Music degree in a field other than music education.  Students are advised that this may result in additional length of time required to complete the degree and are advised to begin the certification program early in their undergraduate program.  Students interested in this program should consult with the the chair of Music Education.

Independent Study: Except in cases approved by the dean, no more than four Independent Studies may be included in a Bachelor of Music degree program, and the student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.

Private Instruction with part-time faculty: Part-time faculty members teaching private instruction are appointed at an hourly rate by the university. Study with part-time applied faculty is subject to their availability; some part-time applied faculty members teach off campus. Students studying with part-time faculty may be required to pay an additional studio rate.

Private Instruction and degree recital: Students are required to enroll for at least one semester hour of private instruction in their major field during the semester in which they present a degree recital.

Minor (Subconcentration): Undergraduate students may, with approval of the dean, elect a subconcentration in a nonmusic area. This may result in additional length of time required to complete the degree.

English requirements: Undergraduate majors in the music school are required to take a writing course and a literature course. They are placed into the appropriate writing course (ENG 101 or 105) by the Director of Writing for the university.  Students may not place out of this course. Students who place into ENG 101 take ENG 102 (or HUM 101) to fulfill their literature requirement. Students who place into ENG 105 should take one of the following to fulfill their literature requirement: ENG 231, 232, 235, or 236, (HUM 101) or another approved literature course. A student who earns a score of 4 or 5 on the AP English Literature and Composition exam will receive automatic credit for ENG 102.  If a student places into ENG 105 and receives this AP credit, he/she will not need to take a second literature course.  Note: The university does not accept the AP exam for English Language/Composition.

Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) requirements: All undergraduates in the music school are required to take three TRS courses, the specifics of which are outlined in the curricula of the degree programs that follow.  Transfer students in the music school are permitted to take two TRS courses, a 200-level course in the Catholic Tradition and a 300-level course of one's choosing, but in a different area or field from that of the 200-level taken. 

Academic electives: Academic electives may be chosen from courses in any field except music (MUS) or music private instruction (MUPI).

Theory Placement Exam: Entering undergraduate students, including transfer students, are given the Theory Placement Examination to determine their placement in music theory. Based on the results of the test, students may be required to complete successfully two semesters of Fundamentals of Music Theory (MUS 023, 024) before enrolling in MUS 121 and 123.

Advanced Placement: The music school follows guidelines established by the School of Arts and Sciences in the awarding of credits to students who submit Advanced Placement Test results and who have earned the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Transfer credits: For credits to be transferred from another institution, the other institution must be regionally accredited, the grade received in the course must be "C" or higher, the course must be applicable to the degree being pursued at CUA, and the course must first be evaluated for equivalency.  When transferring credits, if a student's prior institution awarded more credits for a course than CUA awards for an equivalent course, only the number of credits awarded by CUA will be granted for the course; surplus credits for the course may be used as free music elective credits, if necessary. If a student's prior institution awarded fewer credits for a course than CUA awards for an equivalent course, the missing credits must be made up in music electives. An exception to this latter policy will be applied lessons for which the student's prior institution awarded two semester hours of credit for 14 hour-long lessons during a semester; in such cases, CUA will award three semester hours of credit.

Good standing, probation, dismissal: The music school follows university policy on good standing, probation, and dismissal, as outlined in the general section of these Undergraduate Announcements.

Music students derive benefit from participation in many aspects of the management and production of performances. Students may, as part of their educational experience, be assigned various duties in the production of operas, musical theater productions, and orchestral, choral, and chamber music concerts.