Nov 24, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Music-Vocal/Choral (BME)


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Admission and audition requirements

Music degrees are designed to develop the student’s abilities for performance, public school certification for teaching, private teaching, or composition. These degrees also prepare students for graduate study in music.

Students desiring to pursue a BA, BMus, BME, or BS music major or minor must first audition for a committee of applied faculty in that student’s desired performance area.* This audition should take place during the semester prior to the first semester of enrollment in applied lessons. All students will be required to demonstrate, through successful completion of a Music Theory Entrance Exam, a rudimentary ability to relate musical sound to notation and terminology before beginning the theory and ear-training sequence.

All music majors must apply for formal admission to the degree program. This typically will occur at the end of the sophomore year, and must be completed before the student has finished 75 hours. In order to be admitted to the degree program, students must pass MUS 298 , the piano proficiency exam, and have a combined (Missouri State and transfer) GPA of at least 2.75 and a combined (Missouri State and transfer) GPA of at least 3.00 in Music courses. Students who have not been formally admitted to the degree program will be unable to enroll in 300-level and above applied study.

*Students pursuing the minor in either Composition or Recording Arts are not required to audition in a performance area.

Admission to Teacher Education

Application to Teacher Education is automatic upon completion of MUS 200  and is contingent upon completion of requirements. Admission to Teacher Education is required before students are allowed to enroll in additional courses in the professional education component. The criteria below are used to determine admission to Teacher Education.

  1. Completion of 45 credit hours.
  2. Combined GPA (Missouri State and transfer) of 2.75 or higher.
  3. Combined GPA (Missouri State and transfer) of 3.00 or higher in the major requirements (music content).
  4. Piano proficiency passed.
  5. Completion of COM 115 , MUS 148 , and MUS 200  with a grade of “C” or higher and MUS 298  with a grade of “P”.
  6. Earned a composite score or super score of 20 or higher on the ACT or earned passing scores on all four sub-sets of the Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA). Refer to the MoGEA website for details.
  7. Completion of Transition Point One.
  8. Approval of the Educator Preparation Provider Council.

Major requirements


All students must be admitted to Teacher Education and to Supervised Teaching in order to earn this degree. The curriculum for music education leads to the degree of Bachelor of Music Education and carries with it an Initial Professional Certificate (IPC) to teach in the state of Missouri.

Note: A grade of “C” or better is required in all Music courses counted toward the major.

Vocal Pedagogy and Materials (3 hours):


Choral Arranging (2 hours):


Applied Music (14 hours):


Upper Division Applied Status:


Large Ensemble (7 hours):


As determined by audition. Full-time students shall be in one of the following vocal ensembles, in their certification emphasis, each semester except the supervised teaching semester, until graduation (a minimum of seven hours must show on the completed transcript):

Public Affairs Capstone Experience will be fulfilled by completion of:


Total Credit Hours: 60


Professional Education requirements (37 hours):


Note: A grade of “C” or better in each course is required for state certification.

Introduction to Music Teaching


Principles and General Methods of Music Education


Adaptive Music for Special Learners


Introduction to Multicultural Education and Diversity


Educational Psychology


Reading and Writing in the Content Fields


Music in Early Childhood and the Elementary School


Middle Childhood and Preadolescent Vocal Methods and Material: Vocal


Adolescent and Early Adult Choral/Vocal Literature and Materials for Secondary Levels: Vocal


At least a 3.00 combined (Missouri State and transfer) GPA


with no grade lower than a “C” in Professional Education requirements.

At least a 3.00 combined (Missouri State and transfer) GPA


no grade lower than a “C” in major requirements.

Additionally, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MoDESE)


certification rules require the following:

  1. Completed degree in music education.
  2. Attainment of all Missouri Teacher Education Requirements in effect at the time of certification.
  3. Successful completion of Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA) as established by MoDESE.

University level requirements:


  1. General Education Program and Requirements
  2. General Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Diploma in Applied Music


A diploma recital may be given by Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Music Education majors. Based on excellence in performance, this departmental diploma is granted upon recommendation of the Department of Music. It is not granted to those receiving the Bachelor of Music degree since excellence in performance is evident in the awarding of this degree. Contact the department for more information.

Vocal/Choral or Instrumental Optional Missouri Teacher Certification Endorsements (Certifiable grades K-12)


Vocal/Choral Endorsement for Instrumental Music Major (14 hours):


Note: A grade of “C” or better is required in all Music courses counted toward the endorsement.

Instrumental Endorsement for Vocal/Choral Music Major (14 hours):


Note: A grade of “C” or better is required in all Music courses counted toward the endorsement.

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