The Music Performance degree is a professional degree for students who wish to pursue a career in music. Students interested in a B.M. degree may choose between concentrations in: Performance, Composition, Jazz Studies and Acoustic and Electronic Music. This degree program requires 120 credit hours of study that include private study on the student’s principle instrument and participation in ensembles. Additionally, students complete music theory, history and literature sequences, and take additional coursework in their chosen concentration. Graduates from BM programs at USF find themselves in very competitive positions for graduate study and musical careers. Admission into the BM in music degree requires an audition on your major instrument.
State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites
Students wishing to transfer to USF should complete an A.A. degree at a Florida College System institution. Some courses required for the major may also meet General Education requirements thereby transferring maximum hours to the university.
If a student wishes to transfer without an A.A. degree and has fewer than 60 semester hours of acceptable credit, the student must meet the university’s entering freshman requirements including ACT or SAT test scores, GPA, and course requirements.
Transfer students are also required to comply with the immunization, foreign language, and continuous enrollment policies of the university.
Students should complete the following prerequisite courses at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted.
Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C- is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.
- MUT X111 or MUT X121 - 3 credit hours
- MUT X112 or MUT X122 - 3 credit hours
- MUT X116 or MUT X126 - 3 credit hours
- MUT X117 or MUT X127 - 3 credit hours
- Select from the following options for 4 credits:
- (MUT X241 and MUT X242 and MUT X246 and MUT X247) - 1 credit each for 4 total credit hours
- (MUT X221 and MUT X222 and MUT X226 and MUT X227) - 1 credit each for 4 total credit hours
- (MUT X271 and MUT X272 and MUT X276 and MUT X277) - 1 credit each for 4 total credit hours
- Take 4 semesters of the following coursework: *
- MUN XXXX (4 credit hours)
- Take 2 semesters of the following coursework: *
- MVX XX1X (2-4 credit hours)**
- Take 2 semesters of the following coursework: *
- MVX XX2X (2-4 credit hours)
- Repeat these courses up to 4 semesters in order to gain piano proficiency: ***
- MVK X111 and MVK X112 and MVK X121 and MVK X12
FOR ALL MAJORS: Students are strongly encouraged to select required lower division electives that will enhance their general education coursework and that will support their intended baccalaureate degree program. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area.
* Music program national accreditation requires minimum semesters of exposure in specified coursework.
** DEFINITIONS: MVxXX1X and MVxXX2X are defined as courses under one of the specified prefixes that constantly maintain the digit 1 or 2 (depending upon which course) while allowing 0-9 to replace each “X.” The prefix varies depending upon the student’s focus (i.e., Brass, Strings, Woodwinds, etc.) Prefix areas to choose from are MVB, MVH, MVJ, MVK, MVO, MVP, MVS, MVV, and MVW. Two examples of possible courses are MVB1011 or MVP1311. Examples for MVxXX2X are MVW2223 and MVK2222.
*** Or Secondary Piano Proficiency by examination.
Required Supporting Courses for the Major (0 Credit Hours)
The following courses are prerequisite and supporting courses for this major. They are required for the major, but are not counted in the total hours for this major. The degree will not be awarded if these courses have not been taken by the end of the student’s final semester.
All B.M. degree students must register and pass MUS 2010 for six semesters. A passing grade requires a minimum of seven recorded attendances at School of Music concert/recital events each semester.
Major Requirements for the B.M. Degree
JUNIOR RECITAL FOR BA AND BM DEGREES: A public recital (must be shared with another junior recital) will be given during the student’s junior year. The student should have achieved junior classification as defined by the university and should be enrolled at the 3000 level in applied music, which would normally occur during a student’s third year of study. Credit may be granted to transfer students for junior recitals completed at other institutions. This recital should have been completed during the student’s junior year at that institution and a request for recognition of that recital should be made in writing to the applied division coordinator. No studio teacher is under any obligation to accept these transfer recitals.
SENIOR RECITAL FOR BM DEGREE: A public recital will be given during a student’s senior year. The student should have achieved senior classification as defined by the university and should be enrolled at the 4000 level in applied music, which would normally occur during a student’s fourth year of study. A senior recital performed at another institution will not satisfy graduation requirements for USF. The recital must be performed on the USF campus and the student must be enrolled in the studio of a USF faculty member during the term of said recital unless written permission to deviate from this policy is obtained from the School of Music Director.
A RECITAL APPROVAL FORM MUST BE COMPLETED FOLLOWING ALL RECITALS AND PLACED IN EACH MUSIC STUDENT’S ADVISING FOLDER IN ORDER FOR DEGREE CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES TO BE COMPLETED.
Grading Requirement
All music majors and minors must earn at least a C- in every music course required for their degree program. Music education students must earn at least C- in all required music, music education, and education courses. Music courses resulting in grades of D or F must be repeated with subsequent registrations. Sequel courses may not be taken until prerequisites are satisfied with appropriate grades or waivers.
Research Opportunities
All undergraduate students in any degree program can participate in undergraduate research. There are a number of options to receive academic credit for a mentored research experience and to have the experience show on the official transcript. Students who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 2912 , IDS 4914 or IDH 4910 courses. These courses will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of Undergraduate Research will assist students in understanding the various course options.
Music Performance Faculty
Director: K.M. Bryan; Associate Director: D.A. Williams; Professors Emeriti: A. Hawkins, J. Heller, V. Jennings, A. Monroe, J. Reynolds, A. Summer, R. Summer, D. Owen; Distinguished University Professor: C.R. Owen; Professors: K.T. Brantley, C.V. Fung, S.N. Kluksdahl, R.M. McCormick, J.O. Robison, A.J. Wilkins; Associate Professors: J. Carmichael, J.C. Coble, W.P. Hayden, S. Ivanov, W.W. Jaworski, S.H. Lee, K. McCormick, J.L.S. Moore, J.B. Moorhead, P. Reller, C.E. Stuart, W.W. Wiedrich, D.A. Williams; Assistant Professors: J. Bugos, Y-H Cheng, K. Cho, E. Ko, C. Randles, B. Sekhon.