School of Music

2134 Music Building
1114 West Nevada Street
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-2620

The School of Music occupies the Music Building, Smith Memorial Hall, Harding Band Building, Music Annex, and space in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. These facilities include studios, classrooms, and practice and rehearsal rooms; experimental electronic music, computer music, digital piano, computer-assisted music instruction laboratories, and jazz multimedia practice rooms; and musical instruments, audio equipment, and several auditoriums used for concert, recital, opera, and musical theatre performances. The Music Library is the home of one of the largest collections of music items in America.

The faculty and students of the school present over 1000 concerts, recitals, and stage performances throughout the year, both on and off campus. In addition, visiting artists and scholars from throughout the world present master classes and lectures that complement the concert and academic offerings provided on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

The School offers two professional undergraduate degrees: the Bachelor of Music and the Bachelor of Music Education. Undergraduate students whose musical interests are in the broad historical, cultural, and theoretical aspects of music (rather than professional training) may want to investigate the Bachelor of Arts degree offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Graduate degrees are offered in a variety of fields of study in music at the master's and doctoral levels.

Bands, choral ensembles, orchestras, jazz bands, new music ensembles, world music ensembles, opera theatre, and many other musical organizations are open to music and non-music majors and members of the university and civic communities by audition. Private lessons and courses in history, theory, and music appreciation are open to all qualified students in the University. A minor in music is also available.

All applicants for admission to the School of Music must apply and be admitted to the University of Illinois, must audition successfully on their major performance instrument or in voice, and must take the Music Fundamentals Proficiency Exam. On-campus auditions are preferred, but taped auditions are acceptable under certain circumstances. In addition, applicants for music composition-theory and history of music majors must submit original scores or other pertinent writings to substantiate their ability to pursue work in these areas. Applicants in composition-theory and music history must also complete an interview with faculty in those respective areas.

For complete information concerning audition schedules, special admission requirements, and curricula (including a minor in music), prospective students should visit the School's web site or contact the Assistant Director for Enrollment Management and Student Services, School of Music, 1114 West Nevada Street, Urbana IL 61801, (217) 244-7899.

Curricula

For the Degree of Bachelor of Music

These curricula require 130 semester hours of credit for graduation. Required courses in General Education include composition, quantitative reasoning, humanities and the arts, social and behavioral sciences, foreign language, natural sciences and technology, and cultural studies. See www.courses.uiuc.edu for a current list of general education courses.

Public performance is an integral part of the training in applied music, and all students, when sufficiently prepared, are required to participate in student recitals.

All students are required to enroll in at least one approved performance ensemble each semester in residence with a maximum of 16 semester hours of such ensemble applicable to the Bachelor of Music degree.

All students pursuing majors in this curriculum are required to successfully complete at least one course in conducting (normally MUS 242) and must demonstrate keyboard competency by examination or by enrolling in keyboard classes.

Foreign language study may be required according to the curriculum chosen, experience in or study of languages prior to matriculation, and/or the results of language placement tests at the University.

The sequences of classes given below are based on a typical four-year course of study but may be modified with an adviser's approval to meet the student's individual needs.

Music majors should meet with their adviser at least once per semester and consult the Undergraduate Music Major Handbook, available on The School of Music web site, for clarification and explanations concerning the Bachelor of Music curricula.

Instrumental Music Major

Students may major in piano, organ, harpsichord, violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, harp, flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, trumpet, horn, euphonium, baritone, trombone, tuba, or percussion.

A student enrolled in this program normally takes two applied subjects, one a major (32 semester hours in the same applied area) and the other a minor (8 semester hours in the same applied area). Third- and fourth-year students must present satisfactory public junior and senior recitals as part of the requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree.

First year

Second year

Third year

Fourth year

1. Concurrent registration in MUS 250-University Orchestra is required for all students who register for any of MUS 183-186 and MUS 483-486.

2. String and Brass majors will register for MUS 267 Chamber Music (one semester hour) concurrently with the major applied subject (three semester hours), for a total of four semester hours each semester.

3. The music theory requirement for the third year is to be satisfied by MUS 400 and 408, three semester hours each, or by MUS 408, six semester hours, with each semester devoted to a separate topic.

4. To be chosen from MUS 410-421.

5. For string and piano majors only. String majors will register for MUS 430; piano majors will register for MUS 431 and 432. Other majors may choose four semester hours of electives.

Music Composition-Theory Major

In this major, emphasis may be placed on music composition or on the theory of music. Necessary course adjustments require approval of the composition-theory division.

If the emphasis is on composition, the fourth-year student must present a satisfactory senior recital of original compositions. If the emphasis is on theory, an advanced project (MUS 299) approved by the composition-theory division is required in the fourth year.

First year

Second year

Third year

Fourth year

1. It is strongly recommended that students in this major acquire a thorough practical knowledge of the piano beyond basic keyboard competency as part of the applied music study.

2. The music theory electives for the third and fourth years are to be chosen from MUS 401, 403, 404 (may be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours 405, 408 (may be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours in addition to MUSIC 408, sections D or E, 407, 409, 471, 445, and 499 (may be repeated to a maximum of four semester hours; senior standing in music required). If the curricular emphasis is in music theory, the following will apply: juniors will substitute an additional three semester hours of MUS 408 for MUS 406; seniors will take MUS 299, 401, 405, and substitute an additional 400-level music history course for MUS 406.

3. To be chosen from MUS 410-414, 416, 417-421.

4. Must include either Section D (music in the first half of the twentieth century) or Section E (music since World War II).

History of Music Major

This major offers a broad cultural education that unites academic and musical training. It also provides preparation for the graduate study required for research and teaching in musicology or ethnomusicology.

The fourth-year student, working with an adviser, must complete a satisfactory thesis (MUS 299) as part of the requirements for the Bachelor of Music Degree.

First year

Second year

Third year

Fourth year

1. It is strongly recommended that students in this major acquire a thorough practical knowledge of the piano beyond basic keyboard competency as part of the applied music study.

2. The student must achieve what would be fourth-semester language study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or its equivalent (i.e. proficiency credit, or four years of high school study in a single language). French, German or Italian are strongly encouraged.

3. Third- and fourth-year music history courses are to be chosen from MUS 410-418, 420, 421; however, a minimum of two courses must be chosen from MUS 410-415.
4. May not be used to satisfy general education requirements.

5. To be chosen from MUS 408.

Voice Major

The primary applied subject in this major includes both private lessons in voice and classes in vocal diction.

At least eight semester hours each in the Italian, French, and German languages are required for the voice major. A student who has not completed at least two years of one of these languages in high school should begin study of languages during the first year. Whenever possible, vocal majors who do not have at least two years of high school study in Italian should take Italian in their first and second semesters.

Third- and fourth-year students must present satisfactory public junior and senior recitals as part of the requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree.

First year

Second year

Third year

Fourth year

1. The music theory requirement for the third year is to be satisfied by MUS 400 and 408, three semester hours each, or by MUS 408, six semester hours, with each semester devoted to a separate topic.

2. To be chosen from MUS 410-421.

Open Studies

Open Studies allows concentration in diverse fields such as music of other cultures, jazz, piano pedagogy, or other areas not included in the curricula above. Open Studies requires a minimum of 130 semester hours of credit for graduation.

Admission to Open Studies is initiated by petition to a committee of three faculty members, the open studies adviser, and the associate dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Additional information may be obtained from the Office of Enrollment Management and Student Services, Music Building Room 3019.