FAQ

All incoming students will continue to take the music theory placement exam, but the exam will only test fundamentals. The highest level of the curriculum that students will be able to place into is Theory & Practice I / Aural Skills I. The exam will continue to be offered online, year round. The placement exam site includes more information about the exam. 

Music & Practice I no longer serves as a basic introduction to diatonic harmony; it is an introduction to the diverse range of courses in the new curriculum. The course explores topics in rhythm and meter, harmonic syntax, melody, and timbre in a broad range of musical styles including common-practice classical, popular music, and non-Western music. This course serves as a pre-requisite for all other courses in the sequence.

This course combines the material from the previous Basic Musicianship I and II courses into a single one-semester course at a slightly faster pace. 

See the Study abroad tab for an updated list of courses running online each semester. 

Yes. This course will run online as an accelerated version of the new Fundamentals course, combining material from Basic Musicianship I and II into a single course. The course will run online in the last 6-Week summer session. Because of the accelerated pace, this course is recommended for graduate students, transfer students, or undergraduates who have some background in fundamentals already and need to move ahead in their coursework. 

To assist advisors, placement exam results include an advisor note stating whether or not the student might be a good candidate for the course. 

Yes and no. A second Theory II course could be taken as an additional music elective, but should not be used as a substitute for an advanced theory course, unless approved by the student's program of study. The courses cover similar topics, but from the perspective of either common-practice classical or popular music. 

See the "Roll Out" tab for a detailed map of when each new course will run.

Students who need Music Theory II AY 23-24 will continue with the current curriculum. Nothing will change for these students. We will continue to offer the courses they need to finish up with their current track. 

Incoming students and those enrolled in Basic Musicianship this year will begin the new curriculum Fall 2023. Basic Musicianship students will need to change their "program of study" to switch to the new curriculum.