Nov 09, 2024

2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Composition, B.Mus. (Commercial Music/Songwriting Emphasis also offered)

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Students in the Composition program may select to emphasize in Commercial Music/Songwriting.

US 150 First Year Success Seminar

All incoming new students will be registered for US 150 - First Year Success Seminar during the first semester of the first year. The credit earned for this course does not count toward the completion of the degree.

Required Credits: 120

First Year

Semester 1 (18.25 credits)

Instrumental/vocal study 2 credit(s)
APC 122 - Piano Keyboard Class 2 credit(s)
COM 110P - First Course Composition 3 credit(s)
COM 461 - Music Technology I 3 credit(s)
COM 470 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
WRT 110W - Academic Writing I 3 credit(s)
TH 111 - Diatonic Harmony 2 credit(s) ¹
TH 120P - Elementary Ear Training I 2 credit(s)
HLM 020 - Information Literacy in the Performing Arts 0 credit(s)
Performing Organization 1 credit(s) ²

Semester 2 (18.25 credits)

Instrumental/vocal study 2 credit(s)
APC 123 - Piano Keyboard Class 2 credit(s)
COM 111P - First Course Composition 3 credit(s)
COM 471 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
WRT 111W - Academic Writing II 3 credit(s)
TH 112 - Chromatic Harmony 2 credit(s)
TH 121P - Elementary Ear Training II 2 credit(s)
UIS - University Interdisciplinary Studies 3 credit(s)
Performing Organization 1 credit(s) ²

Second Year

Semester 1 (14.25 credits)

Instrumental/vocal study 2 credit(s)
APC 222 - Piano Keyboard Class 2 credit(s)
COM 210P - Second Course Composition 2 credit(s)
COM 470 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
HLM 212 - Perspectives on Music History 3 credit(s)
TH 210 - Tonal Form and Analysis 2 credit(s)
TH 220P - Intermediate Ear Training I 2 credit(s)
Performing Organization 1 credit(s) ²

Semester 2 (14.25 credits)

Instrumental/vocal study 2 credit(s)
APC 223 - Piano Keyboard Class 2 credit(s)
COM 211P - Second Course Composition 2 credit(s)
COM 471 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
TH 211W - Post-Tonal Form and Analysis 2 credit(s)
HLM 213 - Classicism to the Present 3 credit(s)
TH 221P - Intermediate Ear Training II 2 credit(s)
Performing Organization 1 credit(s) ²

Third Year

Semester 1 (15.25 credits)

COM 310P - Third Course Composition 2 credit(s)
HLM 316 - Medieval through Baroque 3 credit(s)
Foreign language 3 credit(s)
COM 470 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
COM 462 - Music Technology II 3 credit(s)
UIS - University Interdisciplinary Studies 3 credit(s)
Performing Organization 1 credit(s) ²

Semester 2 (14.25 credits)

COM 311P - Third Course Composition 2 credit(s)
CON 314 - Conducting Fundamentals 2 credit(s)
Foreign language 3 credit(s)
COM 340 - Orchestration 3 credit(s)
COM 471 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
UIS - University Interdisciplinary Studies 3 credit(s)
Performing Organization 1 credit(s) ²

Fourth Year

Semester 1 (12.25 credits)

COM 410P - Fourth Course Composition 2 credit(s)
COM 470 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
ES 262 - Introduction to Acoustics 3 credit(s)
Academic elective 3 credit(s)
Math elective (M 114 or M 116 ) 3 credit(s)
Performing Organization 1 credit(s) ²

Semester 2 (13.25 credits)

COM 411P - Fourth Course Composition 2 credit(s)
COM 471 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
TH 441W - Music since 1950 3 credit(s)
Academic elective 3 credit(s)
UIST - University Interdisciplinary Studies 4 credit(s)
Performing Organization 1 credit(s) ²

Note(s):

¹Enrollment dependent on placement exam.

²Major choral or instrumental performing organization. Other approved performing organizations may be substituted.

Students with a major in composition must have the equivalent of one evening’s performance of their music before graduation. Programs of performances must be submitted at least four months before the anticipated date of graduation.

Composition majors should refer to the Hartt Undergraduate Handbook for departmental grade requirements.

Students wishing to specialize in composition for electronic and digital instruments should include the following courses in their elective choices: COM 462 - Music Technology II , COM 463 - Music Technology III , COM 466 - Introduction to Computer Music , COM 468 - Scoring for Film, TV, and Video , MPT 450 - Sound Technology I , MPT 451 - Sound Technology II .

Students wishing to specialize in composition using more traditional musical materials should include the following courses in their elective choices: TH 330 - Keyboard Harmony , TH 333 - Score Reading , TH 420 - Modal Counterpoint , TH 421 - Tonal Counterpoint .

Commercial Music/Songwriting Emphasis

Required Credits: 121

First Year

Semester 1 (18.25 credits)

Applied Private Study (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
APC 122 - Piano Keyboard Class (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
COM 110P - First Course Composition 3 credit(s)
COM 462 - Music Technology II 3 credit(s)
COM 470 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
WRT 110W - Academic Writing I 3 credit(s)
TH 111 - Diatonic Harmony 2 credit(s) ¹
TH 120P - Elementary Ear Training I 2 credit(s)
HLM 020 - Information Literacy in the Performing Arts 0 credit(s)
Performing Organization (Commercial) 1 credit(s) ²

Semester 2 (15.25 credits)

Applied Private Study (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
APC 123 - Piano Keyboard Class (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
COM 111P - First Course Composition 3 credit(s)
COM 471 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
WRT 111W - Academic Writing II 3 credit(s)
TH 112 - Chromatic Harmony 2 credit(s)
TH 121P - Elementary Ear Training II 2 credit(s)
Performing Organization (Commercial) 1 credit(s) ²

Second Year

Semester 1 (14.25 credits)

Applied Private Study (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
APC 222 - Piano Keyboard Class (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
COM 200P - Songwriting Workshop I 2 credit(s)
COM 470 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
HLM 212 - Perspectives on Music History 3 credit(s)
TH 210 - Tonal Form and Analysis 2 credit(s)
TH 220P - Intermediate Ear Training I (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
Performing Organization (Commercial) 1 credit(s)²

Semester 2 (15.25 credits)

Applied Private Study (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
APC 223 - Piano Keyboard Class (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
COM 201P - Songwriting Workshop II 2 credit(s)
COM 471 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
HLM 213 - Classicism to the Present 3 credit(s)
TH 415 - Analysis of Popular Music 3 credit(s)
TH 221P - Intermediate Ear Training II (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
Performing Organization (Commercial) 1 credit(s) ²

Third Year

Semester 1 (14.25 credits)

Applied Private Study (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
COM 300P - Songwriting Workshop III 2 credit(s)
COM 470 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
HLM 316 - Medieval through Baroque 3 credit(s)
MPT 450 - Sound Technology I 3 credit(s)
UIS - University Interdisciplinary Studies 3 credit(s)
Performing Organization (Commercial) 1 credit(s) ²

Semester 2 (14.25 credits)

Applied Private Study (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
COM 301P - Songwriting Workshop IV 2 credit(s)
COM 340 - Orchestration 3 credit(s)
COM 471 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
ENG 225W - Introduction to Creative Writing 3 credit(s)
UIS - University Interdisciplinary Studies 3 credit(s)
Performing Organization (Commercial) 1 credit(s)²

Fourth Year

Semester 1 (14.25 credits)

Applied Private Study (Commercial) 2 credit(s)
COM 410P - Fourth Course Composition 2 credit(s)
COM 470 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
ENG 310W - Creative Writing: Poetry 3 credit(s)
ES 262 - Introduction to Acoustics 3 credit(s)
Math elective (M 114 or M 116 ) 3 credit(s)
Performing Organization (Commercial) 1 credit(s) ²

Semester 2 (15.25 credits)

COM 411P - Fourth Course Composition 2 credit(s)
COM 471 - Composers’ Seminar .25 credit(s)
Academic elective 3 credit(s)
Academic elective 3 credit(s)
UIST - University interdisciplinary Studies 4 credit(s)
UIS - University Interdisciplinary Studies 3 credit(s)

Note(s):

¹Enrollment dependent on placement exam.

²Major choral or instrumental performing organization. Other approved performing organizations may be substituted.

Students with a major in composition-commercial/songwriting emphasis must have the equivalent of one evening performance of their own original songs before graduation. Programs of performances must be submitted at least four months before the anticipated date of graduation.

Composition majors should refer to the Hartt Undergraduate Handbook for departmental grade requirements