Music/Music Teacher Education Pre-K-12 - BA/MA

Major Programs

The Department of Music offers three undergraduate and two BA/MA major programs to fit individual interests and requirements. Students must take three examinations before declaring a music major:

Music notation, rudimentary theory, and basic aural skills. This examination is prerequisite to MUSTH 22000 (Music Theory I).

Students who do not pass it must take MUSTH 10100 (Basic Musicianship) or learn the material on their own, then repeat the examination.
Elementary music history and literature. This examination is prerequisite to MUSHL 20500 (Music History I). Students who do not pass it must take MUSHL 10100 A Thousand Years of Listening or learn the material on their own, then repeat the examination.
Performance audition on an instrument or voice. This examination is prerequisite to MUSPF 40100 (Private Instruction in Instrument or Voice). Students whose performance skills fall below New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) level 2, equivalent to about one year of study, must take MUSPF 21100 -MUSPF 21200 (Voice I-II), MUSPF 21300 -MUSPF 21400 (Piano III), or private lessons at their own expense (without credit), then repeat the examination. Students with no experience in performance may defer the audition until the end of their first semester of study.

Prospective majors should consult the Music Department’s undergraduate adviser as soon as possible to discuss these examinations and any prerequisite courses they may need before beginning the major.

Piano Proficiency Requirement

All music majors must demonstrate elementary proficiency at the piano. Students should plan to fulfill this requirement during their first year of study. A passing grade on the piano proficiency examination is a prerequisite for the second year of study in music theory (MUSTH 32000 and MUSTH 32100 ). Students entering Hunter with limited keyboard background may take MUSPF 21300 -MUSPF 21400 (Piano I and II) for elective credit or private lessons in piano at their own expense. The Music Department office has a list of recommended piano teachers.

5- to 6-Year Dual BA/MA Degree in Teacher Education

Exceptionally qualified students may obtain a master’s degree in teacher education in 5-6 years with a minimum of 140 credits. Requirements are the same as those for the 42-credit BA plus requirements for the MA degree in music teacher education (see graduate catalog). Students may be admitted to this program only after they have completed at least 60 credits of college work, including at least 29 credits in music (three semesters of music history, four semesters of music theory, and four semesters of musicianship). At least 12 credits (including six in music) must have been taken at Hunter College, and students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 with no grade of less than B in any music course. They must have passed the Music Department’s piano proficiency examination and an audition-interview demonstrating reasonable mastery of an instrument or voice. In addition, they must either have passed the LAST (Liberal Arts and Sciences Test) or fulfilled the following requirements of the School of Education:

Completion of developmental courses;
Grade of B- or better in ENGL 12000 or a 200- level English course;
Application, on-site essay, and interview with the School of Education;
Proof of negative result on TB test;
Maximum of 6 credits taken with CR/NC grades, or else calculation of those grades as C/F for computation of grade-point average.

Admission requires the consent of both the Music Department and the School of Education. See the School of Education section of both the undergraduate and graduate catalogs for more information.

Minor

For 25-credit music majors, the minor consists of 12 credits in a field of study leading to a BA degree and approved by the Music Department adviser. Double-majors and students in other music major programs are exempt from the minor requirement. Minor courses can be used without limit to satisfy stages 1, 2, and 3 of the GER.

Minor for non-Majors

For students minoring in music, the requirements are determined by the student’s major department. See your major adviser. The Music Department recommends the following courses. Because 300-level courses are intended primarily for music majors and have extensive prerequisites, students whose major departments require a 300-level course in the minor may, with permission of their adviser, substitute a 200-level course in the music minor.

MUSTH 10100 - Music Theory Fundamentals
or
MUSTH 22000 - Music Theory I and
MUSTH 23000 - Musicianship I
MUSHL 10100 - A Thousand Years of Listening or
MUSHL 10700 - The World of Music
One course with an MU-H prefix at the 200-level
1-3 credits of music electives

Grading Policy

Students must have grades of C or better in all prerequisite courses in order to take courses that are required for the major. The grade of CR may not be elected in major courses. In accordance with Hunter College policy, a course may not be taken more than twice without permission of the department.

Honors

To qualify for departmental honors in music, a student must have a 3.5 grade point average in major courses and complete an honors project, taken under the following course number. The project, which must be approved in advance by the Policy Committee, may be a research paper on a historical, theoretical, or other topic; an original composition; or a recital. All projects should demonstrate an advanced level, a broad scope, and a high quality, and must be done under the supervision of a faculty member of the Music Department.