Department of Performing Arts and Mass Communication

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Sarah Mickey, MME, Chair

The Department of Performing Arts and Mass Communication offers pre-professional degree programs designed to equip students with the tools necessary to pursue careers in the areas of music, theatre, and mass communication, as well as pursue graduate degrees in these fields. The department offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in performing arts with concentrations in theatre, musical theatre, music performance (vocal or instrumental options), music education (vocal or instrumental options), and music with studies in business. The department also offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication with an emphasis in mass media.

The music curriculum prepares students to become proficient musicians, music educators, and capable vocalists and instrumentalists who are able to demonstrate the performance skills and knowledge for sound musicianship.

The theatre and musical theatre curriculum offer a rigorous course of study with options in a wide variety of Theatre topics pertinent to careers in these degrees, including performance, design, management, or advanced graduate studies.

The Mass Communication curriculum has a core of introductory courses common to all mass media fields and offers an academic emphasis in mass media.

Integral to the mission of the Department of Performing Arts and Mass Communication is the enrichment of the artistic life of non-majors, the University, the community, and region by offering student, faculty, and guest performances, and by providing participative, collaborative, and advisory services in the performing arts.

Music Departmental Regulations

All music majors in all programs (with the exception of first semester freshmen), are required to perform, as a soloist, at least once each semester in a student recital, and all music majors are required to take a jury each semester (until the applied music requirement is met).

All candidates for the BFA in Music Education and the BFA in Music Performance must present a public recital during their senior year (MUSR 4000 ). This may be a full recital of 45 minutes, or a joint recital of 30 minutes for each performer with faculty approval. All contemplated music recitals must undergo a preliminary hearing by the members of the music faculty at least two weeks before the public performance.

All music majors must participate in a major ensemble (typically, instrumental majors in band or vocal majors in choir) until the degree is completed. In addition, all majors in the BFA of Music Performance and all majors in the BFA in Music with Studies in Business programs must also enroll in a small ensemble (instrumental or vocal, depending on the student’s applied area of study), adding another four credits to the major ensemble requirement. Instrumental music education majors on a performance scholarship must likewise meet the small ensemble requirement.

Instrumental music education majors and all musical theatre majors must register for beginning class voice (MACV 1211 ), preferably in the first semester of their freshman year.

Music majors in the BFA Music Education, the BFA Music Performance, and the BFA in Music with Studies in Business programs must pass a piano proficiency requirement. Vocal music education majors and vocal performance majors must take four hours of piano as well as meeting the piano proficiency requirement. Majors in the BFA in Music with Studies in Business program must take four hours of piano or another instrument as well as meeting the piano proficiency requirement.

All music majors will have a full-faculty hearing at the end of the second semester of the music theory sequence to determine readiness to advance to upper-level study.

Students in applied music and members of musical organizations are required to attend all rehearsals deemed necessary and to take part in public performance when their participation is desired.

All music majors except musical theatre majors are required to register for MUED 1000 - Concert and Recital Attendance  and receive a grade of CR each semester for up to six semesters. The number of concerts and recitals needed to receive a CR each semester will be posted by the department chair.

All music majors must earn a C or higher in all major courses.

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