Composition Concentration
School of Music
Bulletin Year: 2026-2027

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Semester One (12-13 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	ENGL 101	Critical Reading and Composition (CC-CMW)	3	C
		Major Ensemble3 (MR)	1	C	*
	MUED 155	Group Piano4 (or demonstration of piano prof.) (MR)	2	C	*
!	MUSC 117	Aural Skills I (MR)	1	C	*
	MUSC 111A-MUSC 111Z5	Applied Music (MR)	2	C	*
	MUSC 100	Music Convocation (MR)	0	S
		Foreign Language6 or other Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC-GFL)	3-4

Semester Two (16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	ENGL 102	Rhetoric and Composition (CC-CMW/CC-INF)	3	C		C or better in ENGL 101
		Major Ensemble3 (MR)	1	C	*
	MUED 156	Group Piano4 (or demonstration of piano prof.) (MR)	2	C	*	C or better in MUED 155 or advanced placement via exam
!	MUSC 115	Music Theory I (CC-AIU)	3	C		C or better in MUSC 114 (or passing score on the Ugrad Theory Diag. Exam)
!	MUSC 118	Aural Skills II (MR)	1	C	*	C or better in MUSC 117
	MUSC 111A-MUSC 111Z5	Applied Music (MR)	2	C	*
	MUSC 100	Music Convocation (MR)	0	S
	MUSC 100L	Recital Class Laboratory (MR)	1	C	*
		Foreign Language6 or other Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC-GFL)	3

Semester Three (17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	MUSC 316	Music Composition I (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 115 or equiv.
!	MUSC 215	Music Theory II (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 115
!	MUSC 217	Aural Skills III (MR)	1	C	*	C or better in MUSC 118
		Major Ensemble3 (MR)	1	C	*
	MUSC 111A-MUSC 111Z5	Applied Music (MR)	2	C	*
		Foreign Language6 or Carolina Core Requirement7 (MR/CC)	3
		Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC)	4

Semester Four (16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	MUSC 416	Music Composition II (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 316
	MUSC 353	History of Western Music I (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 100L & 115
!	MUSC 218	Aural Skills IV (MR)	1	C	*	C or better in MUSC 217
		Major Ensemble3 (MR)	1	C	*
	MUSC 111A-MUSC 111Z5	Applied Music (MR)	2	C	*
	MUSC 312	Counterpoint (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 215
		Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC)	3
	MUSC 100A	Music Advocacy I (MR)	0	S

Semester Five (18 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	MUSC 525	Post-Tonal Music Theory (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 215
	MUSC 516	Composition (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 416 or equiv.
	MUSC 354	History of Western Music II (MR/CC-INT)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 353 or 340
		Theory Elective8 (MR)	3	C	*
		Major Ensemble3 (MR)	1	C	*
	MUSC 311A-MUSC 311Z5	Upper Division Applied Music (MR)	2	C	*
		Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC)	3

Semester Six (18 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	MUSC 516	Composition (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 416 or equiv.
	MUSC 336	Introduction to Computer Music (MR)	3	C	*
	MUSC 311A-MUSC 311Z5	Upper Division Applied Music (MR)	2	C	*
		Theory Elective8 (MR)	3	C	*
		Major Ensemble3 (MR)	1	C	*
		Fine Arts Elective (any non-music CC-AIU course) (MR)	3	C	*
		Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC)	3

Semester Seven (14-17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	MUSC 516	Composition (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 416 or equiv.
	MUSC 515	Orchestration (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 215
	MUSC 333	Basic Choral & Instr. Conducting (MR)	2	C	*	C or better in MUSC 217
		Concentration Elective9 (MR)	2	C	*
	MUSC 130A-Z	Ensemble (Chamber)10 (MR)	1	C	*
		Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC)	3
		Carolina Core Requirement7 or Elective11 (only if needed to meet CC or hrs. to graduate) (CC/PR)	0-3

Semester Eight (16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	MUSC 540	Projects in Computer Music (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 336
	MUSC 445 or MUSC 544 or MUSC 546	Special Topics in Musicology & Ethnomusicology or Topics in Music History or Black Sacred Music: Local & Global Perspectives (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 354 (MUSC 445 & 546)
		Music History and Literature Elective12 (MR)	3	C	*
	MUSC 516	Composition (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 416 or equiv.
		Ensemble (major or chamber)3 & 10 (MR)	1	C	*
		Carolina Core Requirement7 or Elective11 (CC/PR)	3

Graduation Requirements Summary

Minimum Total Hours	Minimum Major Requirements Hours	Minimum College & Program Requirements Hours	Carolina Core Hours	Minimum Institutional GPA
128	90	1-7	31-37	2.000

1. Regardless of individual course grades, students must maintain a minimum 2.50 GPA on all MUSC & MUED courses and a 2.00 cumulative GPA.
2. Some colleges require a minimum GPA for major courses. Courses indicated in this column are included in the major GPA for this program of study.
3. Students are required to participate in the major ensemble most closely related to their primary instrument.  Students must declare a primary instrument upon acceptance into the program.  Ensembles are: Marching Band, Symphonic Winds, Wind Ensemble, University Orchestra, Concert Choir, & University Chorus.  Some ensembles require an audition for membership.  Regulations for attendance at ensemble rehearsals & performances are different from regulations for class attendance.  Members of ensembles are expected to be present at every rehearsal & performance, unless excused by the conductor. 
4. MUED 155 and 156 are not required if taking MUSC 111P for Piano as primary instrument or if a student passes the proficiency exam.
5. Applied Music must be completed satisfactorily for a minimum of six semesters and 12 hours of credit.
6. Students in the Composition concentration are required to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the 122 course through course credit or the corresponding foreign language placement score.
7. The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience for all Carolina undergraduate students.
8. Theory Electives (6 hours): MUSC 312, 313, 315, 319, 320, 515, 518, 525, 526, 528.
9. Concentration Electives: any MUED or MUSC courses other than MUSC 103, 104, 105, 110, 113, 140, 203. Students must complete a minimum of 6 hours of concentration electives, including MUED 155 and 156, if needed and MUSC 278 for those whose primary medium is voice.
10. Courses which qualify for the Chamber Music requirement include all MUSC 130 courses with a suffix of A-Z and topics in Voice, String, Percussion, Wind, Guitar, and Keyboard. Students enrolling in an ensemble to fulfill a degree requirement must register for at least 1 credit hour.
11. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the School of Music. The School of Music allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses.
12. Music History & Literature Electives: MUSC 500, 543, 544, 545, 546, 548, 549, 555, 557, 558, 559, 587.

Program Notes

• Courses identified as “critical” carry specific completion deadlines. ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 must be completed within the first 60 semester hours of work in order to be credited toward graduation. MUSC courses identified as “critical” must be completed in order to be admitted to the upper division.
• To be admitted to the upper division, students must meet the following criteria: approval of the applied jury to progress to the upper-division course (MUSC 311 or MUSC 411), as appropriate to the chosen degree program; and completion of at least 60 credits with a cumulative grade point average of 2.50 in MUSC & MUED courses and 2.00 in all courses.
• All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade that covers the founding documents. This course may fulfill any requirement in the program of study. Courses that meet this requirement are listed in the academic bulletin.
• Performance Certificate: The performance certificate is awarded by the School of Music to recognize those undergraduate music students with degree emphases other than music performance, as well as those students not majoring in music. The performance certificate will allow gifted and highly motivated students to acquire additional credit, professorial interaction, guidance, and departmental distinction in music performance.

Code Definitions

University Requirements: Bachelor’s degree-seeking students must meet Carolina Core (general education) requirements.

Code	Definition
CC	Carolina Core
CC-AIU	Carolina Core – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding
CC-ARP	Carolina Core – Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving
CC-CMS	Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component
CC-CMW	Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written Component
CC-GFL	Carolina Core – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language
CC-GHS	Carolina Core – Historical Thinking
CC-GSS	Carolina Core – Social Sciences
CC-INF	Carolina Core – Information Literacy
CC-INT	Carolina Core – Integrative Course
CC-SCI	Carolina Core – Scientific Literacy
CC-VSR	Carolina Core – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility
CR	College Requirement
MR	Major Requirement
PR	Program Requirement