Theory Concentration
School of Music
Bulletin Year: 2026-2027

Print this page

Semester One (15-17 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-Z	Lower Div. Applied Music5 (MR)	2-3	C	*
	MUSC 100	Music Convocation (MR)	0	S
		Foreign Language6 or other Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC-GFL)	3-4
		Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC)	3

Semester Two (16-17 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-Z	Lower Div. Applied Music5 (MR)	2-3	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 (16-18 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-Z	Lower Div. Applied Music5 (MR)	2-3	C	*
		Foreign Language6 or Carolina Core Requirement7 (MR/CC)	3
		Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC)	3-4

Semester Four (16-17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	MUSC 353	History of Western Music I (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 100L & 115
		Theory Elective8 (MR)	3	C	*
!	MUSC 218	Aural Skills IV (MR)	1	C	*	C or better in MUSC 217
		Major Ensemble3 (MR)	1	C	*
!	MUSC 111A-Z	Lower Div. Applied Music5 (MR)	2-3	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 (17-18 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
		Theory Concentration Requirement9 (MR)	3	C	*
	MUSC 354	History of Western Music II (MR/CC-INT)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 353 or 340
	MUSC 333	Basic Choral & Instrumental Conducting (MR)	2	C	*	C or better in MUSC 217
		Music History & Literature Elective10 (MR)	3	C	*
		Major Ensemble3 (MR)	1	C	*
	MUSC 311A-Z	Upper Div. Applied Music5 (MR)	2-3	C	*
		Carolina Core Requirement7 (CC)	3

Semester Six (17-18 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
		Theory Concentration Requirement9 (MR)	3	C	*
	MUSC 445 or MUSC 544 or MUSC 546	ST: Musicology & Ethnomusicology or Topics in Music History or Black Sacred Music (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 354 (MUSC 445 & 546)
	MUSC 311A-Z	Upper Div. Applied Music5 (MR)	2-3	C	*
		Concentration Elective11 (MR)	2	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 (16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	MUSC 518	Form & Analysis (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 215
		Theory Concentration Requirement9 (MR)	3	C	*
		Technology Elective12 (MR)	3	C	*
		Concentration Elective11 (MR)	3	C	*
	MUSC 130A-Z	Ensemble (Chamber)13 (MR)	1	C	*
		Theory Elective8 (MR)	3	C	*

Semester Eight (13-17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	MUSC 313 or MUSC 525	20th-Century Techniques and Materials or Post-Tonal Music Theory (MR)	3	C	*	C or better in MUSC 215
		Music History & Literature Elective10 (MR)	3	C	*
		Technology Elective12 (MR)	3	C	*
		Ensemble (major or chamber)3 & 13 (MR)	1	C	*
		Carolina Core Requirement7 or Elective14 (CC/PR)	3-4
		Carolina Core Requirement7 or Elective14 (depends on req. needed to meet Carolina Core or hrs. to graduate) (CC/PR)	0-3

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 Theory 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. Theory Concentration Requirements (9 hours): MUSC 313 or 525, 315, 319, 320, 515, 526, and 528.
10. Music History and Literature Electives (6 hours): MUSC 543, 544, 545, 546, 548, 549, 555, 557, 558, 559, and 587.
11. Concentration Electives: Any MUED or MUSC courses (other than MUSC 103, 104, 105, 110, 113, 140, 203).  Students must complete a minimum of 9 hours of concentration electives, including MUED 155 & 156, if needed. 
12. 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.  
13. 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 use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses.

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.
• Please check your proposal progression through the approval process in APPS. It is still awaiting external approvals before bulletin publication.
• 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 School of Music awards this certificate to recognize undergraduate music students with emphases other than performance, as well as students not majoring in music. It offers 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