Music Education, Choral and General Music
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Program Requirements
Students must fulfill the Oakland University General Education Requirements, the General College of Arts and Sciences Requirements, the College of Arts & Sciences Exploratory Requirement, and the Major Requirements. Additionally, students must complete a sufficient number of free elective courses to meet the overall credit requirement for their degree. A minimum of 120 credits is required, although some degree programs may require a higher total credit count.
Music Education, Choral and General Music, B.M. majors are exempt from the College of Arts & Sciences Exploratory Requirement.
General Education Requirements
In order to graduate on-schedule without taking additional courses, it is highly recommended that students meet with an Undergraduate Academic Adviser concerning the selection of all of their general education courses.
Each candidate for an Oakland University baccalaureate will need to satisfactorily complete approved courses in each of the following areas: Foundations, Explorations, and Integration. For details, refer to the General Education Requirements section of the catalog.
Requirements for the major in Music Education, Choral and General Music, B.M.
Admission to Music degree programs
Admission to the Music degree programs at Oakland University (OU) is a two-tiered process, except for the B.A. in Music. The first step in the process for all students is the Entrance Audition. These auditions are held several times a year and determine whether or not a student will be admitted to OU in any of these degree programs. For all B.M. programs, the second step is the major standing audition, which determines whether students may continue in the program, and if they can be admitted into a professional program in the school.
Entrance Auditions
Entrance Audition days are held several times each year. The audition schedule and downloadable application are available on the school website. Please submit application to the department office. Students should be prepared to demonstrate proficiency in their proposed area of specialization.
Students seeking admission to Oakland University as music majors or auditioned music minors must audition for the music faculty.
Students who audition and do not enroll within 2 semesters must re-audition.
Students who enroll and leave school for at least 2 semesters must re-audition. Music students who enroll and leave school must re-audition and also retake the theory placement exam.
The Bachelor of Music degree is intended for students who wish pre-professional and professional preparation in music education and/or performance. Students should consult the Student Resources link for degree plans and should also consult with the departmental adviser in the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Office to plan their degree program. See: Student Resources
Only major courses in which a grade of at least C has been earned will count toward the major. A minimum grade of B is required in all professional courses, marked with an asterisk (*) in the list below. Application for Music Education major standing takes place upon completion of all freshman and sophomore coursework.
For this program, course satisfies the General Education Arts requirement; course, course, course, course, course, course, and course count as Writing Intensive in the Major; and course counts as the General Education Capstone.
Degree Requirements are as follows:
Requirements Specific to the Voice Major - 35 Credits (or Placement)
course Vocal Techniques (2)
course Voice
(1 credit 1st semester, 2 credits 2nd semester, 3 credits total)
course Voice
(2 credits per semester, 4 credits total)
course Voice
(2 credits per semester, 4 credits total)
course Voice
(2 credits per semester, 4 credits total)
course Instrumental Techniques for Choral Majors (2) *
course Keyboard Technique I (2)
course Keyboard Technique II (2)
course Keyboard Technique III (2)
course Keyboard Technique IV (2)
course Accompanying for the Non-pianist I (2)
course Accompanying for the Non-pianist II (2)
course Diction for Singers I (2)
course Diction for Singers II (2)
Requirements Specific to the Piano Major - 36 credits (or Placement)
course Piano
(2 credits per semester, 4 credits total)
course Piano
(2 credits per semester, 4 credits total)
course Piano
(2 credits per semester, 4 credits total)
course Piano
(2 credits per semester, 4 credits total)
course Piano Technique Seminar (1)
course Vocal Techniques for Instrumentalists I (1)
course Vocal Techniques for Instrumentalists II (2)
course Instrumental Techniques for Choral Majors (2) *
course Accompanying for the Non-pianist I (2)
course Keyboard Skills for the Piano Major I (2)
course Keyboard Skills for the Piano Major II (2)
course Diction for Singers I (2)
course Diction for Singers II (2)
Required Courses for Both Voice and Piano Majors
Music History, Theory, and World Music - 29 Credits (or Placement)
course Foundations for Collegiate Musicians (1)
course History and Literature of Western Tonal Music (3)
course Music of World Cultures (3)
course History and Literature of Medieval and Renaissance Music (3)
course History and Literature of Western Music from ca. 1850 to the Present (3)
History or Theory Elective Course Selected From
course Musical Analysis and Form (4)
course Counterpoint (4)
course Analysis of Music Since 1900 (4)
course The Nineteenth-Century Symphony: History, Performance and Analysis (4)
course Berlin’s Musical Cultures: 1900-1989 (4)
course Seminar in Opera and Drama (4)
Improvisation or Composition - 2 Credits
course Oakland Jazz Singers (0 OR 1)
course Oakland University Jazz Band (0 OR 1)
course Jazz Improvisation Combos (0 OR 1)
course Creative Jazz Ensemble (0 OR 1)
course African Ensemble (0 OR 1)
course Steel Band (0 OR 1)
course Jazz Theory and Improvisation (2)
Language - 4 Credits
Must choose a foreign language (Italian, French, or German recommended) to fulfill foreign language requirement.
Ensembles (may be repeated) - 7 credits
Must enroll in ensemble that uses primary performance area every semester of major until graduation (except when enrolled in course). Voice majors must choose a Vocal Ensemble. Pianists may choose any Major Ensemble.
Register for 0 credits in the 1st semester, 1 credit in the next 7 semesters, and 0 credits thereafter, if applicable.
course University Chorus (0 OR 1)
course Oakland Chorale (0 OR 1)
course Chamber Orchestra (0 OR 1)
course Oakland Symphony (0 OR 1)
course Symphonic Band (0 OR 1)
course Wind Symphony (0 OR 1)
Professional Education Music Courses and Requirements - 37 Credits (or Placement)
course Learning and Teaching Music (1) *
course Educational Psychology and Music Learning (3) *
course Elementary General Music Methods (3) *
course Conducting I (2) *
course Conducting II (2) *
course Choral Methods (3) *
course Instrumental Methods for Choral Majors (1) *
course Teaching Music in the 21st Century (3) *
course Teaching Music to Learners with Exceptionalities (3)
course Disciplinary Literacies (4)
course Internship in K-12 Music Education (12)
Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) for Music Education
*A minimum grade of B is required in all Professional Courses.
For students with Piano as applied major, enrollment in course or course is by placement audition.
Students placing into course take the following 8 credit sequence: course, course and 2 semesters of course.
Students placing into course take the following 7 credit sequence: course , course and 2 semesters of course
All students, including guitar and piano students, must register for the appropriate choral/instrumental large ensemble to align with their choral/instrumental music education track and to align with their future internship placement.
Major Standing
Application for Music Education major standing takes place upon completion of all freshman and sophomore coursework including a successful performance portion of the major standing requirement. Students who are deferred may not continue in the music education course sequence until the performance portion is successfully completed. Students who are denied may not continue in the music education course sequence.
Concentration Options for the Major in Music Education, Choral and General Music, B.M.
In addition to completing the courses listed under course requirements in the Music Education, Choral and General Music (B.M.) program, students who are considering a concentration may elect a concentration in consultation with their advisor. A minimum of 15 credits of the Major-dependent Concentration must be at the upper division level (course numbers 3000 or above).
Piano Pedagogy Concentration
Applied Piano Lessons - 7 Credits
course Piano (1 TO 4)
course Piano Technique Seminar (1)
course Keyboard Skills for the Piano Major I (2)
course Keyboard Skills for the Piano Major II (2)
Required Courses - 14 Credits
course Piano Pedagogy I (2)
course Piano Pedagogy II (2)
course Piano Pedagogy III (3)
course Piano Pedagogy IV (3)
course Pedagogy Internship (2)
course Senior Pedagogy Project (2 OR 4)
Piano Performance Concentration
Applied Piano Lessons - 16 Credits
Required Courses - 6 Credits
Voice Performance Concentration
Applied Voice Lessons - 16 Credits
Required Courses - 6 Credits
course Opera Workshop (0 OR 1)
course Opera (0 OR 2)
course Vocal Repertoire I (2)
course Vocal Repertoire II (2)
Applicable Minors
All Minors are applicable to this major with the exception of the following Minor(s): Child Welfare, International Orientation for EGR/CS, and Sustainability Engineering.