Mission/Vision Statement

The optimal development of each student's unique musical abilities is our goal.  Our faculty of nationally recognized scholars and artists are strongly committed to fostering student learning and academic achievement in the studio and the classroom.  The Music Department at IU Southeast offers one of the most musically intensive Bachelor of Arts degrees in the region.  Small class sizes and personal attention are designed to enhance student-faculty work and facilitate the learning experience.

Student Learning Goals

Students engage in a rigorous program that combines all aspects of artistic and academic study.  Courses in performance or composition and those focused on concentrations in music business and sound engineering teach professional skills and foster creative thinking.  The core of music theory and music literature/history develop analytical skills and critical thinking and are designed to give students knowledge of the styles, genres and great works of the musical lexicon.  Public performance and ensemble work, as well as internships, provide practical opportunities to hone skills and learn to work cooperatively.

A full array of general academic subjects traditional to the liberal arts provides skills and knowledge in written and oral communication and provides an excellent academic foundation for personal development and professional flexibility.

Assessment of student learning and student success is a major component of the Music program.  Student progress is evaluated from the first audition that is required for entrance to the program, through Sophomore Gateway exams and final capstone projects that measure the student's ability to synthesize skills and musical knowledge through the "voice" of their major concentration.  In addition, faculty evaluate student progress and achievement of two basic goals at all levels of study:  a substantive knowledge of the fundamental areas of the musical language, including theory, music history/literature and basic music technology, as well as the development of skills in their areas of special concentration such as performance, sound engineering, composition, music business or pre-music therapy.

Graduates are prepared for graduate study or for entrance into career paths such as studio teaching, teaching in the private schools, professional performance, music management, studio recording, arts journalism, composition for video games, movies or the concert stage, intellectual property law, and music librarianship.

Please see our website at: https://www.ius.edu/music/  for more information.

Scholarships/Award

• Rasmussen Scholarship Award in Music
• Martha K. Stem Scholarship in Music
• James A. Poteet Award for Band
• Sherri L. Stiefler Scholarship in Music

Degree Requirements

Degree Program Admission Requirements

Admission to the Music Department is by audition only. Students applying for admission into the Music Department at Indiana University Southeast to pursue a B.A. in Music degree – as well as those applying for a music scholarship – must attend one of the Music Department’s Audition Days.  Students can audition in any one of our tracks from our five major concentrations: Music Industry, Composition, Vocal/Instrumental Performance, Music Education, and Pre-Music Therapy.   Audition dates and specific information relating to auditioning for certain tracks are posted on the music department’s website at: https://www.ius.edu/music/ 

General Education and BA Distribution Requirements

See “General Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees at IU Southeast” and “General Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree.”

All music majors are required to take courses that engage the student in the general study of music through music literature, theory, technology, and performance.  The following courses serve as a foundation to this study and are meant to complement specific courses in one’s concentration.  A more specific description of these requirements is located online at: https://www.ius.edu/music/

Core Program for both Composition Tracks

 *For more detailed information on the Ensemble and Performance class requirements, see the Music Department website (https://www.ius.edu/music/).  

Composition for Film and Media Concentration

The music program offers the Bachelor of Arts with four different concentrations: Music Industry, Composition, Performance, and Pre-Music Therapy.  Also the music program offers a Bachelor of Science in Audio Production.  In the Bachelor of Arts, each concentration has two tracks, except for Pre-Music Therapy which has one, that students may choose as part of their course of study at IU Southeast.  The Film and Media track within the Composition concentration is specifically geared towards students interested in writing music for film and other media environments such as video games and television.  Students receive training in studio techniques and production through various projects that deal with music and other visual media.  Unlike many technology programs, the Film and Media Composition program also involves training in the craft and technique of composition by our internationally-recognized composition faculty.   A more specific description of these requirements is located online at: https://www.ius.edu/music/

Track/Concentration Electives (recommended, but not required)

*Course prefix and number varies according to instrument.

Capstone

 *Please refer to the Music Department website (https://www.ius.edu/music/) for further information about the senior capstone requirement 

Composition for the Concert Stage Concentration

The Composition for the Concert Stage track of the Music Composition concentration is designed to give the creative student the skills necessary to analyze, arrange, and compose works for the concert stage (i.e. chamber, orchestra, opera, and ballet).  The degree stresses not only the creative aspect of music composition, but also incorporates technology and performing areas of music as well.  Students get a chance to work with internationally performed composers in developing their craft and technique so that they are prepared to tackle the myriad of opportunities available to the composer today.  Graduates of the composition program at IU Southeast have gone on to graduate study, scored for feature-length films, and written music for video games.  A more specific description of these requirements is located online at: https://www.ius.edu/music/

Concentration Electives (recommended, but not required)

*Course prefix and number varies according to instrument.

Capstone

 *Please refer to the Music Department website https://www.ius.edu/music/) for further information about the senior capstone requirement.