Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Music
Nature of the Program
The composition curriculum is especially designed for students wishing to prepare themselves as composers in both acoustic and electronic styles. The increased interest of society today in the arts is creating many new opportunities for the professional composer and teacher.
Admissions for 2025-2026
Acceptance into an undergraduate music degree program is contingent upon both admission to WVU as an undergraduate student and a successful performance audition. Auditions are held from late fall through the early spring semester. For maximum scholarship consideration, students are encouraged to complete the application (including audition) before March 1. Audition information can be found on the College's website or by contacting the CCAM Office of Recruitment at (304) 293-4339. Special accommodations may be made by contacting the School of Music at (304) 293-4532 or Music@mail.wvu.edu.
For admission consideration, all students must submit separate applications to the University and to the School of Music. The audition is a preliminary assessment of a student’s potential for success. For the Bachelor of Science in Music and Health, students must audition at a minimum performance level four. If a student is admitted, their standing is confirmed or revised after the first semester of study.
Students should own their own instrument under normal circumstances (except for piano).
- Apply to West Virginia University (How to Apply)
- Audition for the School of Music (Apply Now)
Acceptance into an undergraduate music degree program requires admission to WVU as an undergraduate student and a successful audition and/or interview. The audition and/or interview is a preliminary assessment of a student's potential for success in their intended major.
- BA Music - audition required
- BA Music Business and Industry: Applied Music Emphasis - audition required
- BA Music Business and Industry: Multi-instrumental Emphasis - interview required (no audition)
- BM Composition - audition and portfolio review required
- BM Music Education - audition and interview required
- BM Music Therapy - audition and interview required
- BM Performance - audition required
- BS Music and Health - audition required
Students who cannot attend one of our regularly scheduled audition days should contact the School of Music at:
(304) 293-4532 or Music@mail.wvu.edu.
Music majors can change from one music curriculum to another with faculty approval, particularly during the freshman or sophomore year, without significant loss of course credit. Students are encouraged to explore and follow the curriculum for which they are best qualified and in which they can achieve the greatest success. Evaluation of students’ work by the School of Music faculty informs these decisions. If students wish a broader, liberal arts-oriented program, they may pursue a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Music.
Major Code: 3712
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 29 | |
| Music Composition Program Requirements | 24 | |
| Music Composition Major Requirements | 67-68 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 | 27 | |
| MUSC 191 | First-Year Seminar | 2 |
| Total Hours | 29 | |
Music Composition Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in all major courses | ||
| MUSC 161 | Aural Theory 1 (Minimum grade of B-) | 2 |
| MUSC 162 | Written Theory 1 (Minimum grade of B-) | 3 |
| MUSC 163 | Aural Theory 2 (Minimum grade of B-) | 2 |
| MUSC 164 | Written Theory 2 (Minimum grade of B-) | 3 |
| MUSC 189 | Music Convocation (Five Semesters) | 0 |
| Select one of the following (GEF 8): | 3 | |
| Introduction to Music | ||
| American Popular Music | ||
| Music and the Immigrant Experience | ||
| Introduction to History of Jazz | ||
| Music in World Cultures | ||
| Music in Appalachia | ||
| Hip Hop Nation: Musical and Conceptual Foundations of a Cultural Revolution | ||
| MUSC 262 | Written Theory 3 (Minimum grade of B-) | 3 |
| MUSC 263 | Aural Theory 4 (Minimum grade of B-; must be taken as the accelerated section. If this is not possible, the student must take MUSC 261 as well.) | 2 |
| MUSC 270 | History of Western Musical Traditions 1 (May fulfill GEF 8) | 3 |
| MUSC 271 | History of Western Musical Traditions 2 (May fulfill GEF 6) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 24 | |
Music Composition Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in all major courses | ||
| Composition Courses | ||
| Music Composition | 6 | |
| Introduction to Music Composition (Repeated) | ||
| Upper Division Composition | 16 | |
| Upper Division Composition (Repeated) | ||
| MUSC 362 | Instrumentation and Orchestration | 3 |
| MUSC 464 | Compositional Techniques in Contemporary Music | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 2-3 | |
| Popular Music Analysis Seminar | ||
| Songwriting: Composition and Analysis | ||
| Analysis of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Music | ||
| Counterpoint, 16th Century | ||
| Counterpoint, 18th Century | ||
| Jazz and Commercial Music Harmony | ||
| Counterpoint, 20th Century | ||
| Choose eight hours from the following: | 8 | |
| Electronic Music Composition | ||
| Electronic Music | ||
| Techniques for Electronic Music Performance | ||
| Introduction to Recording Technology | ||
| Sound-Games/Visual Media | ||
| Songwriting with Technology | ||
| Film and Video Game Composition | ||
| Music Business Courses | ||
| MUSC 410 | Introduction to Music Industry | 3 |
| Music Supportive Courses | ||
| MUSC 200S | Fundamentals of Conducting | 2 |
| Class Piano *minimum proficiency level 2 required; waived if piano is principal instrument | 4 | |
| Piano Class 1 | ||
| Piano Class 2 | ||
| Piano Class 3 | ||
| Piano Class 4 | ||
| 2 semesters of music ensemble to be selected from the following: * | 2 | |
| Band: Wind Symphony | ||
| Band: Symphonic | ||
| Band: Marching | ||
| University Community Choir | ||
| Orchestra | ||
| Chamber Singers | ||
| University Mountaineer Chorus | ||
| Jazz Ensemble 1 | ||
| Jazz Ensemble 2 | ||
| 1 semesters of: | 1 | |
| Chamber Music: New Music | ||
| 2 semesters of music ensemble to be selected from the following: * | 2 | |
| Band: Wind Symphony | ||
| Band: Symphonic | ||
| Band: Marching | ||
| University Community Choir | ||
| Orchestra | ||
| Chamber Singers | ||
| University Mountaineer Chorus | ||
| Chamber Music: Brass | ||
| Chamber Music: Guitar | ||
| Chamber Music: Piano-4 Hand | ||
| Chamber Music: Strings | ||
| Chamber Music: Woodwind | ||
| Chamber Music: Vocal | ||
| Chamber Music: Mixed Ensemble | ||
| Chamber Music: Mountaineer Singers | ||
| Chamber Music: New Music | ||
| Chamber Music: Other | ||
| Jazz Ensemble 1 | ||
| Jazz Ensemble 2 | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Small Group | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Small Group 2 | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz and Ethnic | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Vocal Ensemble | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Other | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Vocal Ensemble | ||
| Gamelan | ||
| Steel Band | ||
| African Music Ensemble | ||
| Brazilian Music Ensemble | ||
| Experiential Music Ensemble | ||
| Taiko Ensemble | ||
| Fife and Drum Ensemble | ||
| Appalachian Music Ensemble | ||
| 2 semesters of music ensembles to be selected from the following: | 2 | |
| Chamber Music: Brass | ||
| Chamber Music: Guitar | ||
| Chamber Music: Piano-4 Hand | ||
| Chamber Music: Strings | ||
| Chamber Music: Woodwind | ||
| Chamber Music: Mixed Ensemble | ||
| Chamber Music: Mountaineer Singers | ||
| Chamber Music: New Music | ||
| Chamber Music: Other | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Small Group | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Small Group 2 | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz and Ethnic | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Vocal Ensemble | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Other | ||
| Chamber Music: Jazz Vocal Ensemble | ||
| Gamelan | ||
| Steel Band | ||
| African Music Ensemble | ||
| Brazilian Music Ensemble | ||
| Experiential Music Ensemble | ||
| Taiko Ensemble | ||
| Fife and Drum Ensemble | ||
| Appalachian Music Ensemble | ||
| Principal Performance Studies *minimum proficiency level 6 required | ||
| Select eight hours from the following: | ||
| Applied Music 100 level (MUSC 121-127) - 2 semesters | 4 | |
| Applied Music 200 level (MUSC 221-227) - 2 semesters | 4 | |
| Music History Elective - selected from the following: | 3 | |
| Topics in Popular Music | ||
| Topics in the Study of Western Art Music | ||
| Topics in the History of Jazz | ||
| Topics in Music of Sub-Saharan Africa | ||
| Topics in Musics of the Americas | ||
| Topics in Musics of East Asia | ||
| Topics in Musics of South Asia | ||
| Topics in Gender and Sexuality in Music | ||
| Topics in Race and Ethnicity in Music | ||
| Topics in Musics of the Arab World | ||
| Music of Africa | ||
| Capstone | ||
| MUSC 467 | Major Project in Theory, Composition, or Music History | 2 |
| Proficiency Level Piano | ||
| Proficiency Level | ||
| Total Hours | 67-68 | |
- *
Credits may vary. Refer to the School of Music Requirements for policies related to fulfilling ensemble requirements.
Performance Proficiency
A music major with an emphasis in composition should enter as a freshman having achieved proficiency level three on the major instrument, and must complete proficiency level six on that instrument before graduation. If piano is not the major instrument, the student must achieve a level two on piano. Piano majors reduce total curricular credits by four.
Solo Performance Requirement
Majors in this curriculum must present two solo performances on the major instrument in upper-level recitals before graduation.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MUSC Ensemble | 1 | MUSC Ensemble | 1 |
| MUSC Ensemble | 1 | MUSC 121-127D Applied Music | 2 |
| MUSC 122-127D Applied Music | 2 | MUSC 160S | 3 |
| MUSC 160S | 3 | Select one of the following: | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | ||
| MUSC 163 | 2 | ||
| MUSC 161 | 2 | MUSC 164 | 3 |
| MUSC 162 | 3 | MUSC 189 | 0 |
| MUSC 191 | 2 | Select one of the following (GEF 8): | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MUSC Ensemble | 1 | MUSC Ensemble | 1 |
| MUSC 221-227D Applied Music | 2 | MUSC 221-227D Applied Music | 2 |
| MUSC 460S | 4 | MUSC 460S | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | Select one of the following: | 1 |
| MUSC 262 | 3 | Select one of the following: | 3 |
| MUSC 263 (Must be taken as accelerated section.) | 2 | ||
| MUSC 189 | 0 | ||
| GEF 3 | 3 | ||
| MUSC 189 | 0 | ||
| ENGL 101 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MUSC 460S | 4 | MUSC 460S | 4 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | MUSC 348 | 1 |
| MUSC 189 | 0 | ||
| GEF 7 | 3 | ||
| MUSC 189 | 0 | MUSC 270 | 3 |
| GEF 4 | 3 | MUSC 464 | 3 |
| MUSC 410 | 3 | ||
| ENGL 102 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| MUSC 200S | 2 | Capstone: | |
| Choose One of the Following: | 2 | MUSC 467 | 2 |
| MUSC Ensemble | 1 | ||
| GEF 8 | 3 | ||
| MUSC 362 | 3 | Choose One of the Following: | 2-3 |
| GEF 2 | 2 | ||
| GEF 5 | 3 | ||
| MUSC 271 | 3 | ||
| MUSC Ensemble | 1 | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | ||
| GEF 2 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Major Learning Outcomes
Music Composition
Students who earn the Bachelor of Music in Composition will be able to:
-
Compose at a high level in a variety of styles, for a wide range of instrumental/choral groups, and in varying media, including both electronic and acoustic settings.
-
Demonstrate fluency in the use of tools needed by composers including varied and diverse approaches to composing music in any style, a workable knowledge of multiple instruments and digital technologies, analytical techniques, and applicable technologies.
-
Collaborate effectively with musicians and artists, including but not limited to instrumentalists, digital artists, and media specialists, whose work crosses artistic lines to produce public performances of their work.
-
Display entrepreneurship in a wide range of artistic, professional, and business-minded experiences.