Bachelor of Musical Arts

Residence Requirements

To qualify for a Lawrence University B.A., B.M.A., or B.Mus. degree, students are required to have a minimum of six terms in residence and 108 units earned in Lawrence courses. Nine terms in residence and 162 units are required for the five-year B.A. and B.Mus. double-degree program. Seniors must be in residence or in a cooperative degree program until the requirements for a major have been certified as complete.

Attending courses on the Appleton campus counts as being in residence. Participating in a Lawrence-sponsored or Lawrence-affiliated off-campus program also counts as being in residence, and units earned in these programs are counted as Lawrence courses, not as transfer credit. The optional December Term does not count toward the residence requirement.

Petitions for exceptions must be approved by the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration.

Bachelor of Musical Arts Degree

The Bachelor of Musical Arts is a professional degree. Courses in music represent approximately one-half of the curriculum while the other half is devoted to First Year Studies, general education requirements, and a secondary field of study (cognate). 

Requirements for the Bachelor of Musical Arts Degree

Completion of a minor or interdisciplinary area is optional. If a minor is declared, a 2.000 grade-point average in the minor (all courses taken in the minor department or program and any other courses required for the minor) is required to complete the minor and have it recorded on the academic record.

1. Completion of a minimum of 216 units.
2. Of the 216 units required to complete the degree, a student must present:
   1. a minimum of 108 units in music
   2. a minimum of 108 units in courses other than music, consisting of two discrete groups of courses:
      1. a minimum of 30 units primarily in courses other than music in a secondary field of study (cognate), developed according to procedures described below
      2. an additional 78 units in courses other than music
   3. a minimum of 30 units in a secondary field of study (cognate), developed according to procedures described below.
   4. no more than 18 units in ESL courses
   5. no more than 12 units from academic internships 
3. Completion of 6 units of First-Year Studies, taken during the fall term of the first year
4. Completion of the general education requirements:
   1. 6 units selected from courses designated as writing-intensive
   2. International diversity. One of the following: Note: While some music courses may satisfy general education requirements, a minimum of 78 units in courses other than music is required for the degree.
      1. 6 units selected from courses designated as either emphasizing global and comparative perspectives on the world or focusing on areas outside Europe and the United States
      2. 12 units selected from courses numbered below 200 in a single language other than English. The language competency requirement may be satisfied in other ways described under Academic Procedures and Regulations
      3. Participation for one term in a Lawrence or affiliated off-campus study program held outside the United States
5. Completion of music requirements:
   1. Applied Musicianship I, II, and III: MUJI 150, 250, and 350
   2. Theory and improvisation: 3 units selected from MUJI 410 or 420
   3. Keyboard skills
      1. MURP 201, 202, 203 or MURP 301, 302
      2. MURP 320
   4. Musicology
      1. MUCO 211 and 212
      2. 6 units selected from courses in musicology numbered 400 or above
   5. Applied music individual instruction: a minimum of 36 units and 12 terms of study
   6. Ensemble study
      1. a minimum of 9 units selected from major ensembles
      2. a minimum of 3 units selected from MUEN 245 or 248
      3. students are required to participate in an ensemble every term in which they are attending classes on the Appleton campus.
   7. Composition and Arranging
      1. MUCA 230 Small Group Jazz Composition and Arranging – 3 units
      2. 6 units from the following courses:  
         MUCA 330 Large Ensemble Composition and Arranging  
         MUCA 530 Advanced Jazz Writing Skills  
         MUCA 100 Introduction to Composition  
         MUSI 110 Songwriting I  
         MUSI 210 Songwriting II  
         MUSI 315 Topics in Songwriting  
         MUSI 111 Collaborative Songwriting I  
         MUSI 211 Collaborative Songwriting II or applied study.  
      3. MUEP 305 Jazz Pedagogy
      4. MUEP 120 Basic Audio Recording
      5. MUJI 130 Contemporary Orchestration for Digital Workstations
6. Presentation of a half recital during junior year and a full recital during senior year
7. A 2.000 grade-point average in all Lawrence courses
8. Completion of required terms and units in residence as specified by the residence requirements