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The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music

The purpose of the Kent State University Hugh A. Glauser School of Music is to provide quality music instruction for students who wish to pursue music as a career and for those who wish to enrich their lives through noncareer-oriented study and/or performance. The School of Music is committed to conducting and promoting scholarly research and creative musical inquiry and activity. The school contributes to the cultural vitality of the university and community through the presentation of diverse musical programs.

The following undergraduate degrees are available to students who wish to major in music: Bachelor of Music as a music major (concentrations in performance, theory, composition), a music education major (concentrations in choral/general music or instrumental music), Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Music Technology. The following graduate degrees are available to graduate students who wish to major in music: Master of Arts, Master of Music and Doctor of Philosophy. See the graduate study section below.

In addition to meeting all general university admissions requirements, students who wish to major in music must meet specific School of Music entrance requirements. Information is available from the School of Music Office, E-101 Music and Speech Building, 330-672-2172.

The School of Music is also the home of Kent/Blossom Music, a summer professional training festival, co-sponsored by Kent State University and The Cleveland Orchestra. Each summer students are selected by national audition to engage in intensive study on the Kent Campus with some of the world’s most famous performers and teachers.

The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.

Financial Assistance Available to Music Students
Music majors are eligible for scholarships and other forms of financial assistance from a variety of sources. Specific information may be obtained by contacting the School of Music.

Dual Degree/Double Major
For general policies governing dual degree see the Dual Degree/Double Major Requirements page of this Catalog. The double major is available within the Bachelor of Music under certain circumstances.

Music majors may elect a double major within the Bachelor of Music requirements from the following: performance in piano, voice, instrumental; music education; theory; composition. Special approval of the second major must be granted by the faculty of the chosen area and the director of the School of Music.

The choice of dual degrees, Bachelor of Arts in Music and the Bachelor of Music, is not permitted. However, either degree in music may be combined with any other bachelor’s degree program at Kent State University.


School of Music Undergraduate Professional Standards
  1. Ensemble Requirements
    Ensemble participation is an integral part of every music major’s program. All music majors must enroll for credit and participate in a major ensemble appropriate to their major performance area each semester the students are registered full time. (Music education majors are exempt during the semester in which student teaching is elected.) NOTE: Guitar and keyboard majors should consider vocal ensembles as their major performance area except as noted below.

    Major Instrumental Ensembles: MUS 45212 Orchestra, MUS 45221 Concert Band and MUS 45223 Wind Ensemble.

    Major Vocal Ensembles: MUS 45111 University Choir, MUS 45121 Kent Chorus, MUS 45141 Kent State University Chorale, MUS 45142 Men’s Chorus and MUS 45143 Women’s Chorus.

    The above applies to all majors except students enrolled in either the B.M. in piano performance or the B.A. with guitar as the principal instrument. Piano performance majors satisfy the eight-semester ensemble requirement as follows: 4 credit hours of MUS 45321 Accompanying, 2 credit hours of MUS 45311 Chamber Music and minimum 2 credit hours selected from chamber music or a major vocal or instrumental ensemble. B.A. guitar majors satisfy the eight-semester ensemble requirement as follows: 6 credit hours of MUS 45311 Chamber Music and minimum 2 credit hours selected from a major vocal or instrumental ensemble. B.S. in music technology majors satisfy the eight-semester ensemble requirement as follows: 2 credit hours selected from a major vocal or instrumental ensemble; 6 credit hours of MUS 35213 Studio Ensemble or 4 credit hours of MUS 35213 Studio Ensemble and 2 credit hours of ensembles chosen from MUS 45231 Jazz Ensemble, MUS 45311 Chamber Music (guitar majors only), or major ensembles.

    Wind and percussion majors in music education must elect one semester of MUS 45222 Marching Band, normally during the freshman year, in addition to the requirements above. Students who plan to teach music at the junior/senior high school level are encouraged to elect more than one semester of marching band.

    Music minors in the College of the Arts must participate in a major ensemble for a minimum of two semesters.
  2. Recital Attendance
    Required recital attendance is intended to enhance the musical perspective of all music majors and to give them exposure to a sampling of various genres and performing media. Each undergraduate music major is required to attend a minimum four-year total of 84 concerts or recitals. Attendance at an average of 10-12 School of Music concerts per semester is recommended. Students will be notified of their status in regard to this policy once per semester. Appropriate information for all students will be sent to the college office prior to graduation. Further information is available in the School of Music Office. Transfer students must attend a minimum of 10 recitals per semester.

  3. Applied Music Requirement
    1. 36000-Level Requirements: All freshmen enter at the 36000 level of applied study. Four semesters of enrollment are required in the number of applied credit hours as prescribed by the declared major. A jury is performed at the end of each semester. At entrance all students are informed of the performance standards necessary to advance to the 46000 level as determined by the faculty of each applied area. Transfer students with a minimum of four semesters of applied study (or equivalent) may enter at the 46000 level as determined by the entrance audition.
    2. 46000-Level Evaluation: At the end of the fourth semester of applied music study at the 36000 level, students in the Bachelor of Music degree program will be evaluated during juries to determine if they meet the 46000-level entrance standard. The results of the 46000-level entry evaluation are:   
      1. Pass to the 46000 level.
      2. Probation for one semester: The students will register at the 46000 level and retake the upper-level entrance jury at the end of the probationary semester. If the 46000 entrance standard is not achieved, the students return to the 36000 level, repeating as needed.
      3. Failure to pass the entry-level evaluation: The students remain at the 36000 level of applied study until the 46000 entry standard is met.
    4. Required Accumulation of 46000-Level Applied Credits
      1. Performance Majors: four semesters (16 credit hours)
      2. Education Majors: three semesters (6 credit hours)
      3. All other music majors must pass the 46000-level entry evaluation prior to graduation. All students must play a jury every semester except the semester of the senior recital and any other major solo performance deemed appropriate by the area.
    6. 46000-Level Outcome Assessment/Recital
      1. Performance Requirement: All Bachelor of Music performance degree candidates (piano, voice, instrumental) must perform both a one-half junior and a full senior recital; all other Bachelor of Music majors (music theory, composition, music education) must perform a half recital. Students who do not pass the recital must repeat 46000-level lessons until the recital is acceptable. Music theory and composition students may fulfill the one-half recital requirement in several ways: applied performance, performance/lecture, performance of original compositions or any combination of these. Although not required, Bachelor of Arts-Music degree candidates may perform a half or full senior recital based on the recommendation of the prehearing panel. Specific procedures and requirements are available in the School of Music Office.
    8. Applied Music Requirements for the B.S. in Music Technology
      1. Music technology majors are required to complete a total of six semesters (12 credit hours) of applied music. A jury is performed at the end of each semester of study. For the first two semesters (4 credit hours) students are required to register for the 36000-level of applied music on the major instrument or voice. The faculty of each applied area will inform the students of the performance standards expected as an outcome of the first two semesters of study. Having completed these 4 credit hours of 36000-level applied music with a grade of C or above, and having met the performance standards through successfully performed juries at the end of both semesters, music technology majors may take MUS 36913Applied Studio Musicianship to complete the remaining 4 semesters (8 credit hours) of applied study. At the end of the last required semester of applied study, performance level will be evaluated through jury performance. Although not required, Bachelor of Science in music technology degree candidates may perform a half or full recital, or performance of original compositions, on the recommendation of a prehearing panel. Students who choose to complete all required six semesters of applied music through the 36000/46000 Applied Music series in place of MUS 36913 will be required to follow the performance standards guidelines and requirements for applied music established for the Bachelor of Arts-Music degree.
  5. Advanced Standing Admission Requirements
    All music majors must fulfill certain requirements to enter appropriate advanced standing (upper-division coursework) in the School of Music. These requirements are as follows:
    1. Performance Concentration: All students must meet the requirements for admission to 46000-level applied study as stated above.
    2. Composition Concentration: Students interested in the concentration are initially enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts degree program after passing an audition on their main instrument. The composition faculty will evaluate each student’s work during the semester in which MUS 21122 Music Theory is taken to determine if the student should continue to pursue the concentration. A 3.00 GPA is required in music theory classes. A skills test and composition portfolio are required. Specific information may be obtained from the coordinator of theory and composition. Composition majors fulfill general requirements in music during the first two years of study.
    3. Music Education Concentration: Music education majors must apply for admission into the education minor program in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services during the first year. Music education majors must also pass the sophomore achievement examination in the music education division. Specific information may be obtained from the coordinator of music education.
    4. Music Technology Majors: Acceptance into music technology courses at the 30000 level and above is based on the evaluation of the student's personal portfolio containing their projects from MUS 21113, 21114, 21221 and 21222. The portfolio will be evaluated by the music technology faculty.
  7. Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
    Information on the writing-intensive course requirement.
  8. Diversity Requirement
    All students must complete a two-course diversity requirement as described in this Catalog.
  9. Grade Standard
    Music majors and minors must earn the grade of C- minus (1.70) or better in all music courses in order to count them toward graduation and to meet prerequisites for subsequent courses. Music courses required to meet the Writing Intensive Course requirement or within the education minor must be passed with a C (2.0) or better.
  10. Outcomes Assessment
    To graduate from Kent State University with the degree B.M. or B.A. in music, it is required that students take a major field achievement test in music history and music theory during the spring semester of their senior year. Specific score level achievement is not required. Music minors are not required to take this music exam. Specific information regarding test dates may be obtained from the Music Office, E101 Music and Speech Center. The Praxis II exam is required of all music education students.

    To graduate from Kent State University with the B.S. in music technology, students must have successfully completed a music technology internship through an evaluation by the supervisor and music technology faculty advisor, and students must have completed a senior portfolio for music production and audio production at the completion of all required music technology courses. The portfolio must pass an evaluation by the music technology faculty, and by external experts.
Graduate Study


Graduate programs in music lead to the degrees Master of Arts, Master of Music or Doctor of Philosophy, all of which are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Master of Arts degree majors are available in music composition, ethnomusicology, musicology and music theory. Master of Music majors are available in performance,conducting and music education. Doctor of Philosophy majors are available in music education, musicology-ethnomusicology and music theory-composition.

Entrance (Diagnostic ) Examinations

All entering master's and doctoral students take entrance(diagnostic) examinations in music theory and in music history prior to first enrollment. Based upon the examination results, the student may be required to take certain courses as a part of his/her program if shown to be deficient in a particular area. Students with an extensive background in a specific area may not be required to take any courses. Students with a generally good background may be required to take one or two graduate courses in one area. Students who are not fully prepared for graduate-level work in any area may be required to take the appropriate undergraduate practicum course (MUS41111 or 42211) in addition to one or two graduate courses. Graduate courses required as a result of the diagnostic examinations will be considered electives within the degree program except where required as part of the major program. If the number of hours required exceeds the number of elective hours in the program, this will result in a larger number of required hours than the minimum numbers listed below.

Master of Arts and Master of Music

Program Requirements
Each student will be accepted as a major in a specific curricular area. It may be necessary for the student to complete Kent State University requirements for the appropriate undergraduate degree. A program of study leading to the master's degree should be planned in consultation with the advisor. Students pursuing the Master of Music may select one of the following options: a thesis option, an essay and recital option, a two-recital option, or a coursework option depending on their major. The Master of Arts program requires a thesis.

Secondary Applied Music
Election of secondary instruments or secondary voice requires an audition and approval of the appropriate applied division. 

Ensemble
A maximum of two ensemble credit hours may be applied toward degree requirements. Students must petition the Graduate Studies Committee to count additional ensemble hours toward degree requirements. Piano performance majors may satisfy the ensemble requirement with MUS 55311 and/or MUS 55321.Music ensembles are open to all qualified university students upon satisfactory audition. Membership in music organizations is not limited to music majors and minors. All master's students are required to participate in an ensemble for two semesters. One summer session is considered equivalent to one semester.

Research Tool Requirement
Candidates for the Master of Arts degree program in musicology or ethnomusicology must demonstrate a reading knowledge of one foreign language, normally German or French. With the approval of the advisor and the graduate studies committee, other languages may be substituted, especially for the student in ethnomusicology. Credit hours earned in meeting this requirement are not applicable toward the credit-hour requirement in the degree program.

Final Oral Examination
All students writing a thesis or essay must pass a final oral examination covering the thesis or essay and the student's major area of study. A student electing the two-recital option must pass a final oral examination covering literature performed in recitals and the student's areas of performance and study in the degree. Those completing a coursework option must pass a final oral examination covering all of the coursework in the master's degree program. The final oral examination may be attempted two times.

Workshop Credit
A maximum of 4 semester hours of workshop credit may be applied to certain graduate degrees. The hours must pertain to the degree emphasis. Workshop credit with grades of A or B may be transferred into a degree program.