Music, Contemporary Practices & Cultural Rhetoric Concentration, B.A.

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The Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Concentration in Contemporary Practices & Cultural Rhetoric is designed for students who want to combine training in music with the exploration of other disciplines.

All program-level Admissions and Progression Requirements are in addition to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Admission Requirements .

Admission Requirements

Freshmen and Transfers

See University Admission Requirements
Minimum GPA: n/a
Transferable Credit Hours: Determined by UNC Charlotte Undergraduate Admissions.
Declaration of Major: A personal statement is required for acceptance to the Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Concentration in Contemporary Practices & Cultural Rhetoric (see the Music Department ”Admissions” website for submission processes and details). Students are first admitted as Pre-Music. If the student is approved for acceptance after submitting their personal statement, their major is changed to Music, and they may proceed with major coursework.

Currently Enrolled Students

A personal statement is required for acceptance to the Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Concentration in Contemporary Practices & Cultural Rhetoric. Students already enrolled at UNC Charlotte access the application information on the Music Department ”Admissions” website and follow the instructions for submitting their personal statement. If the student is approved for acceptance, their major is changed to Music, and they may proceed with major coursework.

Degree Requirements

The curriculum consists of 31 credit hours of General Education or 33 credit hours if COAA 1101 is included in General Education; 30 credit hours of musicianship courses, including music theory, ear training, and music history and literature; 12 credit hours of performance courses and music electives, including group applied instruction and ensembles; and 42 credit hours of electives, all of which can be applied to a minor or second major. For specific requirements, refer to the Department of Music Student Handbook. The culminating experience for this degree is either an academic Senior Project or Senior Music Internship.

For the Senior Project, students must complete a minimum of 3 credit hours of MUSC 4800 consisting of a single project. Students may repeat MUSC 4800 to achieve this requirement. In keeping with the diverse nature of scholarly/creative activities in music, the final product may vary to include a historical, theoretical, and/or technical research paper; a portfolio of original compositions; a lecture-recital; or a project of similar scope. In all cases, some written documentation of the ideas and process involved is required.

For the Senior Internship, students must complete a minimum of three credit hours of MUSC 4410 . Students may repeat MUSC 4410 to achieve this requirement.

College Prospect for Success Course (2 credit hours)

All new freshmen in the College of Arts + Architecture must take the following:

COAA 1101 - Student Success in Architecture, Art, Performance, and Design (2)

General Education Courses (31-32 credit hours)

For details on required courses, refer to the General Education Requirements .

Major Courses (42 credit hours)

Musicianship Courses (30 credit hours)

MUSC 1102 - Fundamentals of Musicianship (3)
MUSC 1230 - Musicianship I (3)
MUSC 1231 - Musicianship II (3)
MUSC 1502 - Global Arts/Humanities: Music in Global Communities (3)
or MUSC 1512 - Local Arts/Humanities: Music in U.S. Communities (3)
MUSC 3172 - Western Classical Music Literature (3)
MUSC 4410 - Senior Music Internship (2 to 4) *
or MUSC 4800 - Senior Project Preparation (1 to 3) *
* A minimum of 3 credit hours is required

Musicianship Electives (12 credit hours)

Select from the following:

AFRS 2103 - Introduction to Hip Hop (3)
AFRS 2107 - Global Hip Hop (3)
AFRS 2206 - African Literature, Music, and Art (3)
COAA 3150 - Musical Theatre History (3)
HIST 3239 - African American Music: History and Culture (3)
MUSC 1104 - History of Rock (3)
MUSC 1502 - Global Arts/Humanities: Music in Global Communities (3) (f not previously taken)
or MUSC 1512 - Local Arts/Humanities: Music in U.S. Communities (3) (f not previously taken)
MUSC 2230 - Musicianship III (3)
MUSC 3129 - Music Theories of the World (3)
MUSC 3131 - Popular Music Songwriting (3)
MUSC 3170 - Western Classical Music: Antiquity-Baroque (3)
MUSC 3171 - Western Classical Music: Classic-Present (3)
MUSC 4298 - Jazz History (3)
PHIL 3275 - Hip Hop as Redescription (3)

Performance and Music Elective Courses (12 credit hours)

Group Applied Instruction (4 credit hours)

Select from the following:

Ensembles (4 credit hours)

Select from the following:

Music Electives (4 credit hours)

Select from the following:

Restricted Elective Courses (30 credit hours)

Select 30 credit hours outside the Department of Music. Courses may be used to complete a Minor or Second Major.

Unrestricted Elective Courses (15 credit hours)

As needed to complete the credit hours required for graduation.

Degree Total = 120 Credit Hours

Progression Requirements

Most Music courses require grades of C or above to progress to subsequent levels of study. All required Music courses must be passed with grades of C or above to graduate. For specific requirements, refer to the Department of Music Student Handbook.

All students are required to pass a Sophomore Review (typically pursued the Spring semester of a student’s second year in the program). The B.A. Sophomore Review process consists of a Musicianship Evaluation and an Interview in preparation for the capstone project or experience. Students who fail their Sophomore Review will be eligible to initiate a new Review the following semester.

Honors Program

For details about the Arts + Architecture Honors Program, visit the AAHP program page.