Bachelor of Music

The bachelor of music is a professional degree that requires approximately two-thirds of the coursework in music. While music study begins in the freshman year, admission to this degree program is through audition and application for approval at the end of the sophomore year.

Please review the Music Department Handbook and degree flow charts for more specific guidelines. As an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1937, Furman offers the Bachelor of Music degree in performance, church music, music education, composition or music theory. Students may also earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in music, which allows the flexibility of their taking a significant number of elective courses, and, in some instances, completing a double major.  All majors study applied music and complete the same basic courses in music theory, music history and literature. Students pursuing the B.M. degree take additional required courses (which vary according to their area of specialization) and fulfill a larger requirement in applied music. View Degree Course Charts.  Though all music students audition and begin their course work freshman year, admission to the degree program is by faculty evaluation and departmental approval at the end of the sophomore year. Transfer students are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Five majors are offered in this degree:

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN PERFORMANCE

Candidates for this degree focus on a primary instrument or voice area with an emphasis on performance. Performance majors present a junior and senior recital as part of their degree requirements. Students with this degree often continue studies at the graduate level in preparation for careers in performance or collegiate/private education.

Faculty contacts:

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN MUSIC EDUCATION

Music Education majors follow course of study in one of two areas: band/orchestra or elementary music/choral. This degree, which includes certification by the South Carolina Department of Education, involves course work in both the Music and Education Departments, and an extended supervised teaching internship. This degree typically leads to a career in K-12 music education following graduation, though many students continue their training by going directly into graduate study. This degree is accredited by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education Colleges.  Visit the Furman Education Department's web site.

Vocal / Choral note:  Majors must have completed a minimum of two terms of voice study before requesting approval of major.  (Freshman are encouraged to take at least one term of voice study if considering music education major.)  Any student wishing to major in vocal-choral music education must be approved by the voice faculty during the spring jury of the sophomore year.

Teacher Certification: As a university preparing students for certification, Furman is subject to regulations and guidelines established and implemented by the South Carolina Department of Education.  These include standards adopted by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for teacher education programs.

Faculty contacts:

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN CHURCH MUSIC

The Bachelor of Church Music degree is designed to prepare the student for a career as a church musician. Specific courses pertaining to the study of church music are supplemented by the opportunity to participate in Furman’s outstanding choral ensembles-Furman Singers, Furman Chamber Choir, and the Men’s and women’s Chorales-all of which are directed by experienced and committed church musicians, and perform substantial sacred repertory in a variety of styles each year.In addition, the annual Furman University Church Music Conference brings to the campus distinguished church musicians of national prominence to deliver lectures on subjects related to the study and practice of church music. These guest musicians are usually featured as directors and/or organists in hymn festivals and other concerts included as part of the conference. The capstone experience of the Church Music degree occurs during the spring term of a student’s senior year. MUS 440, Practicum in Church Music, involves an internship at a Greenville-area church which provides the student with practical experience in all areas of an active, excellent church music program.

Church Music Majors will complete a total of 16 hours of performance study as follows:  a minimum of twelve hours on the principal instrument (any orchestral instrument, keyboard, guitar or voice), and a minimum of four hours on the secondary instrument (voice principals will study piano or organ; all other principals will study voice). 

Church Music majors enroll in a choral ensemble experience (Singers or Chorale) the four semesters of their junior and senior year.  Additional choral ensemble experience is recommended during the freshman and sophomore years.  Simultaneous membership in a band or the Furman Symphony orchestra is possible, schedule permitting.  Placement in the choral ensembles is by audition.

Faculty contact: Dr. Charles Tompkins

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN THEORY

In addition to the standard complement of theory classes, students majoring in Music Theory take a variety of advanced-level courses including composition, orchestration, modal and tonal counterpoint, form and analysis, and Schenkerian analysis. Students are also engaged in independent study projects in theory and/or composition throughout their junior and senior years. The results of these creative and investigative endeavors are commonly accepted for presentation at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR).

Theory majors complement their analytical and academic work with concentrated study in (a) performance area(s) of their choice and participate in one or more of Furman's ensembles. In fact, many of Furman's theory majors double major in performance. Our graduates are commonly accepted to the nation's leading graduate programs in theory, composition, and musicology.

Faculty contact: Dr. Mark Kilstofte

BACHELOR OF MUSIC IN COMPOSITION

Faculty contact: Dr. Mark Kilstofte