Composition Major
DURATION
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2025
TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
Program at a Glance
The School of the Arts nurtures students’ faith and talents to develop and excel as world-class music professionals.
Program Information
- Program Units: 88
- Location: Azusa (Main Campus)
Gain Hands-on Experience
- Integrate faith and musicianship.
- Build a professional portfolio of compositions.
- Perform and attend your compositions in recitals.
- Discover your distinctive voice with the help of experienced faculty.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
APU Music offers scholarships to undergraduate music majors. All students wishing to be considered for scholarships must audition.
The APU Music Scholarship (music majors only) is a generous, talent-based scholarship program renewable up to eight semesters while completing an undergraduate music degree. Based on an incoming student’s audition(s), the scholarship committee will evaluate the student’s overall talent and potential contribution to the Music Program, and award scholarships accordingly.
2024-25 Academic Scholarships
| Scholarships | Amount | Class Standing | Renewability |
| Trustees’ Scholarship | Full Tuition | Incoming Freshman | Up to four years |
| President’s Scholarship | $24,000 per year | Incoming Freshman or Transfer | Up to four years |
| Provost’s Scholarship | $21,000 per year | Incoming Freshman or Transfer | Up to four years |
| Deans’ Scholarship | $20,000 per year | Incoming Freshman or Transfer | Up to four years |
| Directors’ Scholarship | $18,000 per year | Incoming Freshman or Transfer | Up to four years |
| Mary Hill Award | $14,000 per year | Incoming Freshman | Up to four years |
Curriculum
School of Music Core Requirements
Piano Proficiency
Music Theory
- Music Theory I (F/S, Fr, So) 1
- Music Theory II (F/S, Fr, So)
- Music Theory III (F/S, So, Jr)
- Music Theory IV (F/S, So, Jr)
Practical Musicianship
- Practical Musicianship I (F/S, Fr, So)
- Practical Musicianship II (F/S, Fr, So)
- Practical Musicianship III (F/S, So, Jr)
- Practical Musicianship IV (F/S, So, Jr)
Conducting
- Introduction to Conducting (F, Jr)
- Choral Conducting (S, Jr) or Instrumental Conducting
Music History
- Ancient, Renaissance, and World Music Literature (F, Jr)
- Writing 3: Baroque, Classical, and Early Romantic Music Literature (F/S, Jr) 2
- Late Romantic and 20th-Century Music Literature (F/S, Sr) 3
Applied Music
Must be in one area; must be enrolled in applied lessons each semester until degree is complete, minimum of 8 units, F/S
Ensemble Requirement
Other Requirements
- Introduction to Music Technology (F/S, Fr)
- Music in Worship (F/S, Jr, Sr)
- Performance Forum (F/S, 8 semesters)
Total Units 54
Composition Requirements
Composition Core Requirements
- Counterpoint (S, Jr, Sr)
- Orchestration I (F/S, Jr, Sr)
Composition Courses
- Applied Composition Class (F/S - Total of 16 units)
- Intermediate Logic Pro
- 20th Century Compositional Techniques (S, Jr, Sr)
- Senior Recital (F/S, Sr) 1
- Composing for Film and Television
Total Units 34
Program Outcome
Program Learning Outcomes
- Command of Skills: Demonstrate a command of skills required for comprehensive musicianship, including sight singing/ear training, functional keyboard, music technology, and analysis.
- Contextual Understanding: Demonstrate understanding of music in historical, cultural, and stylistic context.
- Creative or Interpretive Utilization: Demonstrate creative or interpretive utilization of skills and contextual understanding.
- Career-Oriented Application: Demonstrate career-oriented application of skills.
- Music and Faith: Demonstrate appropriate understanding of the intersection of music and faith.
Career Opportunities
The composition major is designed for students planning for graduate study in composition or work as a professional composer, helping them discover a distinctive voice and develop a portfolio of compositions. In addition to composition, courses in theory, music history, literature, conducting, and technology give the student thorough preparation in comprehensive musicianship.