Academic Advising
Each major and minor in the Glenn Korff School of Music is assigned an academic advisor who is a member of the music faculty. Music majors can find the name of their adviser in their Degree audit in MyRed. This advisor helps the student plan an appropriate, individualized academic program. further, lesson call numbers must be obtained from the adviser in person each semester.
Incoming freshmen are initially advised over the summer during New Student Enrollment. From that time forward, currently enrolled students should consult with their assigned faculty adviser regularly, especially during the Pre-Registration period each fall and spring (approximately the ninth week of each semester), and during the Priority Registration period immediately after Fall Break and Spring Break. Music students are strongly encouraged to complete their registration during Priority Registration rather than waiting for the General Registration period that follows.
Waiver of Credits for Competency in Core Courses
Students who demonstrate mastery of Music Core course content (typically MUSC 131, 132 or 165; MUAP 231, 232) will have the appropriate required degree courses waived. However, the total minimum 120 credit hour requirement for the degree must still be satisfied, and the student may use University credit from any department to satisfy the 120-hour requirement.
Advanced Placement in Music Credit
Students who have completed the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Exam in Music are given credit for music courses at UNL according to the following guidelines:
Students who have earned a score of 5 on the College Board’s Advanced Placement Exam in Music Theory are given credit for MUSC 165, MUSC 165A, MUSC 166, and MUSC 166A.
Students who have earned a score of 4 on the Advanced Placement exam are given credit for MUSC 165 and MUSC 165A.
International Baccalaureate Credit
Students who have studied music within the International Baccalaureate Program are given credit for music courses at UNL according to the following guidelines:
Any student who has completed the Higher Level (HL) or Standard Level (SL) requirements in music, and has achieved a score of 6 or 7 on the Listening Paper Section B, Parts A (Aural Perception), B (Technical Language) and C (Structural Analysis), are given credit for MUSC 160 (Music as Art, Discipline, and Profession - 3 crs.), MUSC 165 (Music Theory I - 2 crs.) and MUSC 166 (Music Theory II - 3 crs). They will have the opportunity to earn credit for MUSC 165A and MUSC 166A by passing an aural skills exam administered by music theory faculty.
Transfer Credit Policy
Students who want to bring in college credit from other institutions should have up-to-date transcripts sent to UNL's campuswide Office of Admissions (not to the Glenn Korff School of Music) to begin the transfer-credit evaluation process.
The following is used as a guideline for the evaluation of transfer credits that are less than five years old:
If a transfer student has successfully completed (grade C or above) approved transfer credits which are equivalent to UNL area requirements in terms of number of credit hours and scope of content, that area is considered completed at the discretion of the chief degree program advisor.
For approved transfer credits which are lacking equivalency in either number of credit hours, scope of content, or grade received to UNL area requirements in applied music, ballet, modern dance, music theory, sight singing/aural skills, and keyboard skills, the number of transfer credits accepted and placement in the UNL area are determined by audition/proficiency tests administered by designated area faculty.
For approved transfer credits which are lacking equivalency in other music or dance areas (history, composition, performance, and ensembles); the number of transfer credits accepted are determined by the chief degree program advisor.
All music coursework which is more than five years old must be validated by an audition or competency examination given by designated area faculty.
After a successful UNL audition, music minor students must complete a minimum of 2 credits (two semesters) of applied music study at the 200 level and 2 credits (two semesters) participation in an approved UNL music ensemble or ensembles while in residence at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Credit for Re-admitted Students
Students pursuing any music degree program must be formally readmitted following an absence of one year or more (i.e., students needing to be readmitted are those who have not taken at least one course that applies toward meeting their UNL music degree requirements during a 12-month period). Students seeking re-admittance will follow the Bulletin in effect at the time they are re-admitted.
If the student has taken UNL courses which are less than five years old and those courses have not been altered substantially, those courses still apply to the readmitted student's program at the discretion of the chief degree program advisor.
If the student has taken UNL courses which are more than five years old, the courses must be validated by an audition or competency examination given by designated area faculty* before they can be applied to the readmitted student's program.
*Music faculty to contact if coursework is over five years old:
Area/ Instructor
Theory/ Prof. Stanley Kleppinger
History & Literature/ Prof. Anthony Bushard
Applied/ Head of Specific Area or Studio
Piano Skills/ Prof. Brenda Wristen
Music Education & Professional Ed./ Prof. Robert Woody
Choral Conducting/ Prof. Peter Eklund
Instrumental Conducting/ Prof. Carolyn Barber
Lyric Diction/ Prof. Jamie Reimer
Instrumental Skills Class/ Prof. Robert Woody
Ensembles/ Prof. Jacqueline Mattingly
General Requirements/ Dean’s Office, Hixson-Lied College of Fine & Performing Arts (102 Woods)
Honors Program Requirements and Music Students
For students admitted before Fall 2017, the University Honors Program requires its members to take 24 credits of Honors classes: a fall-freshman-year 189H seminar and four additional honors classes (ideally, one per semester) for a total of 15 credits in their first two years, and then a 395H seminar and two additional honors classes (ideally, one per year) for a total of 9 credits in their next two years.
For students admitted in Fall 2017 or after, requirements change slightly. The total of 24 credits is redistributed, so that you should take 6 Honors Hours every year, including the 189H and 385H seminars.
To fulfill this requirement, the Glenn Korff School of Music suggests the following options for its Honors Program students in music and dance:
Option I: Honors-designated Courses (strongly recommended)
1. For first- and second-year students: established Honors-designated three-credit ACE (General Education) courses.
2. For first- and second-year students: other Honors-designated three-credit classes, whether or not in ACE.
3. For third- and fourth-year students: three-credit reading courses with Honors designation, undertaken with their thesis adviser, that are devoted to the preparation of the senior Honors thesis.
Option II: Honors Experiences
Honors hours can be earned for Research/Creative Activity, Study Abroad, an Internship, or Civic Engagement. You must be pre-approved for this by the Honors Program, but it is a great way to fulfil the requirement without necessarily paying any tuition dollars to the university.
Option III: Contracting
If an undergraduate music or dance major cannot schedule a designated Honors class or class-section in a given semester, then the possibility exists to take a regular class for Honors credit by contracting with the professor. Contracting works with classes both inside and outside the major, and involves paperwork that is handled through the Honors Program office. Students must contract three-credit-hour courses.
School of Music courses recommended for contracting for Honors credit are our three-credit classes in music and dance with alpha-prefixes other than MUAP, MUCO, or MUDC.
When contracting, the University Honors Program stipulates that for a course to qualify for the honors designation, a class must have additional experiences that enhance the student’s knowledge of the subject. The individual student must negotiate with the faculty member what will constitute the additional honors experiences and record this in a contract.