March 23-24, 2000
ITEM 106-2008-R0300 Authorization
to Offer a Bachelor of Arts in Music;
Montana State University-Bozeman
THAT: The Board of Regents for Higher Education authorizes
the College of Arts Architecture to establish the degree Bachelor of Arts in
Music at Montana State University-Bozeman. Students currently in the Department=s Studio Teaching Option will move
to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, and the Department will delete the Studio Teaching Option.
EXPLANATION: Currently,
all majors in the Department of Music enroll in the Bachelor of Music Education
(BME) degree, in either the School Music (K-12 Broadfield) Option or the Studio
Teaching Option. The majority (77%)
pursue teacher certification in the School Music (K-12 Broadfield) Option,
while the remaining students (23%) enroll in the Studio Teaching Option, a
non-certification program. Although the
thrust of the Department=s curriculum remains music teacher
certification, the number of MSU-Bozeman students seeking a curriculum that
emphasizes music within a broad program of general study is increasing. This growth parallels national trends where
graduation rates in bachelor of arts degrees in music have increased 33% over
the past five years.
The Department intends to convert the Studio Teaching Option
to the degree Bachelor of Arts in Music.
A curriculum that emphasizes music within a broad program of general
study is inappropriate to the Bachelor of Music Education (BME) degree. Converting the Studio Teaching Option to the
degree Bachelor of Arts in Music is apropos.
Furthermore, to meet National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
standards for the BME, the Studio Teaching Option contains several professional
education courses that are vocationally valueless for these students. We will replace these professional education
classes with general studies credits.
The designation >Studio Teaching Option= has been, and continues to be, problematic. The profession does not recognize the option=s name. Students transferring to other institutions are sometimes
challenged, and applications to graduate study are questioned not because of
content or quality of the program, but because of the confusion caused by the
name. Finally, NASM twice cited the
Department of Music for the inappropriateness of placing the Studio Teaching
Option under the BME. In the 1992
Accreditation Review Visitors= Report, NASM recommends " . . . using the Bachelor of Arts degree
as home for the Studio Teaching Option.@ A conversion to the
degree Bachelor of Arts in Music meets the expectations of the Department=s accreditation association.
The benefits of the conversion are many. Besides the potential to increase
enrollment, the conversion to the Bachelor of Arts in Music allows MSU-Bozeman
students to earn a degree recognized and accepted by the profession of
music. Moreover, students enroll in a
degree program that is in demand, is appropriate for their undergraduate
education, and is a thorough preparation for graduate study.
Montana State University-Bozeman provides high quality
instructional programs in the liberal and creative arts, and, as part of the
institutional mission, is committed to emphasizing the centrality of the
liberal arts and sciences to undergraduate education. As such, the degree Bachelor of Arts in Music provides a broad
coverage of music within the framework of the liberal arts. This degree conforms to the mission of
Montana State University-Bozeman, shows promise for enrollment enhancement in
the Department of Music and College of Arts and Architecture, and best serves
the needs of the University=s students.
Proposed start date:
Fall 2000
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