DESCRIPTION/RATIONALE

The Bachelor of Music degree is currently offered in two flavors: The vanilla version which does not specify an emphasis (Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Music), and the Musical Theatre flavor (Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Music/Musical Theatre Emphasis). These may be viewed in their entirety on pages 70-71 in the current catalog. 

We wish to add two new flavors: Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Music/Popular Music Emphasis, and Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Music/Jazz Emphasis. 

These new tracks are currently available as legitimate ways of satisfying the requirements of this flexible degree, so nothing new is being implemented in terms of curricular offerings. What would be new under this proposal is the formal recognition of these emphases in the form of catalog tracks and acknowledgement on student transcripts.

It is worth noting that these emphasis tracks are not unlike similar degree options that are commonly and increasingly offered at other institutions—and typically clearly listed in their catalogs.

Clarification of these emphasis options in the catalog will help prospective students identify WOU as the right institution for them.

At the same time, we are proposing to extend formal recognition of these emphasis tracks to the MM degree program as well. The current (vanilla) degree is listed as Master of Music in Contemporary Music. The new emphasis tracks will be added as Master of Music in Contemporary Music/Popular Music Emphasis and .../Jazz Emphasis. 

The requirement details are shown in the accompanying spreadsheet. Note that the core is the same for all tracks—both within the BM and the MM—with the exception of the specific MUP number to be taken. The other deviations that define the emphases are the inclusion of specific courses to replace some of the elective credits.