 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Johnny Galaga
Date: 2009-04-05 01:15
So you're a music major and you need at least 12 semester hours to be considered full time, right? Lessons count for maybe 2 semester hours, but you practice 20+ hours a week. Now add band class. Another measly 2 semester hours but you need 10 more hours a week for rehearsals and practicing. Tack on your secondary instrument, music theory, and conducting classes plus all of your performances, and by the time you get the 12 semester hours you need to be full time, you're screwed because there's only 24 hours in a day.
I don't understand why lessons wouldn't be more like 5 semester hours and same thing with marching band given how time intensive those things are. But it seems like all the classes only give you 1-3 semester hours of credit.
How do music majors manage to schedule all of this? Surely you won't have time to work part time or do anything else.
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Author: Ashley91489
Date: 2009-04-05 01:27
yes, I completely agree. Music courses should be worth a lot more, and in some universities, they are. I only get one credit for my applied lessons. Where I am, all music classes are 1 credit except for theory (2), conducting (2), and music history (3). Some of the other more advanced classes may also be more I think. I definitely think aural skills should be worth more. I've busted my tail for that class and for only 1 credit hour.
Right now I have 9 classes (14 hours) and only two of those are university core classes. My ensembles are included in those 9 classes. You are right though, I don't have time to work and can't possibly imagine how I could ever fit that into my schedule right now. But, that's the life of a music major.
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-04-05 02:50
I think it reflects a bias toward courses that center around delivering knowledge as opposed to developing skills. A lot of music courses probably look more like skills courses in the eyes of university administrators.
I didn't major in music, but I have degrees in three other fields, and that's the way it always seems to work. The laboratory/skills courses take the most time, but award the least amount of credit. And the amount of study/preparation time *never* factors into the equation.
You get one hour of credit for showing up to an hour of phys. ed. (which requires virtually no preparation), but for showing up for several hours of problem solving sessions and laboratory experiments (not to mention writing those pesky lab write-ups) you get the same measly hour. Law school was the same way with research/writing courses and other skills-oriented courses. It's the way of the world, it seems.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2009-04-05 03:44
It has to do with the number of courses required to be a certified music program and the total number of in-major credits that are allowed.
Theses two opposing forces result in classes that you attend multiple hours a week but only receive 1 credit for.
It only takes around 120 credits to graduate, right? If you received 3 credits for most of your classes you would quickly fill the in major credit limit.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2009-04-05 12:50
Johnny,
IMHO you are confusing the academic credit allowed under regional accreditation organization (like North Central or SACCS) rules for a lecture course and that permitted for a largely activity-based activity. Lab or activity courses like marching band garner less credit.
I have developed many university course during my academic career and a lecture class that meets about 45 hours a semester is usually 3 hour credit course. This type course might be in music theory or history or in my experience advanced aerodynamics or aviation law.
Add a laboratory that meets 3 hours a week and you might be able to offer an additional hour of credit like in physics or chemistry. While courses are not approved by the regional accrediting organization per se, using their guidelines is the appropriate way to offer academic credit and to keep the institution out of academic "hot water" when re-affirmation of accreditation occurs every 10 years.
Also, various specialized organizations like ABET or AABI look closely at the manner of instructional delivery and content in every (note every) course in the major every 5 years or so. No academic program wants to risk losing this academic distinction.
HRL
PS I have been on several accreditation visitation teams in my academic area of aviation.
Post Edited (2009-04-05 14:08)
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Author: pewd
Date: 2009-04-05 14:58
this is one reason that many music majors take more than 4 years to graduate.
band and orchestra only gave me 1/2 hour credit when i was in college (long time ago...)
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: marshall
Date: 2009-04-05 21:18
It has to do with the ratio of the number of credits required to graduate to the number of courses you have to take for a specific degree. As music majors, we have to take a LOT more classes than most other majors (once you factor in lessons, large and small ensembles, music theory, aural training, conducting, history, instrument classes for education majors, composition seminars for composition majors, etc.) and when every degree requires the same number of credits, the large number of classes required of music majors results in low credit classes. In fact, I've had classes that don't even count for credit that I'm still required to take to graduate.
What baffles me is the fact that I'm taking 16 credits this semester and I'm on the very bottom of the pile as far as volume of credits in the music major world goes, yet everyone outside the music school is flabbergasted when I tell them I'm taking "only" 16 credits (12-14 is fairly standard for non-music majors).
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