General Requirements
1. A minimum of 31 course credits. No more than two 100-level courses maybe taken in the senior year without the permission of the Academic Standing Committee. No more than four All-College Independent Study course credits (280/380,289/389,290/390,297/397,299/399) may be counted toward satisfying the minimum credit requirement for this degree.
2. First-year Program
- FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR: Enrollment in any course with an “FYS” designation on the Course
Schedule, during the first Block of the first year.
- FIRST-YEAR WRITING COURSE: Any course with a “W” designation on the Course Schedule, taken in the first year.
3. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
4. A minimum of 10 courses from outside the Department of Music and the Department of Theatre and Dance, to include a writing-designated course (W) and two* humanities courses (not counting the W course) from at least two of the following groupings: (1)English and Foreign Language; (2)History; (3)Philosophy; (4)Religion; (5)Art; and (6)Education. *Students will complete a third Humanities designated course within the department.
5. Foreign Language: Credit for one of the following: (1) French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, Russian, or Spanish 103; (2) one course above 103 in the target language if students test above 103 through an examination administered online prior to New Student Orientation; international students whose native language is other than English satisfy this requirement through completion of or exemption from the English as a Second Language program.
6. Music Theory: MUS 110 and MUS 210 (may require MUS 101 to prepare)
7. Vocal Pedagogy: MUS 308
8. Vocal Diction: MUS 207
9. Conducting: MUS 306 (the Music department is lowering the pre-requisite to MUS 210 ).
10. Dance: THE 282 and THE 283 and THE 284
11. Acting: THE 115 and THE 310 and either THE 332 or THE 333
12. Voice and Movement: THE 216
13. History of Musical Theatre: THE 344 and MUS 217
14. Play Analysis: THE 201
15. Design and Production: THE 107 or THE 108
16. Completion of a senior capstone experience. Intended to be a showcase performance to be completed during spring break of final year of study in Chicago at McLennan Center.
17. A grade of “Pass” on all parts of the Piano Proficiency Requirement.
- All BFA candidates must pass the Piano Proficiency Requirement by the end of the sophomore year. If this requirement is not passed by this time, the student must take applied piano (MUS 761 or MUS 762 ) until the requirement has been passed. The requirement consists of six components: performance of a prepared work; scales; arpeggios; sight reading; lead sheet reading; and accompanying. A student may pass the requirement in segments.
18. A grade of “Pass” on all parts of the Aural Proficiency Exam, level 2.
- All BFA candidates must pass the Aural Skills Proficiency Requirement through stage 2. Students will be tested in the following Aural Skills areas: intervals, chords, scales, melodic dictation, harmonic dictation, and sight singing. These topics will be taught both within the required Music Theory courses, as well as in a longer-term self-paced, computer-program-assisted, proficiency-based mode.
19. Voice lessons: Two credits selected from MUS 781 , MUS 782 , MUS 783
20. Dance ensemble: One credit (four semesters) of THE 755
21. Acting ensemble: One credit (four semesters) of THE 756
22. Chorus: One credit (four semesters) of MUS 712
23. Production practicum: One and one half credits total to include four quarter credits of either THE 715 or MUS 718 , one quarter credit of THE 750 , and one quarter credit of either THE 751 , THE 752 , or THE 753 .
24. Audition is required for entrance to the degree program. Students may audition more than once. Incoming students may audition at any time prior to arriving on campus. Existing students may audition annually in the spring for entrance the following year (NOTE: No courses are restricted to BFA students, so students may begin pursuit of this degree at any time).
25. BFA Musical Theatre students are required to audition for all Cornell musical theatre productions, and must accept their assigned role. Special exceptions may be granted for offcampus study conflicts and/or special circumstances by the joint agreement of the director andprogram heads.
Note: Students are not allowed to earn both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. Students are also not allowed to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Music degree.
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