School of Music, Theatre, and Dance

Future Students

In preparing for a career in music, whether you want to be a performer, teacher, composer, researcher, or whether you wish to pursue other non-traditional career objectives, the requirements are basically the same; reasonably well-developed technical skills, and apparent scholarly potential.

Requirements

  • You will be required to develop your skills and to expand your knowledge of music.

  • You will also be required to broaden your knowledge in related areas of the sciences and humanities. Hence your decision to major in music, or utilize music to reinforce other interest areas, should be based upon a seriousness of purpose and a wish to continue consistent development of your talent.

  • As a music major or minor, you will be required to declare a major performing area (voice, clarinet, violin, etc.).

  • Please be aware that an audition is required in any case for admission into a voice or instrumental teaching studio . You must be admitted to a teaching studio to be considered a Music major or minor.

  • Students entering Kansas State University as music majors or minors will take the Music Theory Placement Exam. Music majors will take the Placement Exam during Orientation and Enrollment. Music minors will take the Placement Exam during their first semester at K-State.

  • The Music Theory Placement Exam will assess the student's knowledge of the following concepts:

    1. Reading pitch in both treble and bass clefs
    2. Rhythmic values, rhythmic notation in simple, compound, and mixed meters
    3. Scales (major and three forms of minor)
    4. Key signatures (major and minor)
    5. Intervals
    6. Triad and seventh chord quality, inversion symbols
    7. Figured bass symbols and Roman numeral analysis
    8. Note-to-note counterpoint (first through fifth species counterpoint)

    Those who exhibit adequate knowledge in the placement exam will be placed in Music Theory II and Aural Skills I. Students deficient in this knowledge will be placed in Music Theory I.

    To learn more about A.P. Music Theory credit and preparing for the Music Theory Placement Exam, please visit the Music Theory, History, and Composition Division homepage .