SCHOOL OF MUSIC HANDBOOK

Policies for the Five-Year Double Degree:
BM Music Performance Degree & BA Liberal Arts Degree

Student Expectations

  • End of Year 1
    • Maintain a minimum 2.8 GPA in SOM courses and a minimum 2.8 GPA in
      CLA courses
    • Request recommendation from applied music teacher addressing potential
      areas for growth towards the sophomore performance exam
      Note: This recommendation, which is to be submitted after the completion of the
      end-of-the-year jury for first-year students intending to pursue a performance degree, is for internal informational purposes and the strength of this recommendation will not be used as a criterion for continuance in the program.
    • Request recommendation from another faculty member that addresses the
      student’s capacity for learning, work ethic, and other observations about the
      student’s capabilities
      Note: This recommendation is for internal informational purposes and the strength of this recommendation will not be used as a criterion for continuance in the program.           
    • Submit a letter of intent clearly addressing why the five-year double degree
      program is the best choice, in comparison to the BM with a Second Major and  the BMA with a Second Major, for the individual and his/her academic and career aspirations. Submit this to the School of Music Academic Coordinator who is in charge of administering the five-year double degree program. He/she will respond to and evaluate the submitted materials.
    • Submit a description of his/her plans for degree completion: music advisor,
      second major (if known), CLA advisor (if known), tentative five-year course plan
      indicating what has been completed and plans for the next four years.
      Submit this to the School of Music Academic Coordinator who is in
      charge of administering the five-year double degree program. He/she will respond
      to and evaluate the submitted materials.
  • End of Year Two
    • Pass the Sophomore Proficiency Examination
    • Declare SOM and CLA majors (through Registrar’s office)
    • Provide an update on the following: music advisor, second major, CLA advisor, five-year course plan indicating what as been completed and plans for next three years.  Submit this to the School of Music Academic Coordinator.
    • Maintain a minimum 2.8 GPA in SOM courses and a minimum 2.8 GPA in CLA courses
  • End of Year Three
    • Submit, to the Academic Coordinator, a final plan of study, which commits the student to a clear curricular direction for years four and five, signed by the student and both advisors. The student and advisors will acknowledge by their signatures their understanding that deviation from the details of this plan may result in the student being unable to complete both degrees with the consequential loss of the student’s fifth year of financial aid. As well, their signatures will acknowledge their understanding that starting on the fourth year of the plan may make it impossible for the student to drop from the double-degree program and still complete one degree or the other in four years, with the consequential need for the student to pay full tuition for any additional course requirements to complete that single degree.  (For a single degree schedule, only eight semesters of music performance awards are possible; and only eight semesters of financial aid are possible for a CLA degree program.) The School of Music Dean, in consultation with the School of Music Academic Coordinator, will approve the plan.  The Academic Coordinator will notify the student, his/her advisors, and the Registrar.
    • Maintain a minimum 2.8 GPA in SOM courses and a minimum 2.8 GPA in CLA courses

Late Admittance
Applications from transfer students and upperclass students, with a 2.8 GPA in CLA and SOM, who express an interest in pursuing the double degree will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Competency Deadlines
W by end of year 3
Q by end of year 4
S by end of year 5

Disclaimers
There is no guarantee that all CLA majors will be workable in this double degree program given prerequisites for courses in CLA majors, program requirements, etc.

Programs of Distinction may not be possible or may be challenging to complete in conjunction with the five-year double degree program. 

CLA majors that may not be possible or may be challenging to complete in the five-year double degree program include, but are not limited to, Art History, Kinesiology with an emphasis in Athletic Training, Biochemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Studio Art, and English (Writing).

In their first two years, students pursuing the five-year double degree generally take 3 to 3.5 courses (excluding ensembles) toward their music degree and 1 to 1.5 courses toward the College of Liberal Arts major or group requirements.  In years three through five, the ratio of courses is more nearly even, 2 to 2.5 courses in the School of Music and 2 to 2.5 in the College of Liberal Arts.  Because of this balance, it may not be possible after year three for a student to switch to a single degree and complete it in four years.

Monitoring of Students
The School of Music Academic Coordinator will monitor student grade point averages at the completion of every semester. A student whose cumulative grade point average falls below a 2.8 in SOM classes and/or below 2.8 in CLA classes will be placed on probation for the double degree program. A student will be suspended from the double degree program after a second semester of low performance. 

Recitals and Applied Music Credit
A student has the option of presenting his/her junior recital in the third or fourth year and presenting his/her senior recital in the fourth or fifth year.  However, a student cannot present both a junior and a senior recital in one academic year.  A student must enroll in applied music for 1 credit during the years he/she is preparing for recitals.  A student must enroll for .5 credit lessons in applied music during the years he/she is not preparing for a recital. In essence, a student must enroll for .5 credit lessons per semester prior to the Sophomore Performance Examination, 4 semesters of 1 credit lessons after the examination when preparing for recitals, and 2 semesters of .5 credit lessons after the examination during the year he/she is not preparing for a recital.  A student should not exceed 7 credits of applied music in his/her primary instrument.  For any additional credits taken beyond the required amount, appropriate fees will be charged to the student’s tuition bill.

Financial Aid
While a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA in SOM courses and a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA in CLA courses are adequate grade point averages for continuance in the five-year double degree program, a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA in music courses is necessary for maintaining a Music Performance Award.  Assuming this minimum 3.0 GPA, satisfactory progress (grade of B or higher) in applied music, and satisfactory participation (grade of B or higher) in a major ensemble, the full amount of DePauw University financial aid, including both need-based and merit scholarships and any Music Performance Award, will be continued for a fifth year so long as the usual eligibility criteria for annual renewal of DePauw aid are met. External funding from state and federal sources may be subject to eligibility requirements which may preclude support for a fifth year of study.  In these cases, DePauw is not likely to substitute its support for expired external funding.

There will be no DePauw financial aid (neither need-based or merit) for the fifth year if a student chooses to complete only CLA requirements that year.

Eligibility for a fifth year of financial aid of any sort from DePauw is based on the student completing both degrees in five years. There will be no funding under the “ninth semester aid policy” if a student cannot (or chooses not to) complete both degrees and opts to complete only one.

Updated October 16, 2008