Program Overview

The MSU Billings Department of Music stresses high standards of performance, a strong theoretical background, a broad exposure to music history, opportunities in pedagogy, and a significant encounter with other academic disciplines. 

A degree in music at Montana State University Billings not only exposes students to a strong academic education, personal application, and performance but also provides rich opportunities for exposure to renowned musicians and performances on and off campus. 

Our instructors are prominent members of Billings’ musical and performing community.  They bring to the classroom years of experience and expose their students to the local talents in song, dance, and various cultures. 

Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of music theory. They will do so by analyzing selected works in which they will identify and relate fundamental musical elements such as phrase structure, organization of harmonic elements, and the construction of rhythmic and melodic materials.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the major historical musical styles by placing selected works, for which they will be provided scores and recordings, into appropriate time frames. During this process they will document and comment on elements such as harmonic style, melodic and rhythmic structure, dynamic structure, the use of ornamentation, etc., as they relate to each of the historical style periods.
• Perform an upper divisional jury at the end of their sophomore year (30 minutes for performance majors, 20 minutes for general music majors and teaching licensure majors).
• Students in the Performance Option will display the technical and musical ability to perform significant musical literature at an advanced level.
• Students in the Performance Option will perform two one-hour adjudicated solo recitals at the end of their junior and senior years. Prior to each recital, they must qualify by successfully performing a pre-recital jury for the music faculty.