Mar 29, 2024  
2019-20 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2019-20 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Recording Industry, Commercial Songwriting Concentration, B.S.


Recording Industry  
615-898-2578
Odie Blackmon, program coordinator
Odie.Blackmon@mtsu.edu

The Commercial Songwriting concentration offers instruction designed for students who are interested in careers in the music industry such as arranger, artist, musician, producer, singer, or songwriter.

Admission to Candidacy


All students are required to be admitted to candidacy to earn a degree as a Recording Industry major. Candidacy is required as a prerequisite to enrollment in most upper-division courses within the college. When applying to candidacy, students choose their concentration: Commercial Songwriting or Music Business.

To apply for candidacy, a student must have

  1. completed all learning support requirements;
  2. completed all high school deficiencies;
  3. completed 24 hours (not to include learning support courses);
  4. completed the math requirement (College Algebra or higher level math) with a minimum 2.00 (C) grade;
  5. completed all candidacy courses with a minimum 2.00 (C) grade in each: JOUR 1020/EMC 1020/RIM 1020; RIM 3000; RIM 3010 or RIM 3011*; RIM 3600);
  6. maintained good standing (not on probation).

*NOTE: RIM 3010 is required for Audio Production students and to take many Audio Production related electives

Students in the Commercial Songwriting concentration are guaranteed admission to candidacy if they earn a Candidacy Formula score of 35.5 or better. A limited number of additional candidacy slots will be open based on availability. Candidacy will be granted three times per year-after the fall and spring semesters and summer term. Students may not take other RIM courses beyond the candidacy requirements, with the exception of RIM 1230, RIM 3115/3116, and RIM 3650, until they have successfully completed admission to candidacy.

The application for admission to candidacy is an online application available here. Applications should be submitted by students during the semester in which they will have completed the above requirements. The deadline for candidacy applications is near the end of each semester and is announced via email each semester.

Candidacy Formula

Each student’s candidacy score is derived from the following:

Score = (inclusive GPA x 3) + (math grade x 3) + (candidacy course GPA x 4) + (total hours x .05).

Candidacy Appeals

A few of any available slots in the concentration will be awarded based on a faculty committee recommendation on an appeal application. Appeal applications will be accepted after formula slots have been announced early in the Fall and Spring Semester and Summer Term. Appeal recommendations will be based on exceptional circumstances and/or exceptional talent and/or diversity considerations.

Academic Map


Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Recording Industry, Commercial Songwriting, B.S. , Academic Map   

Degree Requirements


General Education (41 hours)


General Education  requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.

The following course is required by the program and can satisfy the respective General Education requirement:

  • RIM/JOUR/EMC 1020 (Soc/Beh Sci)

Major Requirements (51 hours)


NOTE:

*See note under Transfer Credit Policy  for RIM 1230 /MUTH 1110  substitution.
 
*Music minors - Students who minor in Music must take MUTH 1110 for their minor and will not be required to take RIM 1230. Music minors will need an additional RIM elective to complete the required 48 hours in the major.

Commercial Songwriting Electives (15 hours)


 Choose 15 credit hours from the following:

NOTE:


*No more than 6 hours total are allowed toward the major from any combination of RIM 3580 , RIM 4000 , or RIM 4010 .

Commercial Songwriting concentration students may take up to 6 semester hours of their electives from Music Business or Audio Production.

Minor (15-18 hours)


All Recording Industry majors are required to complete one minor.

Commercial Songwriting concentration students must pick one minor from among Entrepreneurship , Writing , or Music .

Electives


  • To make 120 hours

Total hours in program: 120


Curriculum: Recording Industry, Commercial Songwriting Concentration


Curricular listings include General Education  requirements in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

Students should see their advisors to develop their individual schedules. Certain prerequisites and sequences in particular major concentrations and minors require special attention.

Subtotal: 30 Hours


Sophomore


Subtotal: 32 Hours


Junior


Subtotal: 30 Hours


Senior


  • RIM CS electives 9 credit hours
  • Minor courses 9 credit hours
  • Electives 7 credit hours
  • Minor course or elective 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 28 Hours