Admission to Candidacy
All students are required to be admitted to candidacy to earn a degree as an Audio Production major. “Candidacy” is our term for admission to the program and is required as a prerequisite to enrollment in most upper-division courses within the college.
To be eligible to apply for candidacy, a student must
- complete all learning support requirements;
- complete all high school deficiencies;
- complete 24 total credit hours;
- have completed at least one True Blue Core Scientific Literacy requirement (Physics suggested);
- receive at least a C (not a C-) in College Algebra or higher-level math;
- receive at least a C (not a C-) in RIM 1230 or MUTH 1110 ;
- complete RIM 3010 , RIM 3300 , and RIM 3600 with a C (not a C-);
- be in good academic standing (not on probation).
Achieving the minimum grade requirements does not guarantee program admission. Students in the Audio Production major are guaranteed admission to candidacy if they earn an Audio Production Candidacy GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Audio Production Candidacy GPA: Take the average of (AP pre-candidacy course GPA) and (Inclusive GPA) to calculate your Audio Production Candidacy GPA.
AP pre-candidacy course GPA: Calculated by taking the average of: RIM 3010 , RIM 3300 , and RIM 3600 .
Inclusive GPA: Calculating the average of all classes that have a grade including those transferred.
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 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. Students are strongly encouraged to frequently check their MTSU email for communications from the Recording Industry department regarding deadlines.
Candidacy Appeals
A few of any available slots 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.
Degree Requirements
| True Blue Core (TBC) |
41 hours |
| Major Requirements |
51 hours* |
| AP Pre-Candidacy Core |
12 hours |
| AP Sub Core |
6 hours |
| AP Post Candidacy Sub Core |
15 hours |
| AP Electives |
18 hours |
| Minor |
15-20 hours |
| Major Support Requirement |
3 hours* |
| Electives |
5-16 hours |
| TOTAL |
120 hours |
*This program requires courses that can also fulfill requirements of the True Blue Core curriculum. If program requirements are also used to fulfill True Blue Core requirements, the number of elective hours will increase.
True Blue Core (41 hours)
True Blue Core (TBC) requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in the Foundational Skills areas of Written Communication (WC), Information Literacy (Info Lit), Non-Written Communication (NWC), and Quantitative Literacy (Quant Lit). Knowledge Domains include Human Society and Social Relationships (HSSR), Scientific Literacy (Sci Lit), Creativity and Cultural Expression (CCE), and History and Civic Learning (HCL), which include Discovery and Explorations categories. Students must choose at least one course from each Discovery category.
The following courses required by the major meet True Blue Core requirements:
Major Requirements (51 hours)
Audio Production Pre-Candidacy Core (12 hours)
Required to apply for candidacy in Audio Production
Audio Production Sub Core (6 hours)
Audio Production Post Candidacy Sub‑core (15 hours)
Audio Production Electives (18 hours)
Choose 18 credit hours from the following.
NOTE: Up to 9 credit hours of RIM courses outside of the AP elective list may be included as elective credit in the major.
Choose Two Electives
At least two electives must come from the following:
Or Choose One Elective
At least one elective from the following:
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 AP elective to complete the required 51 hours in the major.
** No more than 6 hours total are allowed toward the major from any combination of RIM 3580 , RIM 4000 , or RIM 4010 .
*** No more than 6 hours total are allowed toward the major from any combination of RIM 4810 and RIM 4910 .
Up to 9 credit hours of RIM courses outside of the approved AP elective list can be included as elective credit in the major.
Audio Production students may take PHYS 1600 pre-candidacy.
Major Support Requirement (3 hours)
Curriculum: Audio Production
Students should see their advisors to develop their individual schedules. Certain prerequisites and sequences in particular major concentrations and minor require special attention.
See course suggestions for studio production and engineering (music), electronic music (EM), sound reinforcement (live sound), and sound for picture tracks.
