EOP students as well as Academic Notice and Disqualified students must meet with an Academic Advisor in the Student Resource Center. This office has been established by the College of Arts, Media and Communication to assist all incoming students with academic advisement. General Education advisement and questions involving total program rather than major can be referred to this office.
Visit the Student Resource Center
If you are coming to CSUN as a first-time freshman (high school graduate), you are required to receive advisement and be enrolled in classes through the Hub. Advisement will be mandatory with the Hub office for the first two semesters. If you need to schedule an appointment with them, you can call them at (818) 677-2900-make sure that you complete the pre-advisement steps found on their website. The Hub website can be found here.
All prospective Music students must audition regardless of their incoming status. If you have not auditioned for the Music department yet, please go to audition dates to get the audition application and requirements. Make sure to submit both your CSUN application as well as your Music Department application on time. If you believe you have keyboard, musicianship, and/or harmony skills to begin classes higher than beginning level, please complete the online questionnaire/exams. All BM Music students are required to take the Musicianship placement exam.
If you are coming to CSUN as a first time transfer student, (meaning coming from a community college or another university), make sure that you check the Admissions and Records Transfer Information page for transferring requirements. Any questions about your transcripts should be addressed to them at (818) 677-3700. For international admissions, click here or call (818) 677-3760.
Although you are not required to get advisement as a transfer student, we would highly recommend that you do so. Please email Nicole Hovland with questions and to schedule a transfer workshop.
All prospective Music students must audition regardless of their incoming status. If you have not auditioned for the Music department yet, please go to audition dates to get the audition application and requirements. Make sure to mail it in time so we receive it by the deadline indicated. BM majors are required to take the musicianship and theory placement exams. Once accepted, all incoming transfers are sent the keyboard questionnaire as well as the musicianship and theory exam links to their CSUN email accounts.
Calculating your Grade Point Average (GPA) is simple and important. GPA is the average grade points you earned over a period of time (for instance, a semester, within your major, or your entire college career). In every course you will earn a grade except for the few courses you may take on a credit/no credit basis.
Note that all General Education courses and all of your major courses must be taken for a letter grade unless the course is only offered with CR/NC grading. Although CR/NC courses will not damage your GPA, they won’t help it either; they don’t affect it at all.
To start, see the chart below to see the point values assigned to each grade:
Grade | Points |
A | 4.0 |
A- | 3.7 |
B+ | 3.3 |
B | 3.0 |
B- | 2.7 |
C+ | 2.3 |
C | 2.0 |
C- | 1.7 |
D+ | 1.3 |
D | 1.0 |
D- | 0.7 |
F | 0.0 |
WU | 0.0 |
Every course is worth a specific number of units. When you enroll in a class, these units are automatically considered units you have attempted, hence the name “units attempted”. The chart on the left, tells you the number of points you get for each unit. To calculate how many grade points you get for a class, you’d need to take the grade you received (according to the char) in the course and then multiply it by the number of units assigned to that course. This gives you the number of grade points earned for the class.
For example: In a three unit class, you can earn from zero grade points ("F" or 0.0 X 3 units=0 grade points earned) to a maximum of 12 grade points ("A" or 4.0 X 3 units=12 grade points).
Now, simply Add up all the grade points you've earned for a certain period (for instance, for a semester or within the major, or for your entire career) and divide that by the number of units you attempted. That will give you the average grade point you earned for units you attempted.
For example:
Let’s say you took 15 units last semester and received the following grades:
CLASS GRADE VALUE UNITS ATTEMPTED POINTS EARNED
CH S 155 B 3.0 x 3 units = 9.0
MATH 131 C+ 2.3 x 3 units = 6.9
MUS 101 A 4.0 x 2 units = 8.0
MUS 110A B 3.0 x 1 unit = 3.0
MUS 111/L C- 1.7 x 2 units = 3.4
MUS 159B A 4.0 x 2 units = 8.0
MUS 182 A 4.0 x 2 units = 8.0
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TOTAL 15 units = 46.3
Now use this equation: GPA = Grade Points Earned
Units Attempted
GPA = 46.3 = 3.09
15
This will help you figure out your GPA based on new courses only. If you were repeating a course, you would need to change the equation. Check the Repeat Policy to see how repeats can help you improve your GPA.
Remember that even though a grade of “D” is acceptable for most GE courses, and a grade of “C-” is acceptable for most of your Music courses, a 2.0 GPA is required to be in good standing for your CSUN and your Cumulative (overall) GPA.
If your GPA ever goes below a 2.0 in any given semester, you will be place on Probation and may be disqualified thereafter if you don’t reach the minimum GPA requirements based on your academic standing. See the Probation and Disqualification Information page for more information. Also, a 2.0 is required in your major as well in order to graduate.
In Music Private Lessons, one credit hour is one half-hour of private instruction and a minimum of 4 hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester.
For major ensembles, one credit hour is 3 hours of rehearsal and a minimum of 4 hours of out of class student work for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester
For minor ensembles, one credit hour is 2 hours of rehearsal and a minimum of 4 hours of out of class student work for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester
For Chamber music, one credit hour is a minimum of one half-hour of coaching and a minimum of 4 hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester
For small group instruction, one credit hour is 2 hours of in-class instruction and a minimum of 4 hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester
For labs, one credit hour is 2 hours of in-class instruction and a minimum of 4 hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester
The Program of Study
The program of study is a statement of the academic requirements that students must meet for the Master’s/Doctorate degree. The following University requirements apply to the program:
- It must be composed of a minimum of 30 units of 400-, 500- and 600-level work.
- None of the courses on the program may have been used for any other degree earned in the past.
- A maximum of 9 units of 400-level coursework may be used on a program of study. Please check with the Department for their specific policy on 400-level coursework, which could be fewer than 9 units.
- No more than 9 units in combination of transfer work, extension work or work completed prior to earning a baccalaureate degree can be used toward the degree.
- No more than 6 units of independent study may be included in the program and all independent study arrangements must have prior approval of the instructor and of the Department Chair.
- The program must terminate with a culminating experience which will consist of a Thesis, Graduate Project, Artistic Performance or Comprehensive Examination.
- Enrollment is required in the semester that the degree is awarded.
400 Level Coursework For Graduate Students
Graduate students who use 400-level coursework in their program of study will have different academic requirements within those courses. These requirements will be appropriate to one who is enrolled in a graduate program. The requirements will be take the form of additional assignments (in-class and out-of-class) and/or required additional depth on class assignments that are consistent with graduate coursework.
These additional requirements will be made clear to the student in one of the following manners:
- Additional requirements for graduate students stated on the standard class syllabus
- A syllabus specifically for graduate students will be issued at the beginning of semester
- A MOU between student and instructor detailing the initial requirements at the beginning of semester
Graduate Student Learning Outcomes for these courses will accompany these formats.
