Course Descriptions

MAT 101 - Math for Human Flourishing

A critical examination of mathematics as a vehicle for human flourishing. We consider how mathematics supports the pursuit of intellectual and moral virtues such as truth, beauty, and justice by feeding the human desire to explore, play, struggle, and create something permanent and powerful. Students will investigate the cultural history and social construction of mathematics as a discipline, how mathematics benefits society, and how it can be taught in ways that better reveal its human dimensions. 

Satisfies Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

MAT 104 - Introduction to Statistics

Satisfies Data Science minor requirement
Satisfiest Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students with credit or concurrent registration in any college-level statistics course (e.g., BIO 240, ECO 204, MAT 105, MAT 341, POL 182, or SOC 201)  

MAT 105 - Introduction to Statistics

Satisfies Data Science minor requirement
Satisfiest Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement
Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students with credit or concurrent registration in any college-level statistics course (e.g., BIO 240, ECO 204, MAT 104, MAT 341, POL 182, or SOC 201)  

MAT 108 - Exploring Mathematical Ideas

Survey of abstract mathematical ideas that deepen understanding of patterns from mathematics, art, and the physical world. Topics may include the nature of number, infinity, dimension, symmetries, alternate geometries, topology, chaos, fractals, probability and social choice. While techniques and concepts have much in common with advanced theoretical mathematics, little background is assumed and the course is not practical preparation for later courses in mathematics. The course title is occasionally changed to reflect a special emphasis.

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students with credit for, or enrolled in, Mathematics 220, 230, or 255.

MAT 110 - Finite Mathematics

Mathematical techniques that have been used, productively and extensively, during the last thirty years and that do not involve the use of calculus. Probability, linear programming, matrix algebra, Markov chains, game theory, and graph theory are representative topics. Students learn to use computer software, including a spreadsheet, to solve problems.

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students with credit for Mathematics 150, 220, or 340.

MAT 111 - Calculus I (for those with no previous exposure)

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Not open to students with one semester of a high school or college course about calculus. (Fall)

MAT 112 - Calculus I and Modeling

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
No exposure to calculus is expected

Math 112 is not open for students with credit for Math 111

MAT 113 - Calculus II

Chan

An introduction to techniques and applications of integration; infinite series including convergence tests and Taylor series; calculus on parametric and polar curves; and concepts in 3-space including vectors, lines, planes, and vector-valued functions. Satisfies a major requirement in Mathematics.

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Mathematics 111 or 112 or equivalent preparation.

MAT 140 - Multivariable Calculus and Modeling

Continued study of calculus and other mathematical methods for modeling change and uncertainty. Multivariable calculus topics include partial derivatives and the gradient vector, multivariate optimization, and double integrals. Matrix methods include systems of linear equations, matrix algebra, and eigenvalues. Models, primarily in the context of problems in the life sciences, make use of these methods and others chosen from systems of differential equations, difference equations, and discrete and continuous probability.

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Mathematics 111 or 112 or equivalent preparation.

Not open to students with credit for MAT 150 or MAT 160.

MAT 150 - Linear Algebra

An introduction to systems of linear equations, matrices, determinants, vector spaces, and eigenvectors in an interactive learning environment provided by the computer algebra system Mathematica. Applications are chosen from linear programming, least squares approximation, graph theory, cryptography, computer graphics, and other topics. 

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
MAT 113 or placement above MAT 113

MAT 160 - Calculus III

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Mathematics 113.

MAT 210 - Mathematical Modeling (=CSC 210)

Counts as an elective in the Mathematics major.
Counts as an Applications elective in the Computer Science major.
Counts as an elective in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor.
Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
MAT 140 or MAT 150, and one of CSC 120, CSC 121, CSC 200, or CSC 209.

MAT 220 - Discrete Structures (= CSC 220)

(Cross-listed as CSC 220) 

An introduction to proof techniques and discrete mathematics, with a focus on topics relevant to computer science, and an introduction to functional programming. Topics include logic, sets, functions, equivalence relations, algorithm analysis, methods of proof, essential combinatorics, recurrence relations, and discrete probability, as well as the essentials of functional programming. Additional topics may be selected from graph theory, number theory, or automata theory. This course prepares students for advanced work in both computer science and mathematics.

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.
Counts towards the Mathematics major and minor.
Counts towards the Computer Science major and minor.

Prerequisites & Notes
MAT 140, MAT 150, or MAT 160, and the ability to program in a high-level language such as Python, C++, or Java at the level expected in CSC 121 or an equivalent course.

MAT 230 - Sets and Proofs

An introduction to proof techniques (including quantifiers and induction), elementary set theory, abstract functions, infinite cardinalities, and properties of sets of real numbers; followed by an introduction to topics chosen from topology, analysis, dynamical systems, or set theory, among others.  Emphasis throughout is on developing abilities in writing proofs.

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Mathematics 150 or Mathematics 160  or permission of the instructor.

MAT 235 - Differential Equations

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Mathematics 150. (Fall)

MAT 255 - Number Theory

Mathematical properties of the integers and related sets, including divisibility properties, prime numbers and their distribution, congruences, diophantine equations, arithmetic functions, primitive roots, and quadratic residues. Introduces methods of proof and emphasizes writing clear mathematical arguments.

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Mathematics 150 or Mathematics 160 or permission of the instructor. (Spring)

MAT 281 - Models for Biological Structures

Over the last 15 years, modern biology has been transformed by the use of new mathematical methods. Many problems from gene regulatory networks, genomics, RNA folding, infectious disease modeling, phylogenetics, ecological networks, and food webs naturally lend themselves to discrete and algebraic models. In some cases, these models have even spawned new research areas. We will sample a variety of problems and modeling techniques throughout the class with a focus more on breadth than depth. The course will include the necessary biological foundation and cover the relevant mathematical theory.

Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
MAT 113 or MAT 140 or permission of instructor

MAT 315 - Numerical Analysis (= CSC 315)

Survey of methods to approximate numerical solutions of problems in root-finding, differentiation, integration, curve-fitting, differential equations, and systems of equations. Derivations, limitations, and efficiency of different algorithms are considered. 

Counts towards the Mathematics major and minor.
Counts towards the Computer Science major and minor.

Prerequisites & Notes
MAT 150 and MAT 235, and proficiency in some programming language. (Spring)

MAT 320 - Combinatorics

The mathematics of arrangements of discrete sets, including binomial and multinomial coefficients, inclusion and exclusion, the pigeonhole principle, partitions and compositions, Stirling and Catalan numbers, occupancy problems, generating functions, recurrence relations, and selected modern topics.

Counts as an elective in the Theory category of the Computer Science major.

Prerequisites & Notes
CSC/MAT 220, MAT 230, or MAT 255

MAT 325 - Graph Theory

Counts as an elective in the Theory category of the Computer Science major.
Satisfies the Mathematical and Quantitative Thought requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
One of the following: MAT/CSC 220, MAT 230, MAT 255

MAT 330 - Real Analysis I

MAT 331 - Complex Analysis

MAT 340 - Probability

MAT 341 - Mathematical Statistics

Satisfies a requirement in the Data Science interdisciplinary minor.

Prerequisites & Notes
Mathematics 340. (Spring)
 

MAT 355 - Abstract Algebra I

MAT 360 - Topology

MAT 364 - Computational Geometry (=CSC 364)

Computational geometry bridges mathematics and computer science, combining algorithmic thinking and combinatorial reasoning to finite collections of points, lines, triangles, and other geometric objects. We will discuss The Art Gallery problem, convex hulls, triangulations, Voronoi diagrams, and applications such as computer graphics, animation, geographic information systems, 3-D printing, robotics, and graph drawing.  

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisites: CSC/MAT 220, or MAT 230 plus proficiency in a high-level programming language.

MAT 380 - Seminar in Problem Solving and History of Mathematics

Mathematics is a human construct and endeavor; as such, mathematics has its own culture and history.  One can ask many questions: Who does mathematics?  How and why is mathematics created?; How does mathematics influence and affect the world, and conversely, how does the world influence and affect mathematics?  Are there revolutions in mathematics?  In this course we will discuss many of these questions and more.  Beginning with mathematics in the ancient world we will do mathematics as it was down within a particular time period and particular culture.  We will then trace the migration of mathematical knowledge through various geographical regions: China, India, and Europe.  Finally, we will explore the development of some more modern mathematics.  In particular, ideas related to calculus, linear algebra, abstract algebra, and real analysis.

This course will be delivered in a low residency format utilizing in-person meetings, synchronous sessions (students will meet in Studio D and the professor will have a digital presence), and asynchronous interactions through Moodle.  Please note there are no additional technological needs or cost incurred for this style of course.

Prerequisites & Notes
One of Mathematics 220, 230, 255 or permission of the instructor.

MAT 381 - Seminar

MAT 381-385
Study of topics of interest in Mathematics. 

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of the instructor.

MAT 382 - Knot Theory

An introduction to Knot Theory, a subfield of topology. Topics include Reidemeister’s Theorem, knot tabulation, and Seifert surfaces. We will discuss knot invariants including n-colorability, the Jones polynomial, crossing number, and unknotting number.

Prerequisites & Notes
One of Mathematics 220, 230, or 255.

MAT 386 - Seminar

MAT 386-389
Study of topics of interest in Mathematics. 

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of the instructor.

MAT 391 - Independent Study

MAT 395 - IS: Basketball Analytics

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Open to qualified students with the permission of the department chair. Eligible for math major credit.

MAT 396 - Independent Study

MAT 430 - Real Analysis II

MAT 437 - Dynamical Systems

MAT 450 - Advanced Linear Algebra

MAT 455 - Abstract Algebra II

MAT 481 - Seminar- Geometry and Art

We study certain types and techniques in art (perspective, tiling, Escher-style prints as examples) and look at the mathematical underpinnings of that art type. We will make art and learn geometry (Euclidean, projective, and hyperbolic as examples) according to student interests. The course will be seminar style with students leading most of the discussion.  

Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite is one of MAT 220, 230, or 255.

MAT 486 - Seminar

MAT 487-489
Study of topics of interest in Mathematics.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of the instructor.

MAT 491 - Independent Study

Independent study under the direction and supervision of a faculty member who reviews and approves the topic(s) of the independent study and who determines the basis for the evaluation of students’ work.

Prerequisites & Notes
Open to qualified students with the permission of the department chair. Eligible for math major credit.

MAT 492 - Independent Study

Independent study under the direction and supervision of a faculty member who reviews and approves the topic(s) of the independent study and who determines the basis for the evaluation of students’ work.

Prerequisites & Notes
Open to qualified students with the permission of the department chair. Eligible for math major credit.

MAT 495 - Independent Study

MAT 496 - Independent Study

MIL Labs - Leadership Labs

MIL 101/2L -  BASIC LEADERSHIP LAB.  Students learn the basic fundamentals of being a member of a team.  This is taught through multiple venues including drill and ceremony, land navigation, weapons familiarization, basic rifle marksmanship, medical tasks, individual movement techniques, engaging targets, introduction to the orders process, understanding Army acronyms, hand and arm signals, and radio protocol procedures.  Freshmen learn basic leadership skills and master the fundamentals of being a follower.

MIL 201/2L - INTERMEDIATE LEADERSHIP LAB.  Students become proficient in the basic fundamentals and are introduced to leading a small team.  This is taught through multiple venues including leading drill and ceremony, advanced land navigation, building terrain models, advanced rifle marksmanship, advanced medical skills, movement formations, movement techniques, special teams, writing operations orders, situation reporting, call for fire, and introduction to battle drills.  Sophomores focus on mentoring freshmen and serve as team leaders.

MIL 301L - ADAPTIVE TACTICAL LEADERSHIP LAB.  Challenging scenarios related to small-unit tactical operations are used to develop self-awareness and critical thinking skills.  The cadet will receive systematic and specific feedback on leadership abilities.  Cadets at this level serve as the Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) Corps of the ROTC Battalion; they plan, rehearse, and lead basic course cadets through the program of instruction.  Juniors are the executors of the battalion.

MIL 302L - LEADERSHIP IN CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS LAB.  Specific instruction is given in individual leader development, planning and execution of small-unit operations, individual and team development, and the Army as a career choice.  Prepares cadets for the mandatory 32-day Leadership Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) at Fort Knox, KY during the summer between their junior and senior academic years.  

MIL 401L - DEVELOPING ADAPTIVE LEADERS LAB.  Cadets will lead cadets at lower levels.  Leadership experiences are designed to prepare them for their first military unit of assignment.  Identify responsibilities of key staff members, coordinate staff roles amongst twelve separate universities and colleges that make up the ROTC battalion, and use battalion field/garrison situations to teach, train, and develop subordinates.  Seniors are the battalion’s staff, primary supervisors and planners, preparing to transition to Second Lieutenants.

MIL 402L - LEADERSHIP IN A COMPLEX WORLD LAB.  A continuation of responsibilities listed in MIL 401L.  The leadership lab uses case studies, scenarios, and tactical vignettes to prepare cadets to face the complex ethical and practical demands of leading as a commissioned officer in the United States Army.

Prerequisites & Notes
There is no military obligation incurred by taking MIL 101L, 102L, 201L or 202L. Open to all Davidson students.

MIL 101 - Introduction to the Army

Not for credit

MIL 102 - Foundations of Leadership

Not for credit

MIL 201 - Leadership and Ethics

Not for credit

MIL 202 - Army Doctrine and Decision Making

Not for credit

MIL 301 - Training Management and the War Fighting Functions

MIL 302 - Applied Leadership in Small Unit Operations

Not for credit

MIL 330 - American Military History

A pre-commissioning requirement for ROTC cadets enrolled at Davidson College. The course is a survey of American Military History from the Colonial Period to the present day, with an emphasis on the evolving relationship between the United States Military and the American People.

MIL 401 - The Army Officer

Marecic

Transitions the focus of student learning from being trained, mentored, and evaluated as an MSIII Cadet to learning how to train, mentor, and evaluate underclass Cadets.  MSIV Cadets learn the duties and responsibilities of an Army staff officer and apply the military decision-making process, Army writing style, Army’s training management, and mission essential task list (METL) processes during weekly training meetings to plan, execute, and assess battalion training events.  Cadets learn to safely conduct training by understanding and employing the composite risk management process.  Cadets learn how to use the comprehensive soldier fitness (CSF) program to reduce and manage stress.  Includes instruction in code of conduct, rules of engagement, counseling, and evaluations.

Prerequisites & Notes
MIL 301 and 302. MIL 401 is currently only offered at UNC-Charlotte.  Participation in leadership lab is required.  Mandatory for all senior ROTC students. (Fall) 

MIL 402 - Company Grade Leadership

MUS 008 - After Hours Vocal Jazz

After Hours Vocal Jazz is a select student-led 12-member ensemble drawn from the Davidson College Chorale specializing in music for jazz vocal ensemble. In collaboration with the director of choral activities, students who participate in After Hours are provided opportunities in service through semester concerts and leadership through rehearsal direction, sectional instruction, ensemble administration, event planning, rehearsal accompanying, rehearsal conducting, and choral composition.

Auditions are a part of the regular Davidson College Choirs auditions held during the first week of classes, followed by registration on the music webpage.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of director required.

MUS 009 - Collegium Musicum

A select student-led 12-member ensemble, Collegium Musicum Early Music Group draws from Davidson College Chorale in the Music Department. Collegium specializes in music of the late Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque. In collaboration with the director of choral activities, students who participate in Collegium Musicum are provided opportunities in service through semester concerts, and leadership through rehearsal direction, sectional instruction, ensemble administration, event planning, rehearsal accompanying, rehearsal conducting, and choral composition.

Auditions are a part of the regular Davidson College Choirs auditions held during the first week of classes, followed by registration on the music webpage.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of director required.

MUS 010 - Chamber Singers

Chamber Singers is a mixed-voice ensemble for advanced singers or sight-readers interested in pursuing challenging repertoire in a chamber setting. It is this setting that will facilitate a student’s development into an advanced choral singer. Members are expected to be members of Chorale, with limited exceptions. 

Auditions are a part of the regular Davidson College Choirs auditions held during the first week of classes, followed by registration on the music webpage.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of director required.

MUS 011 - Jazz Ensemble

The Jazz Ensemble is an auditioned “big band” of approximately 18 musicians. The group rehearses and performs throughout the year, with several events highlighting the schedule, including performances at the Town of Davidson’s Concerts on the Green, multiple concerts, and annual tours.

Auditions take place the first week of Fall semester, followed by registration on the music webpage.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of director required.

MUS 012 - Symphony Orchestra

Auditions take place the first week of Fall semester.  After auditioning, students register on the music webpage.  Spring registration takes place during course preferences registration or regular drop/add.

An auditioned ensemble of approximately 50 student musicians, the Symphony Orchestra performs a wide range of repertoire from the Baroque to the present. Less than five percent of the group is music majors, so the orchestra is an excellent place for students of all backgrounds to rehearse and perform in a collaborative atmosphere while honing their technical skills and broadening their musical knowledge and experience.

The orchestra performs two to three concerts per semester, and annually features student concerto competition winners and guest soloists. The group also tours every year, with the Jazz Ensemble, during the week prior to the beginning of the spring semester.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of director required.

MUS 013 - Chorale

Davidson College Chorale is the premier choral ensemble at Davidson. A highly select, auditioned choir comprised of students from various academic disciplines, they perform the standard choral repertoire as well as newly composed and commissioned choral literature. The Chorale tours annually and represents Davidson College on the campus, regionally, and nationally.

Auditions take place the first week of Fall semester, followed by registration on the music webpage.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of director required.

MUS 014 - Opera Workshop

Auditions take place the first week of Spring semester.  After auditioning, students register on the music webpage.

A course designed to acquaint students with the performance practice of a variety of opera genres through the experiences of study, rehearsal, and performance.  The culmination of the course is a performance of opera scenes as well as fully staged productions accompanied by piano.  Ability to sing in a foreign language may be necessary.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of director required. (Spring)

MUS 017 - Saxophone Quartet

Auditions take place the first week of Fall semester.  After auditioning, students register on the music webpage.  Spring registration takes place during course preferences registration or regular drop/add.

A small group ensemble for saxophonists interested in performing chamber music ranging from Bach transcriptions to modern day saxophone compositions.

The ensemble rehearses weekly and performs throughout the year.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of instructor required.

MUS 018 - Jazz Combo

Auditions take place the first week of Fall semester.  After auditioning, students register on the music webpage.  Spring registration takes place during course preferences registration or regular drop/add.

This intimate ensemble is for instrumentalists interested in performing small group jazz literature while placing a strong emphasis on jazz improvisation.

The ensemble rehearses weekly and performs throughout the year including on-campus functions and recitals.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of instructor required.

MUS 019 - Chamber Music

Selection of applied students takes place the first three weeks of each semester.  Contact instructor directly.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of instructor required.

MUS 020 - Jazz Improvisation

Auditions take place the first week of Fall semester.  After auditioning, students register on the music webpage.  Spring registration takes place during course preferences registration or regular drop/add.

Learning to develop a jazz style through listening, transcribing, and soloing in a group context.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of instructor required.

MUS 021 - Appalachian Ensemble

*Registration takes place during course preferences registration or regular drop/add.*

Appalachian Ensemble involves learning the repertoire and techniques of the traditional music of the Appalachian region.  Old Time and bluegrass styles will be studied, with emphasis on fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of instructor required.

MUS 043 - African Drumming

African Drumming involves learning techniques for the Djembe and Dundun drums of Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and the Senegambia region of West Africa. Weekly sessions incorporate an oral tradition teaching style that includes drumming and cultural background information.

No previous drumming experience is required.

For more information, please contact director Al Sergel, at alsergel@davidson.edu.

MUS 050 - Vocal or Instrumental Study, 0.5 hour

Registration takes place on the music web page during course preferences registration or regular drop/add. 

Applied instruction designed for students with or without previous vocal or instrumental training.

Prerequisites & Notes
Pass/Fail.  Additional Fee Info.

MUS 055 - Vocal or Instrumental Study, 1 hour

Registration takes place on the music web page during course preferences registration or regular drop/add. 

Applied instruction designed for students with or without previous vocal or instrumental training.

Prerequisites & Notes
Pass/Fail.  Additional Fee Info. 

MUS 101 - Music Theory

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. (Fall, Spring)

MUS 102 - Contemporary Music Theory

Introduction to music theory and analysis through contemporary mainstream musical genres such as pop, rock, R & B, country, etc. Emphasis on intervals, scales, triads, basic tonal harmonic progressions, rhythm, meter, and form.

Required course in music theory for the Music major or minor.
Satisfies the Visual & Performing Arts requirement.
 

MUS 116 - Music: Sound with Impact (=PHY 116)

Scientific principles applied to musical sound production, propagation, storage, detection, and perception. Students will work individually and in teams to analyze and appreciate diverse world music styles, create and play instruments, and examine current practices in live performance. Class meets for 1 hour 3 times/week in a combined discussion/presentation setting and 3 hours of laboratory activity per week.

Satisfies a requirement in the Experimental Physics minor.

Satisfies a requirement in the Music major and minor.
Satisfies the Natural Science requirement.
Does not count for credit in the Physics major.

Prerequisites & Notes
Who Should Take This Class?  This class welcomes all Davidson students, especially first- and second-year students that have not yet chosen a major, non-science major students, and anyone who loves music. There are no math or science prerequisites, and no prior experience in physics is expected. Of course, we will need to use math - at the level of high school algebra and trigonometry - in this course. The creative and open-ended nature of the labs and final project will give all students the opportunity to work at an appropriate and rewarding level consistent with relevant STEM preparation. Students of all cultures, backgrounds, and abilities are welcome, valued, and appreciated in this class.

MUS 121 - Music in Western Civilization

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. 

MUS 122 - Music of the United States

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. (Spring)

MUS 141 - World Musics

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. (Fall, Spring)

MUS 142 - African-American Music

Charts the development of the distinctly American styles produced by the combination of African and European characteristics.  The music is approached from a historical standpoint, beginning with the musical forms, styles and instruments in African and ending with current trends in the music of both cultures, and also from the standpoint of appreciation through educated listening.  Music to be studied include slave songs, gospel, blues, jazz, and rap.

Satisfies Africana Studies major requirement
Satisfies Visual and Performing Arts requirement

MUS 155 - Applied Music

Auditions take place the first week of Fall semester.  After auditioning, students register on the music webpage.  Spring registration takes place during course preferences registration or regular drop/add.

Applied instruction designed for students with previous vocal or instrumental training.  Ability to read music is required.  Must successfully complete jury at end of each semester of study. See instructor for competency levels and literature requirements.

Prerequisites & Notes
Permission of instructor required. One credit for two consecutive semesters. Can be repeated for credit. Additional Fee Info

MUS 195 - Independent Study

MUS 201 - Harmony

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required.

MUS 221 - Studies of Composers & Styles: Theft & Creativity

This course will consider a diverse variety of musical styles by following how musical ideas get re-used.  Sometimes these re-uses are considered theft but other times they are regarded as an homage or borrowing.  Using as our central text a recent graphic novel written by law professors called Theft! A History of Music, this course will look at the issues surrounding musical borrowing, alluding, quoting, sampling, and stealing.  Poet and literary critic T.S. Eliot posited that “immature poets imitate; mature poets steal,” and a similar sentiment has been attributed to the composer Igor Stravinsky.  But is it really a question of maturity and artistic development?  Who gets to own music, and how?  What rights do creators have to use the music of others?  How has copyright law developed and how does it balance questions of freedom and control?  Our case studies will include works of jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rap, and film music.
No prerequisite.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts distribution requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
Repeatable for credit.

MUS 222 - Varying topics in music history

Spring 2020

Title:Studies of Composers and Styles:Women in Music

Instructor
Keith

A study of music composed, performed, conducted, managed, and inspired by women. Through extensive listening, video screenings, readings, and discussion, this course will examine multiple case studies of women who have contributed to the development of music since the Middle Ages. Basic music concepts and history will be introduced in conjunction with each of the case studies. No previous background in music is required.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
Repeatable for credit.

MUS 223 - Studies of Composers and Styles

Courses concentrating upon specific varying topics in music history.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Repeatable for credit.

MUS 224 - The Symphony

MUS 226 - Opera

MUS 227 - History of the Orchestra

The social and institutional history of the orchestra in Western civilization from the Baroque to the present. 

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. (Normally offered in alternate years)

MUS 228 - Film Music

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. 

MUS 229 - American Culture of The 1950s

A cultural analysis and history of America from the 1950s, informed by an interdisciplinary blend of texts and methodologies borrowed from musicology, literary analysis, film studies, art history, and cultural studies. While the primary emphasis will be on music (e.g., bebop, cool, rock & roll, modernism), close attention will also be given to visual art (e.g., Abstract Expressionism), literature (e.g., the Beats), and film.

Prerequisites & Notes

Music 122 or permission of instructor. (Normally offered in alternate years)

MUS 232 - Jazz

Satisfies a requirement in the Africana Studies major (Geographic Region: North America).
Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required.
(Normally offered in fall of alternate years.)

MUS 233 - American Musical Theatre

An introduction to the history and literature of the Broadway musical. Greatest emphasis is placed on the period beginning with Oklahoma! and continuing to the present.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 
Satisfies Dance minor requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. (Normally offered in alternate years)

MUS 234 - Music of the Southern Appalachians

An exploration of the vocal and instrumental traditions of the Southern Appalachians, with emphasis upon traditions of Madison County, Wilkes County, and Surry County, NC. Focus will be upon unaccompanied ballads and tunes for fiddle and banjo. Activities will include performance, field recording, historical research and festival attendance.

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. (Spring)

MUS 235 - Special Topics in Music: Voicing Self

What does your voice do? Why is it that you can recognize someone almost instantly from the sound of their voice? Is there such a thing as “black voice”? If so, what is it? How do different cultures and people use voice to navigate social, political, and cultural issues, particular issues of community and identity? These questions will propel our uncanny foray into investigating voice as both a medium and metaphor, used for belonging to and critiquing systems of oppression. This course will be a broad overview of the ways in which voice intersects with race, gender, and sexuality. We will address the role of the voice in a broad range of genres and musical styles including queer lip-synching, “sonic blackness,” gospel worship, beat boxing, auto-tune, throat singing, and eunuchs. As we navigate these domains, we will address topics of authenticity, appropriation, voices of technology, and identity.  

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required.

MUS 236 - Afrofuturism

What can music offer a group of people who have been symbolically annihilated in practically every facet of life? In the Cold War era, dominated and framed by the Space Race, framed by utopic images of a post-human world (think of the Jetsons), the absence of black representation was profound. It underlined a white utopia that eradicated the physical bodies of black humans. Scientific and creative outlets were imagining futures seemingly unthinkable in their advancement-living side-by-side with robots, partaking in time travel, flying cars-yet the racial imagination was still strained. We will discuss the conditions of possibility or the conditions of necessity for the emergence of Afrofuturism, decode some of its far out and psychedelic word play and symbology, and we will discuss the influences Afrofuturism has had on the present. Our discussion of Afrofuturism will largely focus on the music, the “sonic fiction[s]” created by artists such as: Sun Ra and his Arkestra, George Clinton’s band Parliament-Funkadelic, LaBelle, Janelle Monáe and her android alter-ego Cindi Mayweather, and Drexciya and their underwater nation, among others. 

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement

MUS 237 - Minimalism/Postminimalism

The aesthetic known as “minimalism” has been characterized in a number of ways, among them “repetitive,” “hypnotic,” “passionless,” “trance,” “stuck-record,” and “process.” A leading scholar of the style known as “minimalism,” musicologist Robert Fink has listed negative reactions to this music that include being “a kind of social pathology, as an aural sign that American audiences are primitive and uneducated…that kids nowadays just want to get stoned…that traditional Western cultural values have eroded in the liberal wake of the 1960s…that minimalist repetition is dangerously seductive propaganda, akin to Hitler’s speeches and advertising…and even that the commodity-fetishism of modern capitalism has fatally trapped the autonomous self in minimalist narcissism” (Repeating Ourselves: American Minimal Music as Cultural Practice, 2005). Emerging in the late 1960s and early 1970s, this style both borrowed from as well as influenced various popular musics (like disco and punk, among others) with its emphasis on steady pulses and repeating harmonic structures. In this course we will examine the various historical and cultural forces that led to minimalism’s appearance in the work of composers like Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass, but we will also give attention to figures who have previously been left out of minimalism’s historiography like Julius Eastman and Laurie Anderson. We will also get to later generations of minimalist and postminimalist composers like John Adams-whose 2005 opera Doctor Atomic told the story of Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb in a live theatrical setting as opposed to Christopher Nolan’s cinematic imagining of the same things-as well as to ways minimal style has existed in possibly unexpected places such as pinball, video games, and electronic dance music. We will read and listen and discuss and write about this music and its cultural significance. The course has no prerequisite but students registering for MUS 337 will be expected to have some experience with musical notation and theory.

MUS 241 - Music of Latin America (=MUS 341)

Satisfies a requirement in the Africana Studies major (Geographic Region: Latin America/Caribbean).
Satisfies a requirement in the Latin American Studies major and interdiscipilnary minor.
Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.  

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. Music majors should register for MUS 341.
(normally offered in alternate years.)

MUS 242 - Music of Asia

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.  Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement. 

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. Normally offered in alternate years.

MUS 245 - Music in World Religions

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.  Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.  

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required. Normally offered in alternate years.

MUS 246 - Music of Brazil (=MUS 346)

Satisfies a requirement in the Africana Studies major (Geographic Region: Latin America/Caribbean).
Satisfies a requirement in the Latin American Studies major and minor.
Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement. 
Satisfies the cultural diversity requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
No music training required.  Music majors should register for MUS 346
(Fall; normally offered in alternate years.)

MUS 255 - Applied Music: Intermediate

Registration takes place on the music web page during course preferences registration or regular drop/add for Fall semester.

Applied instruction designed for students with previous vocal or instrumental training. Must successfully complete jury at the end of each semester of study. See instructor for competency levels and literature requirements.

Prerequisites & Notes
Music 155 or permission of instructor.  One credit for two consecutive semesters. Can be repeated for credit. Additional Fee Info

MUS 261 - Introduction to Composition

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
Music 101 or permission of instructor. (Normally offered in alternate years)

MUS 262 - Songwriting and Transcription

Composition in popular song form and transcription techniques using current lead sheet format. Emphasis on developing aural perception and notational skills. 

Satisfies the Visual and Performing Arts requirement.

Prerequisites & Notes
MUS 101 or permission of instructor required. (Fall; normally offered in alternate years.)