MHIS

Subject

MHIS

Type

alias

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered online). 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to music majors, music minors and students pursuing a concentration or minor in musical theatre. Study of fundamental written music notation, tone (harmonic series, timbre, instruments in the orchestra) and structure. Aural skill development parallels theoretical studies for integrated learning of notation and sound.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered online). 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students majoring or minoring in music. The class focuses on studying music within its own cultural context, and will explore the countless ways that music can sound, look and be meaningful. Much of the music in the world looks and sounds very different from music typically studied in U.S. university programs. This music often involves different instruments, scales, rhythms, ways of participating and ways of thinking.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture and 3 laboratory hours. 4 credits. Open to music majors and minors only. The application of music theory, aural skills and keyboard knowledge are combined in the study of harmonic and melodic structure. Activity begins with rudiments and progresses to diatonic harmony. Emphasis is placed upon the development of aural skills as applied to the presented material.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture and 3 laboratory hours. 4 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 145. Open to music majors and minors only. The application of music theory, aural skills and keyboard knowledge are combined in the study of harmonic and melodic structure. Activity begins with harmonic voicing and progresses to secondary harmony as applied to phrase structure in music. Emphasis is placed upon the development of aural skills as applied to the presented material.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 145. Theoretical and aural recognition of established melodic, harmonic and rhythmic traditions within jazz so as to apply successfully to creative performance-practice and composition-arranging pursuits.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Not open to music majors. Designed to encourage understanding of music from selected periods. Development of active cognitive listening skills through guided listening to selected recorded music.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 1 lecture and 2 laboratory hours. 3 credits. Designed for the purpose of developing familiarity with the elements of music that are part of a successful performance and listening experience. Weekly attendance at both VCU and external events is part of the criteria to develop students' awareness of the creative process in shaping a musical performance.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture and 3 laboratory hours. 4 credits. Prerequisites: MHIS 146. Open to music majors. The application of music theory, aural skills and keyboard knowledge are combined in the study of harmonic and melodic structure. Second year studies continue with chromatic harmony and modulations. Emphasis is placed upon the development of aural skills as applied to the presented material.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture and 3 laboratory hours. 4 credits. Prerequisites: MHIS 245. Open to music majors. The application of music theory, aural skills and keyboard knowledge are combined in the study of harmonic and melodic structure. Final semester of study continues with chromatic harmony and concludes with modern techniques as applied to form in music. Elements of popular styles and jazz are incorporated as appropriate. Emphasis is placed upon the development of aural skills as applied to the presented material.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online). 3 credits. A music history course studying the origins of today’s popular music. Attention will be given to comprehensive study of the timeline of popular music starting in the late-19th century and ending with present-day popular music. Emphasis will be placed on understanding social and cultural impacts on popular music in America and vice versa. Additional emphasis will focus on the ability to tie in historical elements while discussing and reflecting on current popular music trends and popular music’s influence around the world. The primary objectives for students in this class are to gain comprehensive knowledge of American popular music from the 19th century to the present, distinguish related musical styles that influenced the development of American popular music and be able to properly recognize American popular musical styles aurally.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online). 3 credits. This class will serve as an introduction to music from around the world. Students will learn to identify musical genres and their instruments. In addition to covering the musical characteristics of each geographical area students will take an ethnomusicological approach and explore the social, political and cultural context within which each genre is played.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 1 lecture and 1 laboratory hour. 2 credits. Prerequisites: APPM 174 or APPM 374; and MHIS 245. Application of musical analysis, composition, keyboard and ear training in holistic and integrated assignments and projects. Group assignments will lead to development of self-directed project.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits. Flexible semester courses in selected aspects of music theory, literature or history. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Repeatable

May be repeated for a maximum of six credits.

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to all music majors or by permission of the head of piano performance. An in-depth exploration of the process of evolution of the piano repertoire and a survey of staple piano compositions from the Baroque to the Early Romantic periods. Listening, reading and writing assignments included.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to all music majors or by permission of the head of piano performance. An in-depth exploration of the process of evolution of the piano repertoire and a survey of staple piano compositions from the Romantic to the Modern period. Listening, reading and writing assignments included.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 245. An analytical study of musical forms and salient features of melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre of late Baroque, Classical, early and late Romantic compositions.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 245. Study of traditional and new approaches to form in the music of the 20th century. Examination of post-tonal harmony as a determinant of form, formal aspects of motivicism, contour, rhythm, register, timbre and texture.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: A 100- or 200-level physics course or equivalent and the ability to read music or sing or play a musical instrument, or permission of instructor. Basics of the physics of waves and sound. Fourier synthesis, tone quality, human ear and voice, musical temperament and pitch, physics of musical instruments, electronic synthesizers, sound recording and reproduction, room and auditorium acoustics. Not applicable toward the physics major. Crosslisted as: PHYS 307.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: MHIS 147 and MHIS 245. A study of the basic harmonic, melodic, notational and orchestrational techniques needed to draft a successful jazz arrangement. Students will write arrangements for quartet and quintet, and the final project will be to write an arrangement for an eight-piece jazz ensemble.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 311. Advanced harmonic, melodic and orchestrational techniques applied to writing for the small jazz ensemble, vocal group and large jazz orchestra.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered online). 2 credits. A study of classical music from antiquity through the Classical Era. Students will learn correlations between musical works, composers and the cultures/societies in which the works were composed. Students will read about, listen to, review and write about a diverse and inclusive variety of works by a similarly diverse and inclusive pool of compositional and performing artists, including under-represented artists of African descent and figures in the LGBTQ+ community. Students will learn a diverse array of musical terminology including, but not limited to, genres, terms, forms and directives, and will discover ways to apply such terminology in their current music-making activities.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered online). 2 credits. A study of classical music from the Romantic Era through present day. Students will learn correlations between musical works, composers and the cultures/societies in which the works were composed. Students will read about, listen to, review and write about a diverse and inclusive variety of works by a similarly diverse and inclusive pool of compositional and performing artists, including under-represented artists of African descent and figures in the LGBTQ+ community. Students will learn a diverse array of musical terminology including, but not limited to, genres, terms, forms and directives, and will discover ways to apply such terminology in their current music-making activities.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 120. Study of jazz in a historical context from pre-jazz roots to contemporary styles.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 305. An overview of all symphonies will be the basis for an in-depth analysis of selected movements.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Topics include copyright, business organization, music production, management, recording, freelancing, grants, taxation and careers allied with music.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester courses; variable hours. 1-6 credits per semester. Maximum total of 6 credits. Determination of the amount of credit and permission of the instructor and department chair must be obtained prior to registration for the course. Open generally only to students of junior and senior standing who have individual interests in areas not otherwise available to the student.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 312. Arranging and performance-practice techniques across selected jazz styles.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 321 or 322. Historical and analytical study of selected symphonies from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MHIS 321 or 322. Historical and analytical study of selected musical theatre productions from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to music majors and music minors. A survey of western classical art song repertoire from 1760-1950 with emphasis on German lieder, French melodies (diacritical accent), and Spanish, British and American songs. A diverse array of composers from the following style periods will be studied: Rococo, Classical, Romantic, Post-Romantic, Impressionism, atonality and serialism, and other 20th-century styles.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. An overview of the music of Duke Ellington. Lectures and presentations on Ellington recordings, writings and sources of his influences will serve as content for overview.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of nine credits. Flexible semester courses in selected aspects of music theory, literature or history. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Repeatable

May be repeated for a maximum of nine credits.

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester courses; variable hours. 1-6 credits per semester. Maximum total of 6 credits. Determination of the amount of credit and permission of the instructor and department chair must be obtained prior to registration for the course. Open generally only to students of junior and senior standing who have individual interests in areas not otherwise available to the student.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester course; variable hours. 1-3 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 credits. Flexible term courses in selected aspects of music performance, theory, literature, or history. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Repeatable

May be repeated for a maximum of 9 credits.

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu

Semester courses; 1-6 credits. Prerequisites: permission of supervising faculty member, adviser and department chair. Open only to degree-seeking graduate students in music. Individual work in an area not otherwise available to the student.

Subject

MHIS

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Hours

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Catalog

Bulletin 2026-27

Source

bulletin.vcu.edu