Contact: Tim Seydel, 541-962-3585 / tseydel@eou.edu
Source: Matt Cooper, 541-962-3559 / mcooper@eou.edu
La Grande, Oregon - Students pursuing a university degree in music now have a new and innovative option at Eastern Oregon University.
The new Bachelor of Music degree at EOU was approved by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education in June, and is now fully up and running on the La Grande campus.
"We are very pleased with the new program," said EOU President Khosrow Fatemi. "EOU is well known for its outstanding music faculty and existing music programs. Students will now have the opportunity to gain a degree that is tailored for success, whether they are a traditional or transfer student, looking towards careers in music and performance or academic pursuits."
The University has also targeted the Music Department for enrollment growth. EOU is dedicating $20,000 in fee remissions for new freshman or transfer students entering in Fall 2005. The fee remissions are renewable for four years. Fee remissions will be offered to new majors in the Bachelor of Music degree program, and will be based on the student's GPA and SAT/ACT scores.
"The music faculty developed this new program to provide students with an education that enables them to pursue a number of avenues after graduation, including the possibility of fifth-year masters programs leading to the K-12 music endorsement," said Matt Cooper, professor of music. "In addition to the new program, we feel that the fee remissions will prove to be very attractive package for students throughout the region."
The fee remissions are offered in addition to several endowed music scholarships. The Music Department has set a goal of growing the new degree program by recruiting 20 new music majors for Fall 2005. Entering freshmen who wish to apply for fee remissions must do so by February 1, 2005; new transfer students must apply by May 1. Students who apply by the early application deadline of Dec. 1, 2004 will be eligible for higher awards.
The new degree program combines 120 credit hours in music with 60 credit hours of General Education, and classes in theory, musicianship, and music education prepare students for multiple career options, from classroom teaching to conducting, performance or graduate degree programs.
Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Music degree will be prepared to take the Praxis exam and apply for admission to fifth-year masters programs such as the Master of Teacher Education. Students completing the MTE program would be licensed to teach K-12 music.
The Bachelor of Music program is particularly suited to students who have completed the Associate of Arts degree at a community college in the Northwest. Students who have completed the AA degree will be considered to have completed all of the General Education requirements (under the AAOT program). This means that such students will be able to focus exclusively on music courses for their last two years of college.
Eastern Oregon University, ranked number two in the nation as a "Best Value for Public Colleges and Universities" by Consumers Digest magazine, offers exceptional faculty, personal attention and attractive facilities in a remarkable setting in La Grande, Oregon and at 16 distance learning Centers throughout the state. At EOU, students engage in undergraduate research, internships and cooperative opportunities, international experiences and community service for today's global society. EOU is a student-centered campus, measuring its success by the achievements of its students.
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Eastern Oregon University
University Advancement
One University Boulevard
Ackerman Hall, Room 209
La Grande, OR 97850
Phone: 541-962-3740
Fax: 541-962-3680
Email: advancement@eou.edu