General university degree requirements stipulate that 1) at least four units of the major or three units of the minor be taken in residence at Puget Sound; 2) students earn at least a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken for the major or the minor; and 3) all courses taken for a major or minor must be taken for graded credit. Any exceptions to these stipulations are indicated in the major and minor degree requirements listed below.
Music majors and minors must receive a grade of C- or better in all courses required by the School of Music. A course in which the student receives less than a C- will not satisfy the graduation requirements of the School of Music. Music Education majors must receive a grade of C or better in all required courses to fulfill Washington State teacher certification requirements. For transfer students, courses more than 10 years old on their transcripts cannot be included toward a major or minor offered by the School of Music.
Graduates will be able to achieve Washington State teacher certification by completing the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. (The M.A.T. program is described in the Education section of the Graduate Bulletin.) Within a five-year program, students earn both a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching. The Bachelor of Music in Music Education is a prerequisite in the Master of Arts in Teaching degree with certification in music. Application to the M.A.T. takes place in the senior year. Details are available from the School of Education.
An endorsement in music requires completion of the major. Licensed, practicing teachers who wish to apply for completion of music certification, which includes completion of all music education major courses, should send a letter of application outlining previous certification, experience and goals, all transcripts, and a copy of their Washington teaching license. All unlicensed teacher applicants will be expected to complete the music education major and the fifth-year M.A.T. program for teacher certification in music