Minors & Certificates

Minors and Certificates are intended to recognize a coherent sequence of courses in a particular area and serve as recognition of the completion of in-depth study. Unless otherwise stipulated by your School or department, the following minors are available to SMTD students. For information on minor or certificate declaration, please see the appropriate department.

Note that the Minor in Music welcomes non-SMTD enrolled students with an interest in music creativity and performance, from any degree program on campus.

Undergraduate Minors

Dance

Applying and Advising: Students interested in the Dance minor should contact faculty member Missy Beck. Applicants who have not taken U-M Dance Department technique courses at the 101-level or above should send a video of at least one minute in length that demonstrates dance proficiency and a one-page dance resume to Missy Beck. Pending review and acceptance, the student is invited to enroll in Dance 101, 102, 103, or 104 as an entry-level course in the program. All eligible U-M undergraduate students may apply.

Students will follow requirements for the year in which the Minor was declared.

Minor in Dance: 2024-2025 Requirements

Minor in Dance: 2023-2024 Requirements

Global and Ethnic Performance Studies

The Global and Ethnic Performance Studies minor teaches students how to analyze, perform, and create works emerging from diverse cultural contexts. Students will develop skills in multicultural and intercultural performance analysis, historical/cultural research, and critical thought and public performance. Students will also engage in organizing, networking, and interacting with diverse cultural communities.

The minor complements existing programs in SMTD, LSA, Art and Design, and the Residential College by providing students with global and diverse perspectives on performance. For performance majors (Theatre, Music, and Dance), the minor builds upon traditional arts training and enhances job prospects in an increasingly interdependent cultural economy. For non-theatre majors, the minor provides experiences in performance practice, playmaking, and theatre studies.

Applying and Advising: Students interested in the Global and Ethnic Performance Studies minor should contact Professor Mbala Nkanga.

Minor in Global and Ethnic Performance Studies: 2024-2025 Requirements

Minor in Global and Ethnic Performance Studies: 2023-2024 Requirements

Musical Theatre Composition

Applying and Advising: Students interested in the Musical Theatre Composition​ minor should contact Professor Lynne Shankel. At this time, the Musical Theatre Composition minor is only available to students in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Students will follow requirements for the year in which the Minor was declared.

Minor in Musical Theatre Composition: 2024-2025 Curriculum

Minor in Musical Theatre Composition: 2023-2024 Curriculum

Performing Arts Management and Entrepreneurship (PAME)

The SMTD minor in Performing Arts Management and Entrepreneurship (PAME) invites exceptional students to add arts management and venture training to their academic portfolio. Such training is intended to amplify the careers of students engaged with the performing arts through knowledge, skills, and hands-on experiences to increase and broaden the impact of their creative talents. Similarly, students in Business, Communications, Design, or other programs throughout the University can add an arts business dimension to their curriculum. Understanding ideation, budgeting, fundraising, project management, marketing, production, social impact, corporate structures, and creative problem solving techniques can help advance all careers in the arts. Whether working independently, within a for-profit or social-profit institution, or most likely in some combination of ventures, performing arts management and entrepreneurship training amplifies the symbiosis of artistry, business, and community that enriches the performing arts and culture as a whole.

Applying and Advising: Students interested in the PAME minor should contact Professor Jay Pension. The PAME minor is open to all eligible U-M undergraduate students. Those interested in this minor must take at least one course from the list of gateway courses to become eligible for the minor. Once a gateway course is completed successfully, the student may contact Prof. Pension to declare the minor.

Conditions: An overall GPA of 2.0 or above within the minor must be achieved; all courses used to fulfill minor requirements must be elected both for credit and for a grade; students may elect both an LSA music minor and the PAME minor; up to six credits earned outside of U-M or its sponsored programs may be used to fulfill requirements for the minor.

Exclusions: Production practica are not eligible courses for the minor; no more than two courses fulfilling a requirement in the PAME minor may simultaneously be counted to cover another degree requirement; AP credits may not be used to satisfy minor requirements.

Students will follow requirements for the year in which the Minor was declared.

Minor in Performing Arts Management & Entrepreneurship: 2024-2025 Requirements

Minor in Performing Arts Management & Entrepreneurship: 2023-2024 Requirements

Playwriting

The Playwriting minor focuses on principles and techniques for the composition of creative works in theatre, as well as possible exploration in different writing genres (i.e. screenwriting, fiction, and poetry). The minor includes in-depth instruction in the craft of writing, analysis, script editing/reading, and possible creation of full production(s). The minor is open to all undergraduate U-M students.

Applying and Advising: Students interested in the Playwriting minor should contact Professor José Casas. Students in the playwriting minor must adhere to any prerequisites that are required of any given class.

Conditions & Exclusions: Up to six credits earned outside of U-M or its sponsored programs may be used to fulfill requirements for the minor; No more than one course fulfilling a requirement in the Playwriting minor may simultaneously be counted to cover another degree requirement.

Students will follow requirements for the year in which the Minor was declared.

Minor in Playwriting: 2024-2025 Requirements

Minor in Playwriting: 2023-2024 Requirements

Popular Music Studies

Applying and Advising: Students interested in the Popular Music Studies minor should contact Professor Carlos Rodriguez. At this time, the Popular Music Studies minor is only available to students in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Students will follow requirements for the year in which the Minor was declared.

Minor in Popular Music Studies: 2024-2025 Requirements

Minor in Popular Music Studies: 2023-2024 Requirements

 

Theatre Design & Production

Applying and Advising: Students interested in the Theatre Design and Production minor should contact Professor Jess Fialko.

Students will follow requirements for the year in which the Minor was declared.

Minor in Theatre Design and Production: 2024-2025 Curriculum

Minor in Theatre Design and Production: 2023-2024 Curriculum

Non-SMTD Minors

SMTD students are given the option of electing one or more academic minors offered by other Schools/Colleges at U-M (listed below). Students who declare and complete an approved academic minor will receive a notation on their student transcript but not on their diploma. Students should meet with an advisor in the School/College or area of discipline to discuss minor requirements and declaration.

Schools/Colleges offering Minors available to SMTD students:

College of Engineering

College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA)

Ford School of Public Policy

Ross School of Business

School of Information

School of Social Work

Stamps School of Art and Design

Taubman College

Graduate Certificates

Graduate Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship & Leadership

Applying and Advising: Admission to the program is granted on a rolling basis and students are encouraged to apply at any time. Students who wish to pursue the certificate are encouraged to apply as early in their programs as possible. Current U-M students must be in good standing and interested students should meet with a Department of Entrepreneurship and Leadership advisor to map a course of study prior to submitting their application. Students who are not currently enrolled at U-M may apply directly to earn the graduate certificate.

Exclusions: Artsadmn courses can be used to satisfy any of the certificate requirements. Only internship or independent study courses may be used more than once to satisfy a requirement and only one such repeated class can be included in the certificate. The Graduate Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship & Leadership is administered by the Rackham Graduate School. Rackham academic policies governing Certificates of Graduate Studies apply. No more than one-sixth of the credits (5.0 credits) required for a master’s degree may simultaneously be counted toward the Arts Entrepreneurship & Leadership certificate.

Requirements: Graduate course work totaling 12 credit hours. The certificate requires students to complete at least one Artsadmn Graduate Gateway course, a minimum of two electives, and at least one practicum or independent study in Artsadmn, during which students will complete a capstone project, developed with a supervising faculty member or EXCEL administrative mentor.

Required ARTSADMN Graduate Gateway Courses

(Minimum 1 course selected from the following)
ARTSADMN 550: Arts Entrepreneurship Essentials (3 credits)
ARTSADMN 572: Business of Music (3 credits)
ARTSADMN 575: Music Industry Workshop: Starting Music Business (3 credits)
ARTSADMN 577: Creating Social Value through the Arts (3 credits)

Elective ARTSADMN Courses

ARTSADMN 501: Your Career in the Arts (1 credits)
ARTSADMN 502: Money Smarts for Artists (1 credits)
ARTSADMN 506.001: Special Topics: Creative Entrepreneurship (3 credits)
ARTSADMN 506.002: Special Topics: Arts Leadership Forum (3 credits)
ARTSADMN 510: Arts Entrepreneurship Forum (1-2 credits)
ARTSADMN 521: DIY Marketing and Social Media (1 credit)
ARTSADMN 522: Writing about Your Art (1 credit)
ARTSADMN 523: Grant Writing and Fundraising Basics (1 credit)
ARSTADMN 524: Legal Essentials for Artists (1 credit)
ARTSADMN 526: Fundraising and the Arts (2 credits)
ARTSADMN 528: Arts Leadership (1 credit)
ARTSADMN 531: Running Your Own Ensemble, Theatre Troupe, or Dance Company (1 credit)
ARTSADMN 532: The Recording Industry (1 credit)
ARTSADMN 533: Media Technology Careers (1 credit)
ARTSADMN 535: Producing in the American Theatre (3 credits)
ARTSADMN 538: Legal Issues in the Arts (3 credits)
Other related courses by petition and approval of the PAME/EXCEL academic advisor. (variable credits)
This may include up to one graduate course of at least 3 credits in any other U-M school or department, contributing to the student’s critical understanding of business, entrepreneurship, management, strategy, marketing, social service, or leadership

Practica

(Complete a capstone project, developed with a supervising faculty member or EXCEL administrative mentor, through at least one of the following courses)
ARTSADMN 591: Internship (1-4 credits)
ARTSADMN 593: Special Projects (1-3 credits)
ARTSADMN 595: EXCELerator Practicum (1-3 credits)
ARTSADMN 597: Community Service Project (1-3 credits)

Graduate Certificate in World Performance Studies

The Graduate Certificate in World Performance Studies (GCWPS), offered through the Center for World Performance Studies, provides students an opportunity to join an interdisciplinary cohort of Graduate Fellows, interested in performance as an artistic and scholarly field of inquiry.

For detailed information on admission and curricular requirements, please see the Center for World Performance Studies website.

Graduate Certificate Program in Musicology

The Graduate Certificate Program in Musicology is designed to prepare a Music DMA/PhD student to teach introductory courses in musicology and ethnomusicology at the undergraduate level. The Certificate requires 15 credits – including Musicology 501, 502, and 509, one Musicology 500level elective, and one Musicology 600-level elective – as well as a 50-minute teaching presentation followed by an oral examination. Required coursework taken to fulfill Musicology curriculum requirements for SMTD DMA and Rackham PhD programs may double count towards fulfilling the Certificate coursework requirement. Any additional coursework taken by DMA/PhD students to satisfy the Musicology “Coursework Alternative” (to the Musicology General Preliminary Examination) is not required for, and does not apply to, the Certificate coursework requirement.

In keeping with Rackham guidelines, students must apply separately to the graduate Certificate Program in Musicology. Applicants must demonstrate aptitude for historical and ethnomusicological study of music by submitting a brief statement of interest, CV/resumé, grade transcripts, and a sample of their written work to be reviewed by the faculty director (or faculty committee) that oversees the Certificate Program in Musicology.

Certificate Curriculum

A core of three required courses designed to augment and refine students’ understanding of the methods, materials, and approaches available to scholars and teachers in the field of musicology:

  • Musicology 501 (Musicology Research Methods: Historical Musicology), 3 cr
  • Musicology 502 (Musicology Research Methods: Ethnomusicology), 3 cr
  • Musicology 509 (Musicology Pedagogy), 3 cr
  • One additional Musicology 500-level elective, 3 credits (double counted)
  • One additional Musicology 600-level elective, 3 credits (double counted)

In order to guarantee a sufficient mastery of the skills developed in each course, students will be required to attain an average grade of “B” or higher in courses chosen to count toward the Graduate Certificate in Musicology.

Final Teaching Presentation

Students will prepare a 50-minute teaching presentation on a topic chosen by the student and approved by the faculty director (or faculty committee) that oversees the Certificate Program in Musicology. The aim is to put the student into the sort of situation that a future teaching position might involve on a daily basis. Department faculty and students as well as guests invited by the certificate student may attend the teaching presentation. The teaching presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session with a Musicology faculty committee about the preparation, design, content, delivery, and teaching objectives of the presentation. Faculty guidance in teaching is an important component of the Certificate program. In addition to completing Musicol 509, a required three-credit course on Musicology Pedagogy, students must consult with a Musicology faculty mentor of their choice while designing and preparing the teaching presentation. It is not required that the student enroll in an independent study course such as Musicology 581 to prepare for the teaching presentation.

Sample Path to Complete All Musicology Requirements and Graduate Certificate

Music Bibliography Course

  • MUSICOL 503 (or petition for a waiver to satisfy MUSICOL 503 with prior coursework)

Basic SMTD/Rackham Musicology requirements

  • 1 course in MUSICOL 500-level or above (excluding MUSICOL 501, 502, 503, 509)
  • 1 course in MUSICOL 500-level or above (excluding MUSICOL 501, 502, 503, 509)
  • 1 course in MUSICOL 600-level or above

SMTD/Rackham Coursework Alternative (or test out of coursework alternative to satisfy requirement)

  • 1 course in MUSICOL 500-level or above (excluding MUSICOL 501, 502, 503, 509)
  • 1 course in MUSICOL 500-level or above (excluding MUSICOL 501, 502, 503, 509)

Certificate Requirements (beyond all other courses above)

  • MUSICOL 501 (Musicology Research Methods: Historical Musicology)
  • MUSICOL 502 (Musicology Research Methods: Ethnomusicology)
  • MUSICOL 509 (Musicology Pedagogy)
  • Final teaching presentation with oral exam component

Admission Procedure

In keeping with Rackham Guidelines for Certificate Programs, students apply separately to the Certificate Program.

In order to qualify for consideration for admission to the program, students must be enrolled in one of SMTD’s doctoral programs and have satisfied all of the elements of the Transfer Proficiency Examination, including the 20th-century component. This may be accomplished by taking the exams, or successfully completing the appropriate courses.

To add the Certificate Program in Musicology to your degree:

  • Complete the SMTD Artistic Profile application

    • Upload your academic transcripts (including SMTD transcripts)

    • Personal Statement explaining what you hope to achieve in the program

    • Recommendation letter from a current Musicology faculty member (optional, but recommended)

  • Complete the Rackham Graduate School’s online Add a Degree or Certificate Program.

In order to be accepted into the program, students must demonstrate particular aptitude for musicology. This may be demonstrated by:

  • Sample of written work on a musicological topic

Graduate Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy

The SMTD and its faculty in Music Theory offer a Graduate Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy to students enrolled in the doctoral (DMA, PhD, and EdD) programs. This program consists of five courses plus an examination. It is designed to enrich the student’s knowledge of the foundations of music theoretical study and prepare the student for teaching music theory and musicianship at the undergraduate level.

A significant professional benefit of the program is its certification of the student to teach music theory and musicianship courses at the undergraduate level, in addition to the area of his or her doctoral degree. As most students in all of the doctoral programs of the SMTD will be spending at least part of their careers in academic positions, and given the increasing need for broadly based teachers with interdisciplinary skills in institutions of higher learning, the faculty believe a Graduate Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy, in combination with a doctoral degree, will broaden the range of possible career choices.

Additional professional benefits may be accounted for in two ways. First, an expanded knowledge of musical structure will enrich the student’s repertoire of tools and techniques for dealing with the challenges of his or her primary endeavors, be they performance, composition, or scholarly research. Second, a study of techniques for teaching music theory will enhance the student’s approaches to teaching in general.

The Program

The Graduate Certificate is overseen by a committee drawn from the graduate faculty of the Theory Department. The program consists of five courses totaling 15 hours of graduate credit, plus an oral examination. Four courses are required, while the fifth is elected in consultation with the student’s Graduate Certificate advisor.

The required courses include:

  • THEORY 531 (Schenkerian Theory and Analysis I)
  • THEORY 534 (20th Century Music: Theory and Analysis)
  • THEORY 542 (18th CEntury Counterpoint I)
  • THEORY 590 (Teaching Tonal Theory)

These courses are chosen to augment and refine students’ understanding of the various theoretical systems and methods that are the backbone of the entire undergraduate and graduate theory curriculum. These include the theories of harmony, counterpoint, form, and more, not only in music of the common practice period but of the past century as well. Though Heinrich Schenker’s method is the only one here identified by name, all of these are recognized systems of thought in the field. Schenker’s approach synthesizes hands-on skills like figured bass realization with more intellectual tasks, and it is thus a suitable culmination to studies in music theory.

The fifth course may be elected from:

  • THEORY 532 (Schenkerian Theory and Analysis II)
  • THEORY 537 (Proseminar in the Analysis of Music)
  • THEORY 540 (Species Counterpoint I)
  • THEORY 543 (18th Century Counterpoint II)
  • THEORY 552 (Tonal Composition)

or other suitable courses, such as:

  • THEORY 560 (Special Studies) Recent offerings have included Analysis for Performance, Advanced Schenkerian Analysis, Gender and Popular Music, Tonal Harmony as an Expressive Resource, ‘Difficult’ Music, and Writing about Music.

Any of these courses may supplement the four required courses, depending on the particular special interests of the student.

While the four required courses need not be taken in any order, it is highly recommended that THEORY 542 be taken concurrently with, or before THEORY 531. The fifth course may be elected at any time in the program, with the exceptions of THEORY 543 (which must follow THEORY 542) and THEORY 532 (which must follow THEORY 531).

In order to guarantee a sufficient mastery of the skills developed in each course, students will be required to attain a grade of “A-” or higher. Additionally, students will be subject to evaluation of all necessary skills during the final oral examination.

Final Oral Examination

The final oral examination will consist of a presentation of a class on a topic chosen by a Faculty Committee of the Music Theory Department, plus a subsequent question and answer session with the committee on any and all of the skills studied during the course of the program. This oral examination serves as the final requirement for the Graduate Certificate in Music Theory Pedagogy; students who pass this exam and satisfy published requirements for coursework and grades will earn the Graduate Certificate.

Requirements
Teach a lesson (50 minutes); Ten days prior to the exam, the examinee will receive the topic for the lesson and a general description of the course for which the teaching should be imagined. The teaching will typically be in one of the following areas:

  • a topic in harmony at the first or second year level
  • a topic in analysis
  • model composition

The examinee will be asked to present (a) a written course outline showing the position of the lesson within the semester curriculum and (b) a 50 minute lesson on the topic. The lesson must include the following elements:

  • a lesson plan
  • a handout
  • an assignment for the previous class, due the current one
  • an assignment to be given during the current class, due at a later class meeting
  • satisfactory posing and answering of questions

Evaluation of student work (20 – 30 minutes): The examinee will be asked to evaluate a student exercise in writing (model composition or part-writing) or tonal analysis, noting technical and stylistic flaws, making suggestions for improvement, and answering questions on pedagogical issues that arise from the student exercise.

The examination will be evaluated by a committee of members of the Music Theory faculty, and will be graded on a pass-fail basis. The judgment will be collective.

Admission Procedure

Students apply separately to the Graduate Certificate.

In order to qualify for consideration for admission to the program, students must:

  • be enrolled in one of the SMTD’s doctoral programs (DMA, PhD, EdD)
  • have satisfied all of the elements of the Transfer Proficiency Examination, including the 20th century component. This may be accomplished by taking the exams, or successfully completing the appropriate courses

In order to be accepted into the program, students must demonstrate particular aptitude for music theoretical study. This may be demonstrated by:

  • samples of theoretical work, including both analytical or theoretical papers and samples of music writing, such as part-writing or counterpoint exercises
  • interview by a Faculty Committee from the Department of Music Theory

Application forms may be obtained from the Chair of Music Theory and are due January 2 of each year.