J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts

Noel Zahler, D.M.A., Dean

203 Holden Hall | Box 45060 | Lubbock, TX 79409-5060
T 806.742.0700 | F 806.742.0695 | www.vpa.ttu.edu

About the College

The J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts offers a diverse array of programs and courses in art, music, theatre, and dance. The college seeks to prepare students who will be leaders in the profession by employing the highest standards in performance, teaching, research, and artistic and creative vision. The college provides students with opportunities to be innovative and confident, to think critically, and to be successful in their chosen field. Courses and degrees emphasize synthesis and connection via academic and creative programs, internships, and service learning. The college contributes cultural enrichment and an understanding of the arts locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Undergraduate Program

Core Curriculum Requirements. The core curriculum requirements ensure breadth in each academic program. These requirements have been incorporated into the college’s various degree programs. Students should consult the Undergraduate Academics section of this catalog for a listing of courses that satisfy the requirements in each category.

Major, Minor/Concentration, and Electives. In addition to core curriculum requirements, students must take major, minor/concentration, and elective courses sufficient to total 120-129 semester hours. The minor/concentration (if applicable) may be any departmental minor/concentration from outside the major area discipline, an established interdisciplinary minor/concentration, or a student-initiated interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary minor/concentration (with approval of the appropriate associate dean of the college). Many departments and programs have residency requirements for the major and minor/concentration. See departmental or program listings for specific information.

Students should have selected their major and minor/concentration (if applicable) fields by the time they reach their junior year. For the major subject they will be required to complete a minimum of 36 semester hours including 6 hours of intensive writing courses. As indicated in the degree programs on the following pages, some majors require more than the 36-hour minimum. At least 18-24 hours of the major subject must be in courses at the junior-senior level. For the minor/concentration, a minimum of 18 semester hours must be completed (except in foreign languages—explained under the department), at least 6 of which must be junior or senior level courses. All courses in the major and minor/concentration must be approved by the appropriate academic unit. A minimum of 40 semester hours of junior and senior work must be presented in the total degree. Information regarding graduate programs offered by the college is available within the individual departments. Students should consult an advisor for specific requirements of their degree programs.

Course Load. A normal course load is 15-19 hours per long semester. A student must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 hours to be considered full time. In calculating the course load, the dean will consider all active distance learning courses as a part of the course load. Course loads in excess of 19 semester hours require approval by an associate dean in the college. The maximum course load for a student on probation is 16 hours. The normal course load for a single summer term is 6-8 hours. To meet graduation requirements, a graduating senior may petition to take 9 hours one summer term or a total of 15 hours across both summer terms.

Admission. Students seeking admission to a specific school or department within the college should consult “Admission Requirements for Specific Colleges ” in the Undergraduate Admissions section of this catalog.

Admission of Transfer Students. Students requesting permission to transfer from another academic institution must meet the university-wide admission requirements. Students requesting permission to transfer from another college at Texas Tech must have a GPA of at least 2.0. Any student requesting to transfer into the College of Visual and Performing Arts must meet any admission requirements of the units in the college as stated in the paragraph above. The CVPA Student Division Office grants final approval. The College of Visual and Performing Arts will determine the applicability of any transferred credit to academic programs in the college. All transfer students will enter under the catalog in force at the time of transfer. The last 30 hours prior to graduation must be completed while enrolled in the college.

Catalog Selection. Students must use the catalog issued for the year in which they were first officially admitted to the college, or a more recent catalog if approved. However, if they are not enrolled at Texas Tech for one academic year or transfer to another institution or another college at Texas Tech, they must be readmitted to the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts and use the catalog in effect at the time of readmission. For graduation purposes, a catalog expires after seven years at which time the current catalog becomes the catalog in effect.

Credit by Examination. A matriculated student may attempt credit by examination (described in the Undergraduate Admissions section of this catalog) by obtaining written approval from the dean’s office. Approval is required to take an examination if more advanced material in the same subject has already been completed.

Grading Practices. The college conforms to university grading practices as set forth in the Undergraduate Academics section of this catalog. Credit for a course in which a grade of D is earned may not be applied toward fulfillment of the major (sometimes including adjunct requirements), minor, or teaching field requirements for any degree program. Except for those courses designated “may be repeated for credit” in this catalog, no course may be used more than once on a degree plan unless it has been approved by the dean in the college.

Second Bachelor’s Degree. Permission to enroll in courses to pursue a second bachelor’s degree must be obtained from the office of the dean in the college. No second bachelor’s degree is conferred until the candidate has completed at least 24 semester hours in residence in addition to the courses counted toward the first bachelor’s degree. Out-of-state students must meet Texas Tech core curriculum requirements. Credit by examination and distance learning courses will not satisfy the 24-hour residence requirement.

Freshman Year. Entering freshmen develop their programs in conference with an academic advisor. The students report to their advisors for such individual conferences or group meetings as are needed for the purpose of orienting themselves to academic regulations and procedures, curricula, and degree requirements in their areas of interest.

Final 30 Credit Hours. The final 30 credit hours of a degree program must be completed with Texas Tech enrollments.

Degree Plan and Intention to Graduate. Students are encouraged to file degree plans with the dean as soon as their academic goals are clearly defined. Students must file degree plans after completing 45 hours of coursework. The Intent to Graduate form must be submitted no later than one year before the proposed date of graduation. Students must be enrolled at Texas Tech during their graduation semester.

Teacher Education. Prospective teachers should refer to the College of Education  section of this catalog and the chair or undergraduate advisor of the school or department in which they wish to major within the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Undergraduate Degrees

Bachelor of Arts

The curriculum established for this degree is designed to provide the foundation of a liberal education through a well-rounded study of the humanities; arts; mathematics; and social, behavioral and life and physical sciences. Bachelor of Arts degrees are offered with fields of specialization in art history, studio art, dance, music, and theatre arts.

General Requirements. See “Undergraduate Credit by Examination ” in the Undergraduate Admissions section of this catalog for information on credit provided by test scores to meet these requirements. Students must take the specified number of hours in the areas listed below. With a few exceptions, courses from the major and minor may be used to satisfy these requirements. Except for the multicultural requirement, a course may not be counted in two different areas of the general requirements nor may a course be counted in requirements for both the major and minor.

• English: Semester Hours: 6-12
  At least 6 hours of English must consist of ENGL 1301  and ENGL 1302 .
• Oral Communication: Semester Hours: 3
• Foreign Language: Semester Hours: 0-16
  Specific foreign language requirements are determined in consultation with an academic advisor. A student must complete 0-6 hours at the sophomore level or above in a single language. If 4 or more semesters of high school foreign language are accepted for admission, the student should consult the information preceding the course listing for the foreign language department. A student enrolling in the first-year sequence will have a requirement of 11–16 hours. A student who enrolls in the second-year sequence will have a 6-hour requirement. International students whose native language is not English and who graduated from a secondary school in their native country may satisfy this requirement by bringing their certificate of graduation to the Student Division of the dean’s office. Credit by examination through Academic Testing Services is available for the following languages: French, German, Latin, and Spanish. Students who petition to complete the foreign language requirement via study abroad through a non-Texas Tech affiliated program will agree to have foreign language credit applied to their degrees based on scores on a language placement test administered by the language laboratory upon their return from the study abroad. Approval to do this must be granted in advance by the associate dean.
• Mathematics: Semester Hours: 6
• Life and Physical Sciences: Semester Hours: 8
  Select from the life and physical sciences laboratory courses listed in the university’s core curriculum.
• Social and Behavioral Sciences: Semester Hours: 3-6
  Three hours must come from courses in social and behavioral sciences approved for core curriculum requirements. An additional 3 hours may come from the same list or from anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, sociology, and social work but excluding courses cited as options for any other requirement.
• United States History: Semester Hours: 6
  Students normally enroll in HIST 2300  and HIST 2301 .
• United States and Texas Government: Semester Hours: 6
  Students will enroll in POLS 1301  and POLS 2302 .
• Language, Philosophy, and Culture: Semester Hours: 3-6
  Courses must be selected from the list of core curriculum options.
• Creative Arts: Semester Hours: 3-6
  Satisfied in the majors.
• Multicultural Requirement: Semester Hours: 3
  Three hours of coursework chosen from the approved list. This course also may be used to satisfy another general degree requirement listed above.
• Personal Fitness and Wellness: Semester Hours: 0-2
  If elected, hours may come from any two PFW courses. For a specific physical activity, the completion of the course sequence is allowed if the sequence is taken in the appropriate order (i.e., beginning then advanced).
• TOTAL FOR DEGREE: minimum Semester Hours: 120
  In addition to the above requirements, students must take major, minor, and elective courses sufficient to total a minimum of 120 semester hours.

Major, Minor, and Electives. Students should have selected their major and minor fields by the time they reach their junior year. For the major subject they will be required to complete a minimum of 36 semester hours, including 6 hours of intensive writing courses. As indicated in the degree programs on the following pages, some majors require more than the 36-hour minimum. At least 18-24 hours of the major subject must be in courses at the junior-senior level. For the minor, a minimum of 18 semester hours must be completed (except in certain foreign languages as explained in the curriculum for languages), at least 6 of which must be of junior or senior level.

The minor may be any departmental minor, an established interdisciplinary minor, or a student-initiated interdisciplinary minor (with approval of the discipline area faculty and the associate dean in the Student Division of the College of Visual and Performing Arts).

Many departments and programs have residency requirements for the major and minor. See departmental listings for specific information.

All courses in the major and minor must be approved by the appropriate academic unit. Students are expected to develop a degree plan upon completion of 45 hours. Forms and information are available in department offices. A minimum of 40 semester hours of junior and senior work are required to graduate.

Bachelor of Fine Arts

The curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree provides fields of specialization in theatre arts–acting, theatre arts–design technology, visual studies, graphic design, and studio art. A minor is not required for this degree program. If an optional minor is elected, a course may not be credited in the requirements for both the major and minor.

• English Semester Hours: 6
• United States and Texas Government Semester Hours: 6
• United States History Semester Hours: 6
• Oral Communication Semester Hours: 3
• Mathematics Semester Hours: 6
• Life and Physical Sciences Semester Hours: 8
• Social and Behavioral Sciences Semester Hours: 3
• Language, Philosophy, and Culture Semester Hours: 3
• Foreign Language Semester Hours: 0-10
  Entering students are expected to have had four semesters credit of a single foreign language in high school. Students who do not meet this requirement will be required to complete one year (or the equivalent) of a single foreign language taken at the college level. For more information, refer to the “Foreign Language Requirement ” listing in the Undergraduate Academics section of this catalog.
• Multicultural Requirement Semester Hours: 3
  Three hours of coursework chosen from the approved list. This course may be used to satisfy another General Degree requirement. No additional hours are required if the multicultural requirement is satisfied within the requirements for art and theatre majors.
• Professional Program (Select One)
  • Theatre Arts Semester Hours: 86
  • Visual Studies Semester Hours: 67
    (leading toward teacher certification)
  • Graphic Design Semester Hours: 85
  • Studio Art Semester Hours: 82
• Professional Education Semester Hours: 21
  (teacher certification only)

TOTAL FOR DEGREE Semester Hours: 120-129

Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Music degrees are offered with fields of specialization in performance (MUPF), composition (MUCP), theory (MUTH), and music (MUTC–leading to teacher certification). A minor is not required for this degree program. If an optional minor is elected, a course may not be credited in the requirements for both the major and minor

• English Semester Hours: 6
• Oral Communication Semester Hours: 3
• Mathematics Semester Hours: 6
• Foreign Language Semester Hours: 0-16
  Specific foreign language requirements are determined in consultation with an academic advisor. Entering students are expected to have had four semesters credit of a single foreign language in high school. Students who do not meet this requirement will be required to complete one year (or the equivalent) of a single foreign language taken at the college level. For more detailed information, refer to the “Foreign Language Requirement ” listing in the Undergraduate Academics section of this catalog.
• Language, Philosophy, and Culture Semester Hours: 3
• Life and Physical Sciences Semester Hours: 8
• United States and Texas Government Semester Hours: 6
• United States History Semester Hours: 6
• Social and Behavioral Sciences Semester Hours: 3
• Multicultural Requirement Semester Hours: 3
  Three hours of coursework from the approved list. This course may be used to satisfy another General Degree requirement. No additional hours are required if the multicultural requirement is satisfied within the requirements for music majors.
• Music Courses for Major (Select One)
  • MUPF Semester Hours: 69-80
  • MUCP Semester Hours: 81
  • MUTH Semester Hours: 74
  • MUTC Semester Hours: 59-62
• Professional Education Semester Hours: 18
  (teacher certification only)
• TOTAL FOR DEGREES
  • MUPF Semester Hours: 121-124
  • MUCP Semester Hours: 121
  • MUTH Semester Hours: 120
  • MUTC Semester Hours: 121-122

‘3+3’ Early Admission Joint Program With Texas Tech School of Law

Honors students in good standing who are working toward the B.A., B.S., B.F.A., B.M., or B.G.S. degree in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the College of Arts and Sciences, or the Honors College may gain early admission to the Texas Tech University School of Law by completing coursework totaling a minimum of 100 semester hours in their undergraduate college and then completing the first year of coursework at the Texas Tech School of Law. To be eligible to participate in this program, students must meet all of the following criteria:

• Have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5.
• Have an LSAT score that places them in the top half nationwide.
• Have a SAT score of at least 1300 or an ACT score of at least 29.
• Be enrolled in the Honors College and making satisfactory progress toward a Visual and Performing Arts, Arts and Sciences, or Honors College degree (B.A., B.S., B.F.A., B.M., or B.G.S.) consistent with the regulations established by the colleges.
• Submit an Honors certification form to the Honors College at the time of application to the Law School.

Of the minimum 100 semester hours of undergraduate work, at least the last 30 must be completed in residence at Texas Tech. This minimum will apply to transfer students from other higher education institutions, provided they have satisfactorily completed the work outlined in the freshman and sophomore years or its equivalent. (Note that the Honors College residency requirement generally calls for a minimum of three long semesters of work at Texas Tech for Honors graduation.)

The minimum 100 hours of work must satisfy all graduation requirements for the B.A., B.S., B.F.A., B.M. or B.G.S. degree in the home college at Texas Tech, with the exception of requirements in the minor (for students in the Honors College or the College of Visual and Performing Arts who do not have a minor, the hours will be applied toward elective credit). Students must also complete the minimum requirements for an Honors College designation as outlined in the Honors Student Handbook.

To earn the baccalaureate degree, the applicant for a degree under this plan must submit an official transcript from the Texas Tech School of Law after completion of the first year of law school. Evidence of successful completion of the first year of law school coursework (totaling 29 hours) will substitute for the 18 hours required for the minor and any electives needed (totaling up to 11 hours) for the baccalaureate degree.

For students in the College of Arts and Sciences, the total number of credit hours from outside the college (including those transferred as non-Arts and Sciences credit) and the credit hours from the School of Law applied to the baccalaureate degree cannot exceed 30. For students with a major in College of Visual and Performing Arts, the 30-hour limit applies to courses from outside the student’s major that do not satisfy a Texas Tech core curriculum requirement.

Any student selecting the “3+3” Early Admission Program option should plan carefully in consultation with an Assistant or Associate Dean of the Honors College and the home college at least one year prior to beginning professional school. Also, due to the unique nature of the law school application process, students are strongly encouraged to meet with the Assistant Dean for Admissions at the School of Law at least two years prior to the desired start date for law school. Students must apply for the “3+3” program during the fall semester of their third year and must take the LSAT by December of that year. The

Admissions Committee applies the same standards and procedures to both “3+3” applicants and traditional admission applicants.
Students wishing to pursue the “3+3” program must file a degree plan with an appropriate major and a law minor at least one semester prior to beginning their law school coursework.
For further information see www.honr.ttu.edu, www.prelaw.ttu.edu, and www.law.ttu.edu/prospective/specialprograms/honors3/.

Graduate Program

For information on graduate programs offered by the College of Visual and Performing Arts, visit the Graduate School  section of the catalog.

Departments, Program Offerings & Course Descriptions