University of Colorado
College of Music
Brass
Proficiency Examination Policy

As part of applied study, each brass major pursuing an undergraduate degree in music will be required to pass one Proficiency Examination.  Students will be eligible to take this exam after successfully completing four semesters of applied study on their major instrument, normally at the end of the sophomore year.  Any deviation from this timetable will be handled by student petition to the Brass Faculty.  Transfer students will be advised individually.  Administered during final exam week each semester, specific requirements will be determined by each faculty member for students in that studio.

The examination will be passed or failed determined by a vote taken from the Brass Faculty members present.  Successfully passing the Proficiency Examination completes the applied music requirement for students in the Bachelor of Arts degree.  Students in the Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees will be eligible to present required recitals only after the Proficiency Examination is passed.

If a student fails a Proficiency Examination, he/she will be required to retake the examination at the end of the following semester.  If the second examination is failed, the student will be required to retake the examination, for the third time, at the end of the subsequent semester.  Non-appearance to retake a failed Proficiency Examination according to the above schedule will result in automatic failure of the Proficiency Examination for the appropriate semester(s).  Three failures of the Proficiency Examination will disqualify the student for any degree in music.

The results of the Proficiency Examination will be reported to each student by assigning a grade of P or F to the course MUSC 2997 - Sophomore Proficiency.  Applied faculty members will receive the results for all students in their studio.

Please note that the Proficiency Examination is in no way connected to the assessment or grading of work completed in Applied Music courses.  It is a separate evaluative instrument designed to assess the student's overall qualification for upper division applied study (BM, BME) or graduation (BA).


Adopted 4/17/02, revised 1/13/03, revised 10/6/03, revised 10/25/05, revised 4/20/10