REQUIRED FOR ALL GRADUATE & TRANSFER STUDENTS 

The Music History Placement Test

The following requirements apply to students matriculating fall 2007 or later:

The Music History Placement Test determines whether transfer students must take any or all of the following classes:

MUH 3211, Music History Survey I – Medieval & Renaissance
MUH 3212, Music History Survey II – Baroque & Classical
MUH 3213, Music History Survey III – Romantic - 1945
MUH 3214, Music History Survey IV – 1945 – present

and whether graduate students must take any or all of these classes:

MUH 5685, Grad Music History Review I – Medieval & Renaissance
MUH 5686, Grad Music History Review II – Baroque & Classical
MUH 5687, Grad Music History Review III – Romantic - 1945
MUH 5688, Grad Music History Review IV – 1945 – present

Students may pass out of any or all of these classes. 

Music History Placement Test Policies & Dates

The music history test is given to each student only once.  There are no “retakes.”  Therefore, it is best to take the test after you have had some time to study for it if that is your intention.

The music history placement test is normally given twice a year, between August 15-20 before the Fall semester and during the first week of January before the Spring semester.  Test dates and times are announced on the web page and on signs posted in the School of Music hallways.  If a student cannot attend one of these set times, we will do our best to try to find another time for that student.

Transfer Students

Music history at FIU is a four-course sequence, and therefore there are no course equivalents for students who have taken a comprehensive music history over a two-course sequence. FIU accepts music history transfer credits from other universities when there are matching course equivalents (see the courses listed above) and on the condition that those students possess the same level of knowledge of music history as do FIU students who have completed the music history course sequence at FIU.  The placement test assesses this level. Since music history at FIU is an upper level course sequence, we cannot accept lower division credits from other universities since there are no state recognized equivalents.

Graduate Students

FIU assumes that entering and transfer graduate students possess the same level of knowledge of music history as do students who have completed the FIU undergraduate music history course sequence. The placement test assesses this level. Students in Jazz Performance, Music Technology, and Performing Arts Management are not required to take the Music History Placement Test.

Music History Placement Test Content & Format

The Music History Placement Test assesses your command of the main historical eras and the association of genres, composers, concepts, and terms with the eras to which they belong.  We also ask you to name the composers of a number of significant compositions and to identify the composer or theorist associated with several important musical concepts and terms.  You must also classify genres as secular or sacred.  The test is entirely multiple choice and takes less than an hour to complete.

Resources

In addition to reviewing the material in your music history textbook (Stolba [FYI, we use Stolba at FIU], Grout, Hanning, Wright, Boyd, etc.) and class notes, two other short music history review books are well worth your attention:

• Wold, Milo and Edmund Cykler.  An Outline History of Music.  Dubuque, Iowa: W.D. Brown, 1985.
• Poultney, David.  Studying Music History: Learning, Reasoning, and Writing about Music History and Literature.  Englewood Cliffs,   New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1983.

Although we are currently reviewing other music history textbooks, at FIU we currently use Stolba’s The Development of Western Music for the undergraduate music history sequence and the graduate review classes.

Test Results

You will receive your test results by e-mail with a copy sent to your applied instructor or area coordinator.

For further information, contact Dr. Dolata at dolatad@fiu.edu or 305-348-2076