Date
8-9-2024
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Music Education (DME)
Chair
Keith Pace
Keywords
Liberal Arts, Music Major, Music Major Success
Disciplines
Music
Recommended Citation
Nance, Spencer James, "Determining Factors for College Music Major Success in Small Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities: Perspectives from Students and Faculty" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5863.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5863
Abstract
Deciding to major in music can be daunting for any college student. Students often go through a lengthy audition process, which sometimes includes multiple schools, to receive scholarship offers to major in music. When students arrive on campus, they may experience many challenges that impact their future success in the music major program. These challenges far too often overwhelmed the students and caused them to lose their scholarships, discontinue their studies in music, or switch to another major. There have been studies involving student success within the first year of college. Yet very few studies still measure the success of college music majors through the successful completion of the degree program. This qualitative study examined the challenges students faced from the perspectives of students completing the degree program at a small liberal arts university and faculty at small liberal arts universities. Through these perspectives, this study developed a list of strategies aimed at helping college music majors in a small liberal arts college/university have a higher rate of success and completion of the degree program.
