Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Music Theory II (Face-to-Face)

MUSC 1120-02

Course: MUSC 1120-02
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: MUSC
CRN: 11466

Course Description

The second course in the music theory sequence, the course comprises all diatonic chords, sevenths, modulation, and further principles of voice leading. (Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): MUSC 1140 Prerequisite(s): MUSC 1110 and MUSC 1130 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C Registration Restriction(s): None

Required Texts

The text for this course is included in this Canvas shell under "Pages". The text is written by Dr. Ipson, which he is making available to you free of charge.

Learning Outcomes


Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  • Write in four-part choral and keyboard styles using good voice-leading principles with diatonic materials.
  • Analyze diatonic music (written and aural).
  • Compose an original piece in 4-part choral style demonstrating an understanding of the materials covered in the course.

Learning outcomes align with departmental, college, and university learning outcomes.


Outcomes will be assessed by assignments, exams, projects, and class participation.   As this is the second course in tonal theory, students will be expected to complete the outcomes at an intermediate level of competency.

Course Requirements


Prerequisite: MUSC 1110 and MUSC 1130, passing with a grade of C or better

Co-requisite: MUSC 1140

Grades will be calculated on the following criteria:

            Assignments:                        40%

            Final Project                          10%

            Quizzes:                                 40%

            Final Exam:                           10%

Grades will be awarded on the following scale:

            A = 93-100                    A- = 90-92.99
            B+ = 87-89.99               B = 84-86.99                 B- = 80-83.99
            C+ = 77-79.99               C = 74-76.99                C- = 70-73.99
            Etc.


Attendance: This course is offered as a face-to-face course. Students who experience any kind of sickness are expected to stay home and get class materials from fellow students or the instructor. As assignments and exams are digital, students will be able to complete and turn them in at home. Though attendance is not required, experienced has proven that those who do not attend class do not do well.  

Assignments will be given almost every class period. Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late assignments will receive a 10% reduction for each day late, beginning with the day of class. If the assignment is completed on time and demonstrates an understanding of the material covered, full credit will be given.  If multiple mistakes are made, the assignment will receive a grade of 50%, be returned and corrections will need to be made for full credit.  Working together on assignments is permitted and even encouraged, though the work should still be your own.   2 assignments will be dropped from the grade. Students who do not keep current with assignments will not do well in the class.

The final project
will be a 4-part choral hymn for SATB demonstrating mastery of the materials studied this semester.  It will be graded on neatness, voice-leading, chord progressions, phrases and cadences, and completeness.  You must analyze the piece completely, including Roman numerals, figured bass, non-harmonic tones, and cadences.  The piece is due on April 14th and will be performed by the class.  No late projects will be accepted. Once the project has been performed, corrections can be made until Friday, April 18 by 11:59 pm. 

Quizzes
will be given after each chapter covered.  They will include primarily four-part writing exercises and analyses.  The final exam will be Tuesday, April 22, from 7:00-8:50 a.m. 


Grading on Quizzes and Exams:

Quizzes will be worth 100 points each.  Major mistakes will deduct 5 points from your total, and minor mistakes will deduct 2 points from your total.  No more than 7 points will be deducted from any one chord.  The final exam may be worth more points, but will follow the same grading procedures.


4-Part Writing Major Mistakes: (-5 points)
Misspelled chords
Parallel Perfect fifths and octaves
Improper resolution of dominant 7th chords or diminished 7th chords
Failure to raise the leading tone in minor keys where appropriate
Doubled Leading Tones

Minor mistakes: (-2 points)
Cross-voicing and overlapping
Improper doubling, other than leading tones
Melodic augmented 2nds
Awkward voice leading-too many or too large leaps
Improper or incorrect non-harmonic tones
Incorrect Roman numerals
Spacing between adjacent voices larger than an octave
Notes outside of ranges
Incorrect or missing cadential analysis
Hidden 5ths or octaves
Other improper resolutions
Incorrect figured bass (-1 point)

Analysis Errors:
Incorrect Roman Numerals, -2
Incorrect Figured Bass, -1
Incorrect non-harmonic tone identification, -1
Incorrect or Missing Cadences, -2

Points may be adjusted depending on circumstances within the music. 

Course Outline


January
7: Introduction
9: Review
11: Ch. 13, Supertonic Seventh Chord
14: Ch. 13, Supertonic Seventh Chord
16: Ch. 13 Analysis
19: MLK Day - No Class
21: Ch. 13 Quiz
23: Ch. 14, Linear Six-Four Chords
26: Ch. 14, Linear Six-Four Chords
28: Ch. 14, Analysis
30: Ch. 14 Quiz 
February
2: Ch. 15, Other Diatonic Triads
4: Ch. 15, Other Diatonic Triads 
6: UMEA - No Class 
9: Ch. 15, Analysis
11: Ch. 15 Quiz
13: Ch. 16, Borrowed Chords
16: Presidents’ Day, No Class 
18: Ch. 16, Borrowed Chords
20: Ch. 16, Borrowed Chords, Ch. 16, Analysis
23: Ch. 16, More Analysis, Review
25: Ch. 16 Quiz
27-Ch. 17, Leading Tone Triad
March
2: Ch. 17, Leading Tone Triad
4:  Ch. 17, Analysis
6: Ch. 17 Quiz
9-13: Spring Break - No Class
16: Ch. 18, Leading Tone Seventh Chord
18: Ch. 18, Leading Tone Seventh Chord
20: Ch. 18 Analysis
23: Review
25: Ch. 18 Quiz
27: Final Project Discussion
30: Ch. 19, Other Diatonic Seventh Chords
April
1: Ch. 19 Analysis
3:  Ch. 19 Quiz
6: Final Project Consultations
8: Final Project Consultations
10: Final Project Consultations
13: Final Projects due, Project Performances
15: Project Performances 
17: Review
21: Final Exam, 7:00-8:50 a.m.

 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Late assignments will receive a 10% reduction for each day late, beginning with the day of class. If the assignment is completed on time and demonstrates an understanding of the material covered, full credit will be given.  If multiple mistakes are made, the assignment will receive a grade of 50%, be returned and corrections will need to be made for full credit. Two assignments will be dropped from the grade. 

Failure to take a quiz or exam at the assigned time may be made up only for reasons of illness, or other extreme circumstances. When at all possible, the professor should be notified before the exam. Failure to complete an exam will result in a failing grade for the exam. 

Attendance Policy

Attendance is necessary to master the components of the course. Though attendance is not part of grading calculations, experience has shown that students who do not attend class do not achieve good grades. 

Course Fees

No course fees are assessed fo this class. Program fees of $11/credit are assessed for all music credits. 

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.