Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Music Theory I (Face-to-Face)

MUSC 1110-01

Course: MUSC 1110-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Music
CRN: 30850

Course Description

MUSC 1110, Music Theory I, is the first semester of the music theory sequence.  Students will be introduced to primary elements of tonal music, including intervals, rhythms, and triads.  They will learn proper voice leading techniques and begin harmonic analysis, both visually and aurally.

Required Texts

The text for this course is written by Dr. Ipson and is available in Canvas under the Pages tab without cost.  It includes outlines, assignments, and analyses..

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 for primary triads.
  • Analyze tonal music (written and aural) that uses primary triads
  • Apply theoretical concepts to performance practice.
  • Compose an original piece in 4-part choral style demonstrating an understanding of the materials covered in the course.

Course Requirements

Grades will be calculated on the following criteria:

            Attendance:                           5%

            Assignments:                         30%

            Final Project:                         15%

            Quizzes:                                 30%

            Final Exam:                            20%


Attendance
is required, and will be 5% of the final grade. There are five free absences before missing a class will affect your grade. Attendance will not be taken on quiz days.


Assignments
will be given for every chapter.  All assignments are to be submitted digitally in Canvas in one of the following acceptable file formats: pdf, jpg, gif, png. Please note: DEIC images, commonly associated with apple devices are not compatible with Canvas's speedgrader and will not be accepted. Please ensure documents are in the proper orientation before uploading.  Late assignments will receive a 5% reduction per day that it is late with a maximum penalty of 50%. All assignments will be available until the last day of classes. The three lowest assignments will be dropped from the overall assignment grade.


Assignments are designed to help students apply the material we learn in class. Collaboration is not only permitted but highly encouraged. Study groups are an ideal way to work through assignments and ensure proper application of principles covered in the lectures. Students are also encouraged to reach out to Dr. Templin with questions. There is no reason why each and every one of you should not be able to have an A average for the assignments portion of your grade.


Quizzes
will be given throughout the semester on designated quiz days with two exceptions, the syllabus quiz and the Dominant 7th Chord quiz, both of which will be available in canvas. The lowest quiz score will be dropped from your overall grade. On quiz days, after a student has completed that day's quiz, they may opt to retake previous quizzes. One retake is allowed per quiz. Quiz retakes will only be permitted on designated quiz days. 


The final project
will be an SATB choral piece and will be graded on neatness, voice-leading, chord progressions, cadences, and completeness.  You must analyze the piece completely, including Roman numerals, non-chord tones, and cadences. The project will be done in four parts to ensure students have adequate time to complete it to a satisfactory level. The final draft is due on December 17. No late submissions will be accepted. 


The
Final Exam will be available only in the testing center unless accommodations through the DRC are required and will be comprehensive in nature including figured bass exercises and musical excerpts for analysis.

Course Outline

 | Date:      |   Activity:           | Due:
 | 9/2/2026 | Course Intro – Musical Calligraphy |  
 | 9/4/2026 | Pitch | Syllabus Quiz (9/5 by midnight)
 | 9/7/2026 | Labor Day - No Classes
 | 9/9/2026 | Pitch ctd. | Clefs and Pitches assignment (09/10 by midnight)
 | 9/11/2026 | Keys and Scales |  
 | 9/14/2026 | Keys and Scales ctd. | Keys and Scales assignment (09/15 by midnight)
 | 9/16/2026 | Quiz Day | Fundamentals Quiz 1
 | 9/18/2026 | Intervals | Intervals 1 assignment (9/20 by midnight)
 | 9/21/2026 | Intervals ctd. | Intervals 2 assignment (9/22 by midnight)
 | 9/23/2026 | Triads and Seventh Chords | Triads assignment (9/24 by midnight)
 | 9/25/2026 | Triads and Seventh Chords ctd. | Seventh chords assignment (9/27 by midnight)
 | 9/28/2026 | Quiz Day | Fundamentals Quiz 2
 | 9/30/2026 | Tonic Triad |  Tonic Triad In Root Position Assignment (10/1 by midnight)
 | 10/2/2026 | Non-chord tones I |  
 | 10/5/2026 | Tonic Triad ctd. | Tonic Triad Analysis (10/6 by midnight)
 | 10/7/2026 | Dominant Triad |  
 | 10/9/2026 | Dominant Triad ctd. | Dominant Triad in Root Position Assignment (10/11 by midnight)
 | 10/12/2026 | Cadences I | Dominant Triad Analysis Assignment (10/13 by midnight)
 | 10/14/2026 | Quiz Day | Tonic and Dominant Quiz
 | 10/16/2026 | Dominant 7th Chord |  
 | 10/19/2026 | Fall Break - No Classes
 | 10/21/2026 | Dominant 7th Chord ctd. | Dominant 7th Chord in Root Position Assignment (10/22 by midnight)
 | 10/23/2026 | Non-Chord Tones II | Dominant 7th Analysis Assignment (10/25 by midnight) Dominant 7th Chord Quiz in Canvas (due 10/25 by midnight)
 | 10/26/2026 | Flex day |  
 | 10/28/2026 | Subdominant | Subdominant in Root Position Assignment (10/29 by midnight)
 | 10/30/2026 | Subdominant ctd. | Subdominant Analysis Assignment (11/1 by midnight)
 | 11/2/2026 | Cadential six-four | Cadential 6/4 chord assignment (11/3 by midnight)
 | 11/4/2026 | Cadential six-four ctd. | Cadential 6/4 Analysis Assignment (11/5 by midnight)
 | 11/6/2026 | Quiz Day | Subdominant and cadential six-four quiz
 | 11/9/2026 | Project intro First inversion Triads |  
 | 11/11/2026 | First inversion triads ctd. | First Inversion Triads Assignment (11/12 by midnight)
 | 11/13/2026 | First inversion triads ctd. | First Inversion Triads Analysis assignment (11/15/2026 by midnight)
 | 11/16/2026 | Supertonic Triad | Final Project Project Part I. (11/17 by midnight)
 | 11/18/2026 | Supertonic Triad ctd. | Supertonic Triad Assignment (11/19 by midnight) Supertonic Triad Analysis Assignment (11/19 by midnight)
 | 11/20/2026 | Quiz day | Supertonic and inversions quiz
 | 11/23/2026 | Thanksgiving Break - No Classes
 | 11/25/2026
 | 11/27/2026
 | 11/30/2026 | Inversions of V7 | Final Project Part II (12/01 by midnight)
 | 12/2/2026 | Inversions of V7 ctd. | Inversions of the Dominant Seventh Chord Assignment (12/3 by midnight)
 | 12/4/2026 | Inversions of V7 ctd. | Inversions of the Dominant Seventh Chord Analysis Assignment (12/6 by midnight)
 | 12/7/2026 | Quiz Day | Inversions of V7 Quiz
 | 12/9/2026 | Flex Day | Final Project Draft (12/10 by midnight)
 | 12/11/2026 | Final Exam Review |  
 | 12/12/2006 - 12/17/2026 | Final Exam in Testing Center | Final Project (12/17 by midnight)

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

Quizzes
On quiz days, after a student has completed that day's quiz, they may opt to retake previous quizzes. One retake is allowed per quiz. Quiz retakes will only be permitted on designated quiz days.

Assignments
Late assignments will receive a 5% reduction per day that it is late with a maximum penalty of 50%. All assignments will be available until the last day of classes. The three lowest assignments will be dropped from the overall assignment grade. 

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required, and will be 5% of the final grade. There are five free absences before missing a class will affect your grade. Attendance will not be taken on quiz days. 

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.

Religious / Conscience Belief Accommodation

RELIGIOUS / CONSCIENCE BELIEF ACCOMMODATION: In accordance with SUU Policy 6.7 Student Belief Accommodation, students may request, in writing, that their faculty accommodate their sincerely held religious or conscience beliefs. Students should provide their faculty with sufficient advanced notice, if possible within the first five (5) business days of the semester or session, or thereafter with good cause for requesting an accommodation after the first five (5) business days.

Faculty must provide a schedule accommodation or excuse an absence, in any course, for students to observe or participate in religious holidays or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of the student’s religious tradition or religious organization.

In courses that are required for graduation or for an academic major, a faculty member may accommodate a religious or conscience belief by modifying an assignment or examination if its content conflicts with the student’s belief. Faculty may decline the accommodation if it would fundamentally alter the course requirements. If declined, the student may request review by a neutral arbiter using the Belief Accommodation Request Form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv&layout_id=5

Questions go to Assistant Provost Jake Johnson at johnsonj@suu.edu.

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.