The Interdisciplinary Conservatory was founded in 2022 as a unit of the Chicago College of Performing Arts in which degrees and programs provide students with a larger ratio of coursework between the College's two traditional units, the Music and Theatre Conservatories or a larger ratio of coursework from Roosevelt University's other colleges.

The Interdisciplinary Conservatory is led by a Chair and organized into program areas coordinated by directors. Curricula with a major in composition; music education; and jazz and contemporary music lead to the degree of Bachelor of Music. The conservatory also offers a five-year program culminating in the Bachelor of Music degree with a double major in performance and music education. Individualized programs of studies in music combined with course work in a second discipline lead to the Bachelor of Musical Arts degrees. The Bachelor of Arts degree paths are designed for students who wish to pursue the study of music within a broad disciplinary context, or to combine the disciplines of Music and Computing. A concentration in Performing Arts Wellness can be added by any student pursuing a degree in the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

For information on the master’s and diploma programs, consult the university’s graduate catalog.

Admission

Admission to Roosevelt University does not include admission to the Interdisciplinary Conservatory. To be admitted to the Interdisciplinary Conservatory, students must present a successful audition, interview, or other evidence of aptitude in the chosen major in addition to meeting the university’s entrance requirements. Prospective students should contact the CCPA Office of Enrollment and Student Services and consult the CCPA website to obtain specific audition requirements for each major program.

Transfer credit in applied music, musicianship, and music education subjects requires validation by proficiency examination, audition, consultation with program faculty, or successful completion of a more advanced course.

Degree requirements

Degrees are conferred upon regular students in good standing who have met the following requirements:

• Residency and enrollment of at least two academic years (no less than 48 semester hours).
• Completion of at least 120 semester hours of credit, following the curriculum for the major field, with a grade point average of at least 2.0 (2.7 in music education) and with core and major course grades that satisfy program requirements.
• Completion of the University Writing Requirement.
• Jazz and Contemporary Music – senior recital, in fulfillment of program requirements.
• Composition majors: senior recital of original works in fulfillment of program requirements.
• Music education majors: for choral and instrumental emphases, a senior recital including both solo performance and conducting components; for songwriting and production emphasis, an individually designed senior project; for all emphases, satisfactory completion of student teaching internship.
• Bachelor of Musical Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees: individually designed senior project.

Academic policies

Academic policies, practices, and requirements are published each year in the CCPA Student Handbook.

Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance at classes, rehearsals, and lessons is the academic equivalent of a recognized standard of professional conduct, without which it is not possible to maintain a career in the performing arts.

Many classes have an attendance requirement, which will appear in the syllabus. However, students should be aware that attendance is the expectation in the Interdisciplinary Conservatory, even if attendance does not constitute a portion of the grade. Students should notify their instructors if they cannot attend classes (e.g., for reasons of illness) and should make up missed assignments promptly.

Perfect attendance in applied music subjects (private lessons) is expected. If a student must cancel a lesson for unavoidable reasons, the instructor should be notified 24 hours in advance when possible. Failure to notify the applied instructor by 9 a.m. on the day of the lesson removes any obligation on the part of the teacher to make up the lesson. Regularly scheduled lessons falling on school holidays will be made up; the student and instructor are responsible for making the necessary arrangements. Any student who misses three lessons without properly notifying the instructor will receive an immediate failing grade for the semester and will not be permitted to present the jury examination at the end of the semester. Students who do not appear for the required jury examination will receive a failing grade in the course at the end of the semester.

Because membership in a performing ensemble entails a responsibility to the director, the other students in the ensemble, and the Conservatory itself, school functions take precedence over outside activities. Please see Ensembles below, for additional information. Students are expected to attend all rehearsals and performances.

Ensembles

Enrollment in ensembles is contingent upon placement and assignment. All students in the Interdisciplinary Conservatory are required to participate in all ensembles to which they are assigned by the Chair. Students who are assigned or receive permission to enroll as zero-credit participants in any ensemble will receive a grade; they must complete the same requirements as students enrolled for credit. Assignments are made at the beginning of each semester following placement and seating auditions.

A yearly calendar of ensemble schedules, including all rehearsals and performances, is published and distributed to students and faculty prior to the start of the fall semester. Excused absences from ensemble services may occasionally be granted (e.g., for competitions, auditions, professional performance opportunities, or illness) with appropriate advance notice and documentation. All requests for excused absences are administered by the Performance Activities Office.

Students from other departments of Roosevelt University may audition for Interdisciplinary Conservatory performing ensembles.