Advising

To see a video of the advising guide:

1. PC and Mac Users: click here.
2. Mobile Users: video is coming.

Introduction

Welcome to the Recording Industry online advising guide. Each semester every student will register for classes for the following semester. We hope this guide will assist you in selecting an appropriate schedule.  You must review your tentative selection with your advisor each semester before you will be able to register. We now hold walk-in advising sessions every semester for a month before registration with several advisors available to assist you.

There are two resources that make it very easy for you to develop an appropriate schedule each semester:

1. The Upper Division form that outlines your basic requirements for graduation. This is important for ALL Recording Industry majors. These forms can be found in the Recording Industry office, BRAGG 251.  Please be sure to choose the form for your catalog year (the year that you entered MTSU; For instance, if you started in Fall 2013, you will choose the 2013-14 Upper Division form).
2. The Admission to Candidacy Requirements that outlines the requirements to be admitted into the Recording Industry Program. This is important for ALL precandidacy students including FRESHMEN and TRANSFER STUDENTS.

Upper Division Form

The Upper Division Form is a document that you must file with the University when you become a junior. It notifies the University of your chosen major and minor so that it can determine if and when you meet graduation requirements. But until that time and thereafter, it can serve as your advising guide because it provides a simple snapshot of the classes you’ve taken and those that are remaining to be taken.

There is a different Upper Division Form for each concentration. Each concentration has separate requirements:

Music Business (form)

1. General Education–these are the classes every student regardless of their major must take in the areas of English, History, Humanities, Math, Natural Science, Social Science and Computer Literacy;
2. Recording Industry Major Requirements–these include your Core Courses that all RI students must take, your Subcore Courses that all MB students must take and a series of elective classes you can choose from to complete your 48 hours in the major;  and
3. Minor Requirements-MB students must choose from a list of Minors from the colleges of Business and Media and Entertainment.

Audio Production (form)

1. General Education–these are the classes every student regardless of their major must take in the areas of English, History, Humanities, Math, Natural Science, Social Science and Computer Literacy;
2. Recording Industry Major Requirements–these include your Core Courses that all RI students must take, your Subcore Courses that all MB students must take and a series of elective classes you can choose from to complete your 48 hours in the major;  and
3. Minor Requirements-AP students can choose any minor offered at MTSU but we do provide a list of suggested minors that we believe would be of great value to you.

Commercial Songwrting (form)

1. General Education–these are the classes every student regardless of their major must take in the areas of English, History, Humanities, Math, Natural Science, Social Science and Computer Literacy;
2. Recording Industry Major Requirements–these include your Core Courses that all RI students must take, your Subcore Courses that all MB students must take and a series of elective classes you can choose from to complete your 48 hours in the major;  and
3. Minor Requirements-CS students must choose from a list of Minors from various colleges at MTSU.

Every semester you should check off the boxes of classes you have taken. Then, as you prepare to register for the following semester, you can very easily see what classes remain to be taken in the three areas of General Education, your Major and your Minor.

Helpful Tips:

• Try to take a blend of classes from general education, your major and your minor every semester in order to have greater flexibility.
• Audio Production students should take RIM 1230 prior to candidacy because it is a prerequisite to all of the AP Subcore classes. If you are a Music minor, your music theory class will waive the RIM 1230 requirement, but you must make up the three hours in the RIM elective area.
• Try to complete your Subcore before your senior year so that you are eligible for at least one or optimally two internships before you graduate.
• Try to plan several semesters in advance, particularly in your major, so that you can take all the prerequisite classes required for a sequence of courses.
• If you are a transfer student, please meet with your advisor to be sure that your transferred courses are properly reflected on your transcript.

Scheduling an Appointment

It is required that you meet with your advisor at least once per semester for scheduling advice prior to registration.  You can find your assigned advisor in RaiderNet under Registration – Assigned Advisor. To schedule an appointment with your advisor, click here.

Admission to Candidacy Requirements

Even though you declare Recording Industry as your major, you are not formally admitted to the program and may not take most of the Recording Industry courses until you have gone through our Admission to Candidacy process. This process requires that:

1. You are a student in good standing;
2. You have completed all high school deficiencies and developmental studies courses;
3. You have completed 45 hours; and
4. You have taken:
   1. RIM 1020 Mass Media
   2. RIM 3000 History of the Recording Industry
   3. RIM 3010/3011 Audio Fundamentals
   4. RIM 3600 Survey of the Recording Industry
   5. MATH 1710 College Algebra or higher level Math.

Your grades in the foregoing classes as well as your overall GPA and other variables will be entered into a formula that will determine whether you will be admitted into the Recording Industry program. 

We strongly suggest that you complete these requirements by the end of your sophomore year. So if you are a precandidacy student, coming straight from high school or as a transfer student, it should be a priority to you to take the above courses as soon as possible.