Penn State Message Board for Parents, Future & Current Students

[PSUMOMS-Brian]

Question
I am going to be a piano student at Penn State this Fall, but I am still not sure whether or not this is a suitable school for me. In The Penn State curriculum, if I am not mistaken, there are a lot more general education programs than music classes. Could you please elaborate on this for me?


Answer
Penn State has you do most of your general education in the first two years. This may be why you notice less music classes and more general education courses in the early curriculum, but there is a good reason they designed it this way. Penn State does not let you officially "Declare your major" until you are a junior, and by that time you will have completed all general education courses and gradually be taking on more and more focused music courses.

This is so people have enough time to find out if the campus and major they have selected is right for them, rather than doing all of your major courses in the first two years and having no option to turn back if you find out your major selection is not what you want to do in life.