The College also seeks to promote a sense of personal integrity and social responsibility in its students and to develop an intellectual basis for successful living. Playing a prominent role in the life of the University for more than 100 years, the Department of Music offers the B.M. degree in performance and music education and the M.M. degree in performance, music literature, music education, and the history of musical instruments. The Department is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Performance opportunities include more than twenty vocal and instrumental ensembles and the opportunity to enter competitions, including the Department's own Concerto Competition. Advanced students audition to play in the South Dakota Symphony, the Sioux City Symphony, and the Sioux City and Sioux Falls municipal bands.
Guidance is provided by nineteen full-time and eight adjunct faculty members.
An electronic studio and computer technology provide students with the tools needed to work in today's musical environment. Graduates go on to rewarding careers as educators, performers, and administrators. The Rawlins Piano Trio discovers and records little-known works by American composers, in addition to playing traditional piano trio literature, and has performed at national meetings of the Sonneck Society for American Music. Within these concentrations, students can emphasize historically informed performance, scholarship, or both. Programs of study are tailored to meet student needs and interests.