MUS 307Lower division3 credit hours
MUS 307 Topics in Popular Music
Since 2011, MUS 307 has averaged 3.75 with 76% A’s. In Spring 2026 it averaged 3.86, above the 3.70 average for undergraduate MUS classes that term.
Registration detailsBefore you register
Listed for Spring 2027 · UT’s published schedule
UT prerequisites and restrictions
- Who can take it
- Open to all University students.
- Catalog edition
- 2026–27
- Class hours a week
- 3
- Grading
- Letter grade or pass/fail, your choice
- Repeat for credit
- Yes, when the topic changes
- Core curriculum
- Visual and performing arts (050)
- Texas common number
- MUSI 1310
Grade distribution
Spring 2026: 768 letter grades, 3.86 average GPA, 86% A’s, 2 sections
Bars show the selected term. Short lines show all terms combined.
Grade counts
| Grade | Students | Share | All terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 664 | 86.5% | 75.6% |
| A− | 45 | 5.9% | 7.2% |
| B+ | 11 | 1.4% | 4.7% |
| B | 18 | 2.3% | 6.6% |
| B− | 3 | 0.4% | 1.6% |
| C+ | 2 | 0.3% | 1.0% |
| C | 13 | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| C− | 5 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| D+ | 1 | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| D | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| D− | 0 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| F | 5 | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Q, W, CR, and others | 30 | Not in the average | |
How have grades changed?
UT’s grade reports show 46 terms from Summer 2011 to Summer 2026 (15 falls, 15 springs, and 16 summers).
Grades by term
| Term | Sections | Letter grades | Average GPA | A’s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2026 | 2 | 408 | 3.79 | 88.2% |
| Spring 2026 | 2 | 768 | 3.86 | 86.5% |
| Fall 2025 | 3 | 801 | 3.82 | 82.1% |
| Summer 2025 | 2 | 373 | 3.92 | 92.5% |
| Spring 2025 | 6 | 762 | 3.86 | 87.3% |
| Fall 2024 | 3 | 547 | 3.88 | 88.1% |
| Summer 2024 | 2 | 303 | 3.82 | 84.5% |
| Spring 2024 | 5 | 756 | 3.89 | 88.2% |
| Fall 2023 | 3 | 693 | 3.86 | 86.3% |
| Summer 2023 | 2 | 271 | 3.85 | 86.7% |
| Spring 2023 | 5 | 755 | 3.84 | 87.5% |
| Fall 2022 | 5 | 752 | 3.81 | 81.6% |
| Summer 2022 | 2 | 252 | 3.64 | 71.4% |
| Spring 2022 | 7 | 832 | 3.83 | 85.3% |
| Fall 2021 | 9 | 833 | 3.86 | 85.8% |
| Summer 2021 | 2 | 278 | 3.66 | 73.4% |
| Spring 2021 | 15 | 1,015 | 3.89 | 86.5% |
| Fall 2020 | 15 | 958 | 3.83 | 82.6% |
| Summer 2020 | 2 | 244 | 3.86 | 84.8% |
| Spring 2020 | 13 | 969 | 3.93 | 90.7% |
| Fall 2019 | 15 | 927 | 3.63 | 62.9% |
| Summer 2019 | 3 | 176 | 3.59 | 68.8% |
| Spring 2019 | 13 | 992 | 3.72 | 72.7% |
| Fall 2018 | 16 | 965 | 3.66 | 68.5% |
| Summer 2018 | 3 | 184 | 3.70 | 72.3% |
| Spring 2018 | 16 | 592 | 3.71 | 71.3% |
| Fall 2017 | 13 | 886 | 3.69 | 71.9% |
| Summer 2017 | 3 | 193 | 3.63 | 69.4% |
| Spring 2017 | 14 | 839 | 3.70 | 71.9% |
| Fall 2016 | 18 | 544 | 3.84 | 84.0% |
| Summer 2016 | 3 | 80 | 3.70 | 56.3% |
| Spring 2016 | 13 | 405 | 3.64 | 62.7% |
| Fall 2015 | 12 | 322 | 3.57 | 46.6% |
| Summer 2015 | 2 | 73 | 3.73 | 72.6% |
| Spring 2015 | 13 | 349 | 3.51 | 59.0% |
| Fall 2014 | 14 | 391 | 3.55 | 58.6% |
| Summer 2014 | 3 | 99 | 3.68 | 63.6% |
| Spring 2014 | 14 | 423 | 3.77 | 65.7% |
| Fall 2013 | 13 | 366 | 3.69 | 62.0% |
| Summer 2013 | 4 | 98 | 3.67 | 60.2% |
| Spring 2013 | 14 | 455 | 3.28 | 41.5% |
| Fall 2012 | 14 | 381 | 3.34 | 36.2% |
| Summer 2012 | 4 | 97 | 3.51 | 58.8% |
| Spring 2012 | 13 | 405 | 3.41 | 43.2% |
| Fall 2011 | 13 | 390 | 3.57 | 52.6% |
| Summer 2011 | 3 | 62 | 3.47 | 48.4% |
What’s MUS 307 about?
Studies of the popular music of a selected culture or geographical area. Three lecture hours a week for one semester, with one laboratory hour a week as required.
Topics
- Topic 1: Music of African Americans. Introduction to the variety of modes of expression of African American culture in music and other related genres. Only one of the following may be counted: African and African Diaspora Studies 315U, 317F (Topic 2), Music 307 (Topic 1). Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Same as: AFR 315U Core Curriculum: 050 Topic 2: History of Rock Music. Core Curriculum: 050 Topic 3: Jazz Appreciation. Core Curriculum: 050
Topics with their own catalog entries
Prepare for class
- Popular music
- Music and place
- Cultural context
Review · Pick a song from the section's listed topic and look for a reliable source on where it circulated.
Self-check · The same song appears as a solo recording and a dance remix. What might you compare to explain the different audiences each reached?
Show the answer
Compare the arrangement, release venues, and who heard or used each version.
Instructor evaluations
UT posts its course evaluation results as one public list per term. Open a term and look for MUS 307 in it: Spring 2026 · Fall 2025 · Summer 2025 · Spring 2025.
UT’s CES ratings search · Results before Fall 2022 · Syllabi and evaluations for MUS 307
The guide links UT’s own results and copies no numbers.
Sources
The Spring 2027 listing comes from UT’s printed schedule, checked November 9, 2026.
Class details come from UT’s Music catalog page, 2026–27 edition, checked October 27, 2026. Match requirements to your own catalog and degree plan.
Grades come from UT’s grade dashboard, updated October 27, 2026. UT leaves out some small classes to protect students’ privacy.
Each letter grade counts once. A− has its own bar. Subject averages cover the same subject, level, and term, including this class. How the averages are calculated.