A Comparison of Burnout Between Undergraduate Music and Non-Music Majors By

The principal purpose of the study was to compare perceived burnout levels (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment) of college students by year in school (freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior), and academic major (music or non-music). The secondary purpose was to examine relationships among perceived burnout, academic, and personal variables (average number of hours per week of academic credit, classes, homework, exercise, sleep, work, and relaxation). Subjects were 320 undergraduate students from a liberal arts university in the northeast United States. While no significant differences in burnout were reported based on year in school, music majors reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization than non-music majors. Additionally, for combined subjects, moderate to weak relationships were observed among emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment, hours of classes, homework, sleep, and relaxation. Researchers and practitioners have reported recent increases in the number of college students with severe psychological problems and in the demand for school counseling services (e.g., Kitzrow, 2003). Ross, Niebling, and Heckert (1999) surveyed 100 university students to determine perceived sources of stress and found that sleeping habits, vacations and breaks, changes in eating habits, increased academic workload, and new responsibilities were significant factors. In a study of college students’ social interactions, Edwards, Hershberger, Russell, and Market (2001) found that negative social interaction was the most significant predictor of physical ailments. Similarly, Jacobs and Dodd (2003) studied relationships among burnout, social support, personality,