2024-2025 Graduate Catalog Music

Graduate Proficiency Examinations

At the beginning of their first semester of enrollment, all new graduate music students must take proficiency examinations in music theory and music history/literature. Students who do not take the Graduate Proficiency Exam in Music History/Literature must enroll in undergraduate music history courses. Students who do not pass the Graduate Proficiency Exam in Music History/Literature must complete remediation assigned by the Music History faculty or retake the exam within a calendar year of the first attempt. Students who choose to retake the exam and do not pass must then complete remediation assigned by the Music History faculty. Remediation may include enrollment in one or more undergraduate music history courses, or an alternate remediation as assigned by the faculty. Students who do not pass or do not take the Graduate Proficiency Exam in Music Theory must complete remediation assigned by the Music Theory faculty.

Ensemble Requirement

All Music graduate students who are full-time and in-residence Music majors are required to enroll and perform in a faculty-conducted ensemble for a minimum of two semesters. The choice of ensemble must be approved by the ensemble director and the applied studio faculty. Additional ensembles may be taken with the approval of the ensemble director, the applied faculty, and the Music Graduate Coordinator. The ensemble requirement may be waived for summers-only students or part-time students with the approval of the advisor and the Graduate Coordinator. All graduate assistants must be enrolled in a major ensemble related to their primary applied area each semester that they hold an assistantship.

Chamber Music

All students pursuing the M.M. Performance Sequence are encouraged to enroll in a Chamber Music Ensemble (MUS 439) for a minimum of one semester.

Academic Advisor

All new graduate students must meet with the Music Graduate Coordinator/Graduate Advisor during the first two weeks of their first semester and submit a Plan of Study, which is a requirement for degree completion.

Collaborative Piano Sequence

This 35-hour sequence requires:

• 12 hours: applied music courses (MUS 440)
• 2 hours: chamber music (MUS 439A40)
• 11 hours: MUS 423, MUS 407, MUS 452, MUS 457
• 7 hours of electives in a cognate music field, which may be selected from but are not limited to, the following: non-degree recitals, music technology, music history, music theory, music education, music therapy, music business, applied music, jazz studies, ensembles, and non-music courses.
• 2 hours: 2 semesters of ensemble selected from MUS 465, MUS 439A70, MUS 439A90, MUS 481A05, MUS 481A06, MUS 482, MUS 484, MUS 486, MUS 487, and MUS 488. Multiple enrollments allowed.
• 1 hour: Exit requirements for the Collaborative Piano Sequence include a written comprehensive examination and one recital (MUS 496). The comprehensive exam must be taken in the semester during which the student will graduate.

Composition Sequence

This 33-hour sequence requires:

• 9 hours: MUS 402, MUS 452, and MUS 457
• 6 hours chosen from the following: MUS 403, MUS 404, MUS 407, or MUS 408
  (Choices will be made in consultation with the composition faculty.)
• 9 hours: MUS 405
• 3 hours selected from: CTK 440, CTK 445, and CTK 481; MUS 455, MUS 456, MUS 478, MUS 479, MUS 492, and MUS 494
  
• 2 hours selected from: MUS 465, MUS 439A70, MUS 439A85, MUS 439A90, MUS 481A05, MUS 481A06, MUS 481A07, MUS 482, MUS 484, MUS 486, and MUS 488.
• 4 hours: MUS 499 (Exit Composition) 

Conducting Sequence

This 35-hour sequence requires:

• 12 hours applied conducting (MUS 430)
• 2 hours: MUS 495
• 9 hours: MUS 407, MUS 452, MUS 457
• 9 hours of electives in a cognate music field, which may be selected from, but are not limited to, the following: non-degree recitals, music technology, music history, music theory, music education, music therapy, music business, applied music, jazz studies, ensembles, and non-music courses
• 2 hours: 2 semesters of ensemble selected from MUS 465, MUS 439A70, MUS 439A85, MUS 439A90, MUS 481A05, MUS 481A06, MUS 482 and MUS 484 (For Choral Conducting majors, MUS 488 may satisfy the requirement with the permission of the Choral Department). Multiple enrollments allowed in applied conducting, ensembles, and non-degree recitals.
• 1 hour: Exit requirements: 1 hour graduate recital (MUS 496) and written comprehensive examination. The comprehensive exam must be taken during the semester in which the student will graduate.

Jazz Performance Sequence

This 35-hour sequence requires:

• 8 hours: Applied Jazz (MUS 438A70).
• 13 hours: MUS 407, MUS 415, MUS 416, MUS 452, MUS 457.
• 4 hours: Jazz Ensemble (jazz big band) MUS 439A70. Ensembles may be repeated.
• 9 hours of electives in a cognate music field which may be selected from, but are not limited to, the following: non-degree recitals, music technology, music history, music theory, music education, music therapy, music business, applied music, jazz studies, ensembles, music theory/composition, and non-music courses.
• 1 hour: Exit requirements include a written comprehensive examination and one recital (MUS 496). The comprehensive exam must be taken in the semester during which the student will graduate.

Music Therapy Sequence

This is a 37-hour sequence. Entrance into the Music Therapy sequence requires that the student has completed or will complete equivalency requirements for music therapy certification. Equivalency includes a degree in music and the following: MUS 194, MUS 294, MUS 298A01 (4 hours), MUS 340, MUS 341, MUS 360, and MUS 398. Depending upon the student's undergraduate studies, some may need to take one or more of the following: MUS 117, MUS 118, MUS 122A30, MUS 126, MUS 298A01, MUS 398; and PSY 110, PSY 213, PSY 346, PSY 350.

This 37-hour sequence requires: 

• 16 hours: MUS 442, MUS 443, MUS 444, MUS 452, MUS 459, MUS 498A02, MUS 498A10
• 3 hours: music elective
• 2 hours: 2 semesters of ensemble selected from MUS 465, MUS 439A70, MUS 439A85, MUS 439A90, MUS 481A05, MUS 481A06, MUS 481A07, MUS 482, MUS 484, MUS 486, and MUS 488
• 12 hours: 300-/400-level courses in concentrations such as psychology, education, gerontology, and creative technologies, or others designed by student with music therapy faculty approval
• 4 hours: Exit requirement: 4 hours of MUS 499 Thesis

Performance Sequence

This 35-hour sequence requires:

• 12 hours: applied music courses on the major instrument (MUS 430-438)
• 2 hours: music pedagogy and literature courses (MUS 420)
• 9 hours: MUS 407, MUS 452, MUS 457
• 9 hours of electives in a cognate music field, which may be selected from, but are not limited to, the following: Non-degree recitals, music technology, music history, music theory, music education, music therapy, music business, applied music, jazz studies, ensembles, and non-music courses
• 2 hours: 2 semesters of ensemble, selected from MUS 465, MUS 439A70, MUS 439A85, MUS 439A90, MUS 481A05, MUS 481A06, MUS 482, MUS 484, and MUS 486 (MUS 488 may satisfy the requirement with the permission of the Choral Department). Multiple enrollments allowed in ensembles.
• 1 hour: Exit requirements: Written comprehensive examination and one recital (MUS 496). The comprehensive exam must be taken in the semester during which the student will graduate.

Piano Performance Only

In addition to the courses listed above, piano performance majors are required to take MUS 423 and an additional 2 hours of MUS 420. Electives are reduced to 5 hours. MUS 487 may satisfy the ensemble requirement with the approval of the Keyboard Area Coordinator.

String Pedagogy Sequence

This 36-hour sequence requires:

• 8 hours: applied music courses on the student's primary instrument (MUS 436).
• 6 hours: string pedagogy courses (MUS 420, MUS 498A05).
• 9 hours: core music courses (MUS 452; MUS 407 or MUS 474; MUS 457).
• 7 hours: electives in a music and/or education field, which may be selected from, but are not limited to, the following: music education, applied music on a secondary stringed instrument, conducting, non-degree recitals, chamber music, music therapy, and early childhood education.
• 4 hours: orchestra (MUS 482).
• 2 hours: Exit requirement is a Final Project in String Pedagogy (MUS 475). The final project must be taken in the semester during which the student will graduate.

This 32-34-hour degree program requires:

• 16 hours: MUS 452, MUS 459, MUS 470, MUS 471, MUS 472, MUS 473
• 2 hours: 2 semesters of ensemble selected from MUS 465, MUS 439A70, MUS 439A90, MUS 481A05, MUS 481A06, MUS 481A07, MUS 482, MUS 484, MUS 486, and MUS 488
• 12 hours of electives in a cognate field, which may be approved by the M.M.Ed. advisor and the Music Graduate Coordinator
• 2 - 4 hour Exit Requirements: Choose one of the following:
  
  • 4-hour thesis (MUS 499);
  • a 2-hour professional practice music education project (MUS 498A01); OR
  • 4 additional hours and a comprehensive exam to complete a non-thesis/project degree

The comprehensive exam must be taken in the semester during which the student will graduate.

All master's degree programs require a minimum of 50 percent of the non-thesis credit hours applied to the degree to be 400-level courses or above.

This degree has a fully online plan of study available as well as a traditional full-time on campus option. The ensemble requirement may be waived for online students with the approval of the advisor and the Music Graduate Coordinator.