Music

The Master of Music option in Composition offers a full range of opportunities to study the art of music composition at the graduate level (entrance portfolio and interview required). The option is designed for students interested in pursuing advanced studies in contemporary music styles and techniques, as well as composers interested in pursuing a teaching career in higher education.

A. Prerequisites for the Master of Music Degree

1. Bachelor’s degree, including preparation equivalent to the undergraduate Music major.
2. Taking the department graduate placement examinations in Theory and History prior to first enrollment. Students failing the placement exams may repeat them once or complete the appropriate review coursework—MUS 500 Music Theory Review and/or MUS 501 Music History Review—with a grade of “C” or better.

MM—Composition: Students must demonstrate the equivalent of an undergraduate recital in composition. Students lacking this prerequisite may be asked to present an undergraduate-level recital during the first year of the graduate program.

B. Admission Requirements for Classified Status

All graduate students in music are accepted to the program as conditionally classified. To achieve classified status in the graduate program, the following are required:

1. Completion of University requirements for admission to classified graduate status.
2. Completion of any deficiencies that were determined by the Department of Music at the time of admission.

For more information about requirements for admission, graduate classification and requirements for graduation, please consult the Graduate Studies section of this Catalog.

C. Course Requirements

1. Required Courses (12 units)

MUS 601 Techniques of Research and Bibliography in Music (3)
MUS 604 Seminar in Music Analysis (3)
MUS 698 Thesis, Artistic Performance, or Graduate Project (3)

One class from the following (3 units):

MUS 603A Seminar in Renaissance Music (3)
MUS 603B Seminar in Baroque Music (3)
MUS 603C Seminar in Classical Music (3)
MUS 603D Seminar in Romantic Music (3)
MUS 603E Seminar in 20th Century Music (3)
MUS 692A-Z Selected Topics in Music History (3)

2. Area of Concentration—Composition (Minimum of 18 units)

MUS 565 Seminar in Advanced Instrumental Conducting (2)
MUS 605 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
MUS 625 Advanced Orchestration (2)
MUS 630 Composition (2,2)
MUS 639A Individual Lessons in Composition (1,1,1,1)

Electives (3 units)

Electives to be chosen as approved by area coordinator and Music department graduate advisor.

3. Culminating Experience

MUS 698 (listed in the core requirements above) includes a comprehensive examination:

Each graduate student in the Department of Music is required to pass a comprehensive oral examination. The comprehensive examination committee, consisting of the student’s major professor and at least one additional faculty member, will administer the examination. The examination will be created and scheduled by the student’s major professor in consultation with the area coordinator, and it will cover the student’s major field of study.

If the examination is not attempted or passed, the student will receive an RP (report in progress) in MUS 698, and may attempt the examination again during any of the subsequent three semesters.

Students may not take the comprehensive examination more than twice. Failure of the second attempt of the comprehensive examination will result in the student’s disqualification from the graduate program.

Total Units Required for the M.M. Degree: 30