Music, M.A.
Admission Requirements
Applicants should follow the admissions process described in this catalog or at the Graduate Admissions website at www.marshall.edu/graduate/admissions/how-to-apply-for-admission.
To be admitted to the School of Music, you must:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accepted, accredited institution with a major in music or the equivalent.
- Have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, with no grade lower than a C in any music course.
- Perform an audition or submit a video audition (Jazz Studies, Applied Music Performance) or submit additional application materials (Music Composition, Music Education, Music History).
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Entering vocal performance majors with fewer than two (2) semesters of study of French, German, or Italian must complete two (2) semesters of undergraduate study in one of those languages.
- Submit an application to the School of Music, available at https://www.marshall.edu/music/school-of-music-graduate-application/.
Potential graduate students should contact the School of Music Graduate Coordinator for more specific information. Requirements for performance levels in applied music can be found in the School of Music Graduate Handbook.
Video Audition
In lieu of a live audition, prospective students may submit an unedited video, including unedited videos of a live performance. Any performance included on the video must have taken place no earlier three (3) months prior to submission. Please upload your video to an unlisted YouTube channel and provide a link on your application form
Provisional Admittance
Applicants not meeting one or more these requirements may be admitted provisionally but will not be considered degree-seeking students until all requirements are satisfied. In certain instances, after an evaluation of the undergraduate transcript, incoming graduate students will need to take remedial courses to meet academic requirements for specific emphases. These classes will be documented to the student at the time of acceptance into the graduate program in music.
Placement Examinations
All entering graduate music students must take diagnostic exams in music theory and music history prior to the start of their first semester of enrollment. Entering vocal performance majors must take a diagnostic exam in diction, covering Italian, English, French, and German languages.
Graduation Requirements
Credit Hours and Minimum GPA
Students must meet the minimum number of credit hours for their emphasis area and have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0. No more than six (6) hours in which a grade of C is earned and no grades below C may be applied toward the degree.
Plan of Study
Students must have an approved Plan of Study on file in the College of Arts & Media office.
Comprehensive Exams
The graduate comprehensive examinations in music (written and oral) are required of all candidates for the Master of Arts in Music degrees. These examinations provide an opportunity for the student to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the student’s subject area, music history and literature, music theory, and/or area pedagogy and literature.
Graduate Recital (Applied Music Performance, Jazz Studies, Music Composition)
Candidates for the Master of Arts in Music with an Emphasis in Applied Music Performance and Jazz Studies are required to present a recital of a minimum of 60 minutes duration for which one (1) semester credit hour MUSA 676 Graduate Recital is earned. Candidates for the Master of Arts in Music with an Emphasis in Music Composition are required to present a recital of original music (or an approved equivalent) of a minimum of 60 minutes duration for which one (1) semester credit hour in MUSA 676 Graduate Recital is earned. Students must successfully pass a Recital Hearing as detailed below. Graduate recitals may be scheduled at any time, but usually occur in the final semester of the student's applied study program. An archival recording will be made of the recital.
MUSIC COMPOSITION DIGITAL AND/OR AUDIO PORTFOLIOS
Music Composition students will submit their approved digital and/or audio portfolios of the works performed on their degree recital to their committee chair. The committee chair will ensure that the School of Music office receives the portfolio(s).
Thesis Option (Music History and Literature, and Music Education)
Students electing to write a thesis will enroll in MUSP 681 Thesis. In the semester prior to enrollment in MUSP 681, the student must submit a research proposal to their thesis committee and to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval of their topic. Students will:
- Research and write a 60–80-page, documented thesis on an approved topic with comprehensive bibliography and abstract supporting a subject in music history using appropriate sources and voice, relevant evidence, and correct report format, including relevant permissions for copyrighted materials.
- Justify thesis research in an oral defense by citing methodology and evidence in support.
- Present the findings of the research paper in a formal, public setting (30-minute presentation).
- Submit their approved thesis according to MU Graduate Studies Electronic Thesis & Dissertation Guidelines, https://libguides.marshall.edu/etd/guidelinesandtemplates.
Non-Thesis Option (Music History and Literature, and Music Education)
Students electing the non-thesis option track in the Music History and Literature or Music Education program will prepare a portfolio of their semester research projects to submit to their portfolio committee. During the preparation of their portfolios, students will consult with the faculty member who oversaw the original research project(s) for the purposes of feedback, revision, and editing. The student will be asked to justify aspects of their research in an oral defense by citing methodology and evidence in support. Following their oral exam, the student will submit and electronic copy of their portfolio, including any necessary revisions, to their committee chair, who will ensure that the School of Music office receives the portfolio.
Additional Music History and Literature Emphasis Requirements
Students enrolled in the M.A. program in Music History and Literature (Thesis or Non-Thesis Option) must demonstrate reading knowledge of a foreign language (German preferred). This requirement can be satisfied by one of the following actions:
- Pass the music history area foreign language translation exam (administered as needed) with a score of 75% or higher
- Successfully complete four (4) semesters of a foreign language offered by the Marshall University Department of Modern Languages.
- Successfully complete a University of Wisconsin Independent Learning course in Reading and Translation. For more information, see their website: https://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/classes/?topics=Exams.