Music, M.F.A.
The Department of Music offers an M.F.A. in Music with emphases in Choral Conducting, Collaborative Piano, Guitar/Lute Performance, Instrumental Performance, Piano Performance, and Vocal Arts. The graduate curriculum provides courses in music analysis, history, theory, critical studies, and research in addition to intensive performance training.
Admission
In addition to meeting all general requirements for admission to graduate study, applicants should hold a B.A. in Music, a B.Mus., or the equivalent.
The online application must be submitted and all supporting materials must be received by January 15. Late applications cannot be considered. Supporting materials must include three letters of recommendation and at least one substantial writing sample, preferably on a musical subject. This requirement may be fulfilled by the submission of an undergraduate paper of appropriate scope, preferably on a musical topic.
Applicants must audition for members of the Music faculty by February 1. In exceptional cases (as approved in advance by the departmental graduate advisor), a recently recorded performance may be accepted in lieu of a live audition. Applicants in composition must, in addition, submit a representative sample of scores and recordings of their works.
Applicants are expected to have good general knowledge of music history and music theory, competence in basic musicianship skills, including sight-singing, written and keyboard harmony, dictation, and basic keyboard facility (including sight-reading). Entering students will be given diagnostic tests in music theory prior to the beginning of classes and will be advised to remedy any evident deficiencies during the first year in residence by registering for the appropriate undergraduate courses or through other appropriate means. Credit earned in such courses cannot be counted toward fulfillment of any degree requirement.
General Degree Requirements
Course requirements may be fulfilled only by graduate courses (numbered 200 and higher) and upper-division undergraduate courses (numbered 100 and higher), and only by those courses in which a grade of B or higher has been earned.
All students must complete the graduate core curriculum in bibliography (MUSIC 200). All students, except for those in Vocal Arts, must register for tutorial study in the major field (MUSIC 210, MUSIC 211, or MUSIC 212) during every quarter in residence. Students in the emphasis in Vocal Arts must register for MUSIC 211 every quarter for a minimum of 24 units. Students in the emphasis in Instrumental Performance must enroll in an approved large ensemble during every quarter in residence.
Students enrolled in the emphasis in Choral Conducting, Collaborative Piano, Piano Performance, and Vocal Arts must fulfill a foreign language requirement, as described in the individual emphasis descriptions below. This requirement may be met either by attaining a passing score in the departmental examination or by earning a grade of B or higher in level 2A of an approved undergraduate language course.
All students must pass the Comprehensive Examination (normally taken during the fifth quarter in residence) and perform one or more public recitals. Details are found in the individual emphasis descriptions below.
The normative time to degree for students in the M.F.A. program is two years. Residence is required. The normative time to degree can be extended to three years only through a petition to the Chair of the Department. The maximum time to degree is three years. Students who do not complete the degree in three years will be dropped from the program.
Individual Emphasis Requirements
Choral Conducting
Languages: Reading knowledge of French, German, or Italian.
Course Work:
| A. Complete the following: | |
| MUSIC 131 | Post-Tonal Theory |
| MUSIC 158A- 158B- 158C | Diction and Diction and Diction 1 |
| MUSIC 200 | Bibliography and Research |
| MUSIC 210 | Choral Conducting (every quarter in residence, maximum 24 units) |
| MUSIC 224 | Seminar in Music Theory and Analysis |
| B. Complete three seminars: | |
| MUSIC 222 | Seminar in Musicology |
| MUSIC 235 | Critical Studies in Music |
| MUSIC 236 | Theoretical ICIT Seminar |
| C. Twelve units of electives, selected with advisor. | |
| MUSIC 214 | Graduate Recital |
- 1
Note: This requirement is waived for students who demonstrate competence in this area by passing a diagnostic exam, in which case these 6 units are taken as electives
The total number of units for the specific course requirements that must be completed with a grade of at least B is 66.
Comprehensive Examination: This is a special field exam, related to (but not limited to) repertoire selected for the Graduate Recital. It is taken no later than March of the second year. The graduate committee sets the exam 24 hours in advance; the student makes an oral presentation and then fields the committee’s questions.
Collaborative Piano
Languages: Reading knowledge of French, German, Italian, or Spanish.
Course Work:
| A. Complete the following: | |
| MUSIC 131 | Post-Tonal Theory |
| MUSIC 156A- 156B | Song Literature and Song Literature |
| MUSIC 158A- 158B- 158C | Diction and Diction and Diction 1 |
| MUSIC 176 | Chamber Ensembles (6 units) |
| MUSIC 200 | Bibliography and Research |
| MUSIC 211 | Performance (every quarter in residence, maximum 24 units) |
| MUSIC 224 | Seminar in Music Theory and Analysis |
| B. Select one seminar from the following: | |
| Seminar in Musicology | |
| Critical Studies in Music | |
| Theoretical ICIT Seminar | |
| C. Two Graduate Recitals: | |
| Graduate Recital (one instrumental and one vocal) | |
- 1
Note: This requirement is waived for students who demonstrate competence in this area by passing a diagnostic exam, in which case these 6 units are taken as electives.
The total number of units for the specific course requirements that must be completed with a grade of at least B is 53.
Comprehensive Examination: This is a special field exam, related to (but not limited to) repertoire selected for the Graduate Recitals. It is taken no later than March of the second year. The graduate committee sets the exam 24 hours in advance; the student makes an oral presentation and then fields the committee’s questions.
Guitar/Lute Performance
Course Work:
| A. Complete the following: | |
| MUSIC 131 | Post-Tonal Theory |
| MUSIC 176 | Chamber Ensembles (6 units) |
| MUSIC 189 | Accompanying for Plucked Strings: Continuo and Changes (taken three times) |
| MUSIC 200 | Bibliography and Research |
| MUSIC 211 | Performance (every quarter in residence, maximum of 24 units) |
| MUSIC 214 | Graduate Recital 1 |
| MUSIC 224 | Seminar in Music Theory and Analysis |
| MUSIC 240 | Graduate Projects |
| B. Select two seminars from the following: | |
| Seminar in Musicology | |
| Critical Studies in Music | |
| Theoretical ICIT Seminar | |
- 1
Note: The recital is supported by a written essay, presented in advance of the Comprehensive Examination.
The total number of units for the specific course requirements that must be completed with a grade of at least B is 57.
Comprehensive Examination: This is a special field exam, related to (but not limited to) repertoire selected for the Graduate Recital. It is taken no later than March of the second year. The graduate committee sets the exam 24 hours in advance; the student makes an oral presentation and then fields the committee’s questions.
Instrumental Performance
Course Work:
| A. Complete the following: | |
| MUSIC 131 | Post-Tonal Theory |
| MUSIC 160 | University Orchestra (taken every quarter in residence, maximum of 12 units) |
| or MUSIC 161 | Wind Ensemble |
| MUSIC 176 | Chamber Ensembles (6 units) |
| MUSIC 200 | Bibliography and Research |
| MUSIC 211 | Performance (every quarter in residence, maximum of 24 units) |
| MUSIC 214 | Graduate Recital |
| MUSIC 224 | Seminar in Music Theory and Analysis |
| B. Select two seminars from the following: | |
| Seminar in Musicology | |
| Critical Studies in Music | |
| Theoretical ICIT Seminar | |
The total number of units for the specific course requirements that must be completed with a grade of at least B is 59.
Comprehensive Examination: This is a special field exam, related to (but not limited to) repertoire selected for the Graduate Recital. It is taken no later than March of the second year. The graduate committee sets the exam 24 hours in advance; the student makes an oral presentation and then fields the committee’s questions.
Piano Performance
Languages: Reading knowledge of French, German, Italian, or Spanish.
Course Work:
| A. Complete the following: | |
| MUSIC 131 | Post-Tonal Theory |
| MUSIC 176 | Chamber Ensembles (6 units) |
| MUSIC 200 | Bibliography and Research |
| MUSIC 211 | Performance (every quarter in residence, maximum of 24 units) |
| MUSIC 214 | Graduate Recital (twice) |
| MUSIC 224 | Seminar in Music Theory and Analysis |
| B. Select two seminars from the following: | |
| Seminar in Musicology | |
| Critical Studies in Music | |
| Theoretical ICIT Seminar | |
| C. Four units of electives, selected with advisor (upper-division or graduate, Music or non-Music). | |
The total number of units for the specific course requirements that must be completed with a grade of at least B is 51.
Comprehensive Examination: This is a special field exam, related to (but not limited to) repertoire selected for the Graduate Recitals. It is taken no later than March of the second year. The graduate committee sets the exam 24 hours in advance; the student makes an oral presentation and then fields the committee’s questions.
Vocal Arts
Languages: Reading knowledge of French, German, Italian, or Spanish.
Course Work:
| A. Complete the following: | |
| MUSIC 158A | Diction |
| MUSIC 158B | Diction |
| MUSIC 158C | Diction |
| MUSIC 164 | Opera Workshop (4 units) |
| MUSIC 200 | Bibliography and Research |
| MUSIC 211 | Performance (every quarter, minimum of 24 units) |
| MUSIC 214 | Graduate Recital |
| B. Select one of the following: | |
| Post-Tonal Theory | |
| Seminar in Music Theory and Analysis | |
| C. Select two seminars from the following: | |
| Topics in Medieval Music | |
| Topics in Renaissance Music | |
| Topics in Baroque Music | |
| Topics in Classical Music | |
| Topics in Romantic Music | |
| Studies in Jazz Music | |
| Studies in Music Technology | |
| Studies in Ethnomusicology | |
| Seminar in Musicology | |
| Critical Studies in Music | |
| Theoretical ICIT Seminar | |
| D. Complete four units of electives selected with advisor (upper-division or graduate, music or non-music, lower-division acceptable for language study). | |
The total number of units for the specific course requirements that must be completed with a grade of at least B is 52.
Comprehensive Examination: This is a special field exam, related to (but not limited to) repertoire selected for the Graduate Recital. It is taken no later than March of the second year. The graduate committee sets the exam 24 hours in advance; the student makes an oral presentation and then fields the committee’s questions.