Master of Music
The Master of Music degree is offered in the School of Music with majors in church music, composition, conducting, musicology, music theory, performance, collaborative piano, and piano pedagogy and performance.
Admission
Graduates of recognized four-year courses leading to a bachelor’s degree in music with a minimum GPA of 3.0 may become candidates for the Master of Music degree. Students desiring to become candidates for the degree must have the equivalent of the undergraduate major in music at Baylor University in the field of concentration in which they wish to continue. Those who lack courses prerequisite to graduate study may make up the undergraduate work, for which graduate credit may be granted, provided the course work is at the 4000 level and appropriate to the degree program. All students will take music theory and music history diagnostic examinations. Certain majors, including Vocal Performance, Choral Conducting, Collaborative Piano, and the Vocal Performance Concentration of Church Music, require additional diagnostic exams in Diction. Appropriate remedial course work may be required.
Applicants for degrees with emphasis in performance, collaborative piano, piano pedagogy, or the performance option of church music must audition (in person or submit a video recording of a recent performance) with repertoire of at least senior recital level. A repertoire list must be submitted for evaluation at the time of the audition. Applicants for the major in composition or the composition option in church music must submit a portfolio of recently completed compositions. An example of a recent paper is required of applicants who intend to pursue an emphasis in musicology, church music, or music theory. Applicants seeking admission to the conducting program must submit a video of their work in both rehearsal and performance. Papers, composition portfolios, videos, and audio recordings should be submitted to the School of Music. To request an audition and/or submit materials, please go to the School of Music’s website: https://www.baylor.edu/music/.
The Graduate Record Examination General Test (GRE) is required of applicants in musicology and music theory; the GRE General Test is not required of church music, composition, conducting, performance, piano pedagogy and performance, or collaborative piano majors.
Applicants in musicology must possess intermediate proficiency in German or French (see Graduate School Language Requirement).
Special Requirements for Master’s Degrees
The normal time for completion of the requirements for the degree ranges from two semesters and two summers to four semesters. A minimum of thirty semester hours is required. No correspondence work may be counted for graduate credit.
Enrollment in an ensemble, as assigned by the conducting faculty, is required throughout the term of residence. Ensemble participation is not required of Piano Performance majors or Collaborative Piano majors. Students in piano pedagogy may fulfill the ensemble requirement through enrollment in two semesters of Studio Collaborative Piano, Piano Ensemble, or Chamber Music. Organ performance majors will fulfill the ensemble requirement through enrollment in two semesters of a choral ensemble.
All candidates for a master’s degree must pass a comprehensive oral examination.
Students who desire to pursue a double major (e.g., Music Theory and Piano Performance) must fulfill all application requirements for and be accepted by both areas. An additional 15-18 credit hours will be required to complete the major in the second area (the number of hours depends upon the majors chosen). Except for the core course requirements of 9 credit hours, no courses can be credited toward degree requirements in both areas (e.g., a recital in Piano Pedagogy and Performance cannot be used to fulfill degree requirements in Piano Performance).
Summer Applied Lessons
Applied music courses are only open in summer sessions to MM, MDiv/MM, DMA, and PhD students in their primary applied concentration and only with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Curriculum for Master of Music
The core of study for all Master of Music degrees is as follows:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Music Core Courses | ||
| MUS 5302 | Analytical Techniques | 3 |
| MUS 5320 | Research Methods and Bibliography | 3 |
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Seminar in The Middle Ages | ||
| Seminar in The Renaissance Era | ||
| Seminar in The Baroque Era | ||
| Seminar in The Classic Era | ||
| Seminar in The Romantic Era | ||
| Seminar in Music of World War I to the Present | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |