Program Overview
Degree Offered
Master of Music (M.M.) in Music - See concentrations
The School of Music offers a master's degree program that provides students with the necessary opportunities to achieve the highest degree of musical development and professional training. We are seeking candidates who have the potential to pursue the highest level of achievement in conducting/performance and teaching.
Quick Facts
Mode of Delivery
On Campus
Full-time (Part-time possible)
Typical Duration
2 years
1:1
Faculty Mentorship
Description
The School of Music offers a Master of Music degree with concentration options in composition, conducting, music education, and performance. The program seeks to provide opportunities for the highest level of musical development and professional training for each student, appropriate for careers in teaching, performance and the composition of music. The faculty/student ratio also allows for a close relationship and provides the opportunity for individualized instruction in many areas.
Student composers will immerse themselves in the techniques and aesthetics of musical creation and will become aware, through intensive examination, of the music and musical thought of all style periods, especially that of the present and immediate past. Conducting students will undertake a comprehensive study of the literature of their medium, develop advanced insights into the musical ideas and structure of the major works, and refine their conducting and rehearsal skills. Music education students will examine the foundations and principles underlying the practices of their profession and will develop both scholarly and technical abilities essential to a continuing development as effective teachers and leaders. Performance students will specialize in activities that develop the technical mastery and musical maturity essential to the art of making music involving their chosen instrument or voice.
All concentrations in the Master of Music program must complete a minimum requirement of 32 hours of graduate credit. As per JMU graduate school requirements, successful completion of the Master of Music degree includes an oral comprehensive examination.
A student entering a graduate degree program in music is expected to have completed an undergraduate degree with a major in music or its equivalent and have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in music studies. In addition to The Graduate School requirements, successful applicants must pass auditions, interviews, and/or reviews of their composition portfolios within the School of Music. Those in choral conducting must pass tests in sight singing, keyboard skills and language diction.
Post-baccalaureate, post-master's and other qualified students may enroll in certain courses on a limited basis. For details concerning requirements and deadlines, contact the Director of Graduate Studies for the School of Music.
Concentrations:
- Composition
- Conducting
- Music Education
- Performance
- Performance with Optional Signing Health emphasis
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
Mon - Fri:
8 a.m. - 12 p.m. &
1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. for lunch
