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Master’s Programs

The following master’s programs are offered:

Master of Music: programs available in Choral Conducting; Orchestral Conducting; Piano Pedagogy; Vocal Pedagogy (with classical emphasis or musical theatre-pop/rock emphasis); Chamber Music (piano), Orchestral Instruments (violin, viola, cello, string bass, orchestral woodwind and brass, percussion, harp, classical guitar); Organ Performance; Piano Performance; Vocal Accompanying; Vocal Performance; Master of Arts in Teaching. Master of Music in Composition (with emphasis in concert music or stage music); Joint Degree: Master of Arts in Musicology and Master of Science in Library Information Sciences.

In addition, the following non-degree programs are offered:

The Graduate Artist Diploma (non-degree); (see curriculum section of the Graduate Artist Diploma for a list of accepted instruments);

Music Teacher Certification (non-degree).

Admission

The following are required for admission to the master's degree programs:

A bachelor's degree with a major in music from an accredited institution. A student with a Bachelor of Arts degree may be accepted only after meeting the equivalent requirement for the Bachelor of Music degree at The Catholic University of America, either by taking advanced standing examinations or by completing the additional undergraduate courses.

Submission of an application, final and official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. The statement of purpose is a 500-700 word essay stating the purpose for undertaking graduate study in music, an academic objective, research interests and career plans, as well as related qualifications, such as collegiate, professional, and community activities, and any other substantial accomplishment not already mentioned on the application form.

At least a B average in all undergraduate music courses.

A 10-minute (15-minute for piano students) demonstration of performance proficiency (audition) with classical repertoire in contrasting styles in the applicant's major medium, either by personal audition or recording. Some degree programs also require an entrance recital (see individual programs).

In lieu of a proficiency audition, students applying to the Master of Arts program are required to submit an original research paper on any musical topic. The paper should demonstrate facility with scholarly sources, the ability to formulate an original argument, and strong writing skills. Students applying to the composition program must submit original compositions in lieu of a proficiency audition; the composition applicants must also complete an interview with the composition faculty. This interview is typically conducted in-person or via video chat on audition days. Students who apply to graduate programs in the Area of Sacred Music must complete musicianship diagnostics and an interview in addition to the proficiency audition.

Students whose first language is not English must submit TOEFL, results of 80 or higher (iBT test), (for paper-based test: 550 or higher; for computer-based test: 213 or higher), or the Duolingo examination, results of 105 or higher, to be considered for admission. For the iBT test, at least 20 out of 30 in each of the subcategories is required.

Comprehensive Examinations

In keeping with university policy, a student may retake comprehensive examinations only once. If a student fails the comprehensive examinations a second time, the student is no longer considered eligible to receive the degree Master of Arts, Master of Arts/Master of Science in Library and Information Science, or applicable Master of Music programs.

General Policies

  1. Full-Time Study (in addition to general university policies): The master's degrees are subject to university policies regarding full-time study, as outlined under the heading Enrollment in the General Information section of the Graduate Announcements, with the following addition: enrollment for master's graduate recital and at least one credit of private instruction (limit four semesters).
  2. GPA minimum required for graduation and degree progress: For students in graduate programs, an average of B (3.0 cumulative GPA) or better is required for graduation. A graduate student who has received a grade of C or F in a graduate course is permitted to repeat the course one time. The calculation of the grade point average will include only the grade earned in the repeated course. In keeping with university policy, a graduate student who earns two failing grades is subject to dismissal. A master's student who fails a required hearing, recital, or performance a second time is no longer considered eligible to receive the master's degree.
  3. Graduate Review Courses: Incoming graduate students must take the Music History Placement Examination and Theory Placement Examination before their first semester of classes. If the results of the Music Theory Placement Exam warrant placement into the Graduate Harmony Review course (MUS 491) or the results of the Music History Placement Exam warrant placement into the Graduate Music History Review course (MUS 490), the student must fulfill these courses within a year of having taken the exams. For more details related to the placement examinations, please refer to the section “Placement Examinations” below. These placement exams are administered by faculty in the Department of Music Theory, History, and Composition and are always offered in-person on the Saturday before a given term starts.
  4. Handbook for Students: Students are to consult the online Handbook found at https://music.catholic.edu/academics/incoming-current-music-students/student-handbook/index.html for forms and procedures not detailed in these Announcements.
  5. Incompletes and Extensions of Incomplete: The departments of music follow university policy with regard to Incompletes and Extensions of Incomplete, with the following clarification: only one Extension of Incomplete will be granted for a given course. This extension requires the dean's permission and documentation supporting the reason for the request. Further extensions will only be considered for extreme cases and with the approval of the instructor, the relevant department chair, and the dean.
  6. Independent Study: Excluding students in the Professional Studies track or in cases approved by the dean, graduate students should take no more than one-sixth of the total credit hours in their program of graduate studies as Independent Study. (This refers to graduate level courses, not undergraduate prerequisites that may have to be fulfilled.)
  7. Juries: Degree requirements for many of the master's degree programs include performance juries (major, principal, and secondary) and a degree recital. All students enrolled in applied composition are required to submit samples of their work to a jury of the composition faculty for evaluation at the end of the semester.
  8. Location of Degree Recital: Master's recitals and related required performances must normally be performed on campus. Exceptions require consultation with advisor and dean's permission. Policies and procedures pertaining to degree recitals, whether on or off campus, may be found in the music handbook https://music.catholic.edu/academics/incoming-current-music-students/student-handbook/index.html.
  9. Master of Music degree programs requiring concerto, chamber music, and/or vocal accompanying performances: The student must register for the appropriate MUS numbers according to the student's degree program. The student must consult the curriculum for the specific MUS numbers. If there will be no faculty member, private instructor, or advisor present at the above performances, for evaluation purposes the student must submit to his/her advisor within 24 hours of the performance a video recording with sound of the entire performance along with the official printed program.
  10. Master of Music Programs in Performance: In particular circumstances where the candidate is actively engaged in a recognized performance career and either represented by artist management or affiliated with a professional organization of acceptable status, the Master of Music degree programs that follow may be offered with special and individualized study options by permission of the dean and the cognizant performance area head/committee.
  11. Overelection: The normal maximum course load for a full-time graduate music student is 15 credit hours per semester. Overelection is not allowed except in extraordinary circumstances and only with permission of the dean. Unless approved by the dean, teaching or research assistants may not enroll for more than nine semester hours per semester, depending upon the number of hours of teaching or research per week required by their appointments.
  12. Participation in Productions: Music students derive benefit from participation in many aspects of the management and the production of performances. Students may, as part of their educational experience, be assigned various duties in the production of operas, musical theater productions, and orchestral, choral and chamber music concerts.
  13. Part-Time Faculty and Private Instruction: Part-time faculty members teaching private instruction are appointed at an hourly rate by the University. Study with part-time applied faculty is subject to their availability, and some part-time applied faculty teach off campus. Students studying with a part-time faculty member may be required to pay an additional studio rate.
  14. Placement Examinations: Incoming graduate students are required to take a Music History Placement Examination and Theory Placement Examination (which has two parts: a harmony section and an aural skills section) before initial registration is completed. These examinations are taken only once, and are typically offered on the Saturday before the start of a given term. If the results indicate areas of deficiency, the student must remove these deficiencies by taking specified graduate review courses (see below) or undergraduate courses. These courses do not count toward degree requirements. The applicant is expected to take the placement examinations at the beginning of the semester in which he/she has been admitted. For serious reasons, the advisor may grant permission to postpone to the second semester of residency, but normally not beyond.
  15. Private instruction and degree recital: Students in specific graduate programs must be registered for private instruction during the semester in which their degree recital is performed. Check with the head of your area to determine if this is required by your program.