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Master’s Programs

The following master’s programs are :

The degree Master of Arts in Musicology and a joint degree in Music Librarianship: Master of Arts in Musicology and the Master of Science in Library and Information Science.

The Master of Arts in Musicology and the joint degree in Music Librarianship are not accepting new students at this time

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

  1. 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.
  2. Submission of an application, final and official transcripts, and two letters of recommendation. Also to be included is a statement of purpose, a 500-700 word essay stating one's purpose for undertaking graduate study in music, one's 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.
  3. At least a B average in all undergraduate music courses.
  4. A 10-minute (15-minute for piano) 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. The student applying to the composition program must submit original compositions in lieu of a proficiency audition; the composition applicant 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.
  5. 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), 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 the student fails 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.

Full-time study: 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: 1. enrollment for master's graduate recital and at least one credit of private instruction (limit four semesters).

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 that 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.

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 here. 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.

Handbook for students: Students are to consult the online Handbook for forms and procedures not detailed in these Announcements.

Incompletes and Extensions of Incomplete: The departments of music follow university policy with regard to Incompletes and Extensions of Incomplete, with this clarification: only one Extension of Incomplete will be granted for a given course, requiring dean's permission and documentation supporting the reason for the request. Further extensions will be considered only in extreme cases and with the approval of the instructor, the relevant department chair, and the dean.

Independent Study: Other than 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.)

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.

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.