Music (MA)

Affiliation: School of Arts and Humanities

The Master of Arts in Music program at Truman State University is designed to prepare promising graduate students for leadership roles in one of four areas: music performance, composition, conducting and scholarship (musicology, theory).  Each of these four areas comprises an emphasis group within the Master of Arts in Music degree.

The course of studies includes professional training, the development of research skills and a liberal arts perspective to help individual students turn talent, inspiration, creativity and dedication into significant potential for service to the development of musical culture in its multiple dimensions.

The Master of Arts in Music degree program at Truman is guided by the following student-based program objectives:

1. The student will possess the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes required to enter and succeed in doctoral programs at primary institutions.
2. The student will possess the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes required to enter and succeed in their chosen professional musical field.
3. The student will publicly present significant works (compositions, performances, thesis and other research) informed by contemporary musical culture as well as by historical traditions.
4. The student will exhibit appropriate habits of professional and scholarly behavior.
5. The student will demonstrate component skills of musical leadership: originality, communication, persuasiveness and organization.
6. The student will possess the historical, theoretical and technical knowledge required to make critically informed musical decisions.

All Master of Arts in Music degree emphasis groups culminate in either a recital (performance or conducting) or thesis (composition or scholarly thesis).

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission to graduate study in music at Truman State University is selective and is based on the following criteria:

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an acceptable undergraduate grade point average. Preferential acceptance is given to those students who possess a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average or above and acceptable test scores. Students who have less than a 2.75 undergraduate grade point average are not eligible for admission.
2. A letter of application, a résumé, three letters of recommendation, and an interview with the Coordinator of Music Admissions and/or the Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music.
3. Demonstration of competence is required for admission to each emphasis group within the degree.  For the Performance and Conducting emphasis groups, the applicant must audition.  For the Composition and Scholarship (musicology or music theory) emphasis groups, the applicant must submit a portfolio of work appropriate for their course of study.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

1. If necessary, a matriculating graduate student who has deficiencies in music theory or music history may be asked to complete a 1-credit independent study that may involve reviewing specific texts, auditing sections of undergraduate history or theory courses, or similar. This is done to help ensure that the student has the necessary background to succeed in those graduate courses. Whether or not additional coursework is required is determined by appropriate members of the Graduate Faculty, based on information gathered from the student’s undergraduate transcripts and from communications between the student and members of the Graduate Faculty.
2. Graduate students whose program of studies requires a recital must pay an additional fee. 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Before graduation, the student desiring a Master of Arts in Music degree must complete the following:

1. The 32 credit MA in Music curriculum.
2. A comprehensive oral examination administered by a graduate committee.
3. A graduate recital (Performance or Conducting emphasis groups) or a thesis (Scholarship or Composition emphasis groups).  A thesis will require an oral defense administered by a graduate committee.
4. The specified requirements of the Graduate Office pertaining to grade point average, transfer credit, residence, course number, time limitations, repeat courses, and examinations.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: