Master of Music

Master of Music Degree Concentrations

Composition

The Composition concentration develops students’ advanced compositional skills and knowledge. You’ll learn about music theory, history, and technology, including digital audio, sound design, and interactive media. You’ll also have opportunities to compose music in various styles and genres. The program focuses on refining your compositional techniques, exploring different musical languages, and developing your creative voice. This will prepare you for a successful career as a composer in various fields, such as film, game music, or concert music.

Conducting

The Conducting concentration equips you with the advanced skills and knowledge necessary for a successful career in conducting. The curriculum includes foundational courses in music theory, history, and conducting techniques, as well as specialized coursework in choral, wind ensemble, or orchestral conducting.

Through hands-on experience and rigorous training, you’ll develop the ability to lead diverse musical ensembles effectively. The program emphasizes practical skills, such as rehearsal techniques, score reading, and performance interpretation. You’ll also gain a deep understanding of music history and the cultural context in which music is created and performed.

Music Education

The concentration in Music Education prepares students for successful careers as music educators. The curriculum combines rigorous coursework in music theory, history, and pedagogy with practical experience in teaching and conducting. You will develop a deep understanding of music education principles, research methods, and effective teaching strategies.

The program emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, equipping graduates with the tools they need to excel in a variety of music education settings. Whether you aspire to teach in a classroom, lead a choir, or conduct a band, this program will provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge to make a meaningful impact on the lives of your students.

Music Technology

The Music Technology concentration focuses on the intersection of music and technology, equipping students with the advanced technical skills and theoretical knowledge necessary for successful careers in the music industry. The program emphasizes practical applications of music technology, including digital audio production, sound design, and interactive media, but you’ll also get a solid foundation in music theory, history, and contemporary cultural contexts. The program prepares you for careers in music production, sound design, and other technology-related fields.

Performance

The concentration in Performance offers advanced training for aspiring professional musicians. The program emphasizes intensive study of your primary instrument or voice, focusing on technical proficiency, repertory development, and artistic interpretation. You’ll receive personalized guidance from experienced faculty members, who will help refine your technical skills and develop your artistic expression.

The program emphasizes both individual practice and ensemble performance, providing students with the experience they need to excel in a variety of musical settings. Whether you aspire to perform as a soloist, join a chamber ensemble, or play in a symphony orchestra, this program will provide you with the foundation for a fulfilling and successful career in music.

Applying for the Master of Music Degree

Admission Deadlines

• Fall Semester (priority deadline, especially important if you wish to be considered for an assistantship, and deadline for International Students) March 1
• Fall Semester (final deadline) July 1
• Spring Semester December 1
• Summer Term April 1 (Music Education concentration only)

Admission Requirements

A prospective student who has earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and plans to take courses in the Music graduate program must be admitted under one of the following classifications:

Regular Admission

Regular Admission

•  A completed Bachelor’s degree in music or equivalent.
•  A minimum 3.0 (4.0 scale) cumulative grade point average in undergraduate work.
• Two acceptable letters of recommendation.
• Satisfactory audition (performance and conducting), musical scores (composition), portolio (music technology), or teacher certification (music education).
• No GRE or other standardized test scores are required.

Provisional Admission 

Provisional Admission 

Students may be admitted on a provisional basis if one or more of the requirements listed above are judged to be marginal. Specific provisions for exiting provisional status will be set in each case by the admissions committee and must be satisfied before proceeding past the first 12 semester hours of course work.

Additional Requirements

Additional Requirements

All students will be required to pass the Departmental Graduate Entrance Exam in Music Theory and Music History before proceeding past 12 hours into the degree. These exams are usually given just before the start of each semester.

Application Procedure

1. Submit an Application

Submit an Application

• Before beginning the application, be ready to upload:
  • Scanned unofficial copies of transcripts from each college and university you have previously attended.
  • A statement of purpose explaining why you want to complete this degree
  • The email addresses of at least two people who will supply your letters of recommendation.
  • Your resume
• Use the form at the top of this page to start your application to the Master of Music degree program.
• On submission, it will set up your graduate application account and send you an email with a secure pin and instructions to log in to your application account so you can continue the application.

2. Submit Supplementary Materials

2. Submit Supplementary Materials

Send all materials to the Director of Graduate Studies via email:
Dr. Gregory W. Harwood, gharwood@georgiasouthern.edu

M.M., Music Composition

Applicants should send a link to their composition portfolio or attach individual score files.

M.M., Conducting (Band, Choral, or Orchestral)

Applicants should send a link to an audition video. This must include three pieces in contrasting styles (one of them a cappella for choral conductors). Conducting students attending part-time will need to come to a satisfactory agreement with the conducting faculty about how the practical conducting requirement will be managed before being admitted (school ensemble, church choir, etc.).

M.M., Music Education

Applicants should scan and attach to their online application a copy of their teaching certification document or teaching license of your Certification in Music (Georgia Level 4 or its equivalent) or documents showing that they are eligible for certification or licensure.

M.M., Music Technology

Applicants should send a hyperlink to their portfolio showing examples of their best work in music technology.

M.M., Music Performance (Instrumental, Piano, or Vocal)

Applicants should either (1) contact the Director of Graduate Studies requesting that a live audition be arranged (be sure to include your specific instrument or voice type) OR send a link to a video recording of the audition or an actual video file via email to the Director of Graduate Studies..

The live or recorded auditions must follow these guidelines:

Instrumental: Satisfactory live or taped audition with three contrasting pieces from different periods. The audition committee may also request to hear scales or other technical material in a live audition. The String and Guitar area has specific requirements which are linked below.

Strings:  Download Specific audition requirements

Piano: Applicants must submit a list of repertory studied during previous four years and prepare a memorized program consisting of the following:

1. A contrapuntal baroque composition equivalent in difficulty to a three-voice fugue from The Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach.
   2. A complete classical sonata, preferably by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven
   3. A romantic work.
   4. A work from the impressionist or contemporary period.
   5. Sight reading (at a live audition)

Vocal: Satisfactory live or taped audition with four contrasting pieces from different periods demonstrating acceptable proficiency in diction in English, German, French, and Italian. Vocal students are also expected to demonstrate basic undergraduate proficiency using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and fluency in basic keyboard accompanying skills, which may be done during a live audition or at a later time if a recorded audition is submitted.

3. Additional Requirements for International Applicants

3. Additional Requirements for International Applicants

All international transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES accredited evaluation service. This must be a course-by-course evaluation and must include a GPA converted to the American 4.0 system. The evaluation must come to the Georgia Southern Graduate Admissions Office electronically or in a sealed envelope directly from the agency.

Acceptable Evaluation Agencies

International students whose undergraduate degree was done in a language other than English must have test scores from TOEFL, IELTS, or DuoLingo submitted directly to Graduate Admissions by the evaluation agency. For consideration to be admitted to the M.M. program, a minimum TOEFL score of 80, with subscores of at least 20 in both speaking and writing is required, or an IELTS scores of at least 6.5, with no single subscore below 6.0. International students who meet all other admission requirements but who are deficient in English will normally be conditionally admitted. Conditionally admitted students must successfully complete the highest level in the university’s English Language Program (ELP) and achieve a minimum score of 80 oFn the ELP’s standardized English proficiency exam prior to matriculating into the M.M. program and taking any music classes. ESL exit level for these students is a MTLEP score of 255, with no subsection lower than 80.

International students with a very high GPA (at least 3.5) may apply for consideration to receive an Out of Country Tuition Waiver.

Out of Country Tuition Wavier

4. (Optional) Apply for A Graduate Assistantship

4. (Optional) Apply for A Graduate Assistantship

• Learn more about graduate assistantships below.
• Complete and submit your application to the program before you complete the Graduate Assistantship application. 
• At the start of the application, you will be prompted to enter an Eagle ID number.  If you have not yet been issued a number, you may initiate this application by entering all zeros.

Graduate Assistantships  

Georgia Southern University offers opportunities for students in graduate programs to contribute to the teaching and research of the college by working as Graduate Assistants. Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis based on academic record, musical skills, and the needs of the Department.

The University has established March 1 as the priority deadline for applications for the following fall. This priority deadline is particularly important for students if they are considering applying for a graduate assistantship or any type of scholarship.

When you complete the Graduate Assistantship Application and are fully accepted into the Master of Music program, you will automatically be considered for all assistantships and scholarships in the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music for which you are eligible.  In addition, you may want to consult the list of Available Assistantships mentioned on the College of Graduate Studies page and individually contact those for which you might be eligible. Learn more about graduate assistantships

Do You Have Questions? Contact Us!

Dr. Gregory Harwood
gharwood@georgiasouthern.edu
912-478-5813

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Last updated: 5/30/2023