Graduate Program Outcomes
Through its programs, the department provides opportunities for the graduate student in music to:
- develop an advanced level of musical understandings and performance ability.
- foster the advancement of creative and critical skills.
- develop sophisticated pedagogical insights and advanced communication skills.
- produce scholarly and creative works in the fields of music and music education.
(These links are in PDF format and are viewable with Adobe Acrobat Reader .)
Master of Music in Music Education - Outcomes
Master of Music in Performance - Outcomes
Top
Graduate School Admission Requirements
Upon recommendation of the chair of the department concerned and with the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, a person holding a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or a qualified foreign student may be admitted to the graduate program. Students may be granted regular admission to the Graduate School by documenting a cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of at least 2.5 (4.0 scale) on all work taken at all colleges/universities, and by earning an 800 combined total score on the Graduate Record Examination (minimum scores: 400 Verbal, 400 Quantitative). Regular admission also requires the recommendation of the department or program concerned and completion of all prerequisites required for admission into the proposed field of specialization. For information regarding Provisional, Transient, Post-Baccalaureate, and Post-Graduate Admission, please refer to the Graduate School admission information on the web at http://www.westga.edu/~gradsch/admis/index.html .
Top
Departmental Admission Requirements
In addition to meeting the Graduate School's Regular Admission requirements, the applicant must hold a degree in music or music education or the equivalent. Applicants seeking to enroll in the Master of Music in Music Education program must hold an undergraduate degree in music education or professional teacher certification in music.
Once an applicant has met Regular standards for graduate admission, he/she will be required to meet all departmental admission requirements for a Master of Music degree program. Any graduate courses completed prior to Regular Admission may apply to a Master of Music degree program after a student has successfully met all departmental admission requirements. Before enrolling beyond 9 hours of graduate credit, all persons who seek departmental admission to the Master of Music degree program must successfully complete the Graduate Music Qualifying Examination and Graduate Applied Performance Evaluation.
To obtain an application for admission and graduate assistantships, please contact the UWG Graduate School by calling 678-839-6419. For on-line information services and graduate admissions application, access the UWG Graduate School web page at http://www.westga.edu/~gradsch/ . Questions about the Master of Music degree programs? Please contact the Department of Music at 678-839-6516 or musicdpt@westga.edu .
Top
Graduate Music Qualifying Examination
The Music Qualifying Examination in music history and music theory is administered to determine whether the applicant meets competency standards for graduate study in music. The exam must be passed prior to registering for MUSC 6210, Music History and Literature or MUSC 6220, Music Theory. Competencies are examined in:
- Music History
- Musical Styles (aural identification)
- Music Theory, Analysis (score excerpts)
- Aural Skills
- Foreign Language Translation*
* Foreign language translation is required only of vocalists seeking the Master of Music degree in Performance. The applicant is required to write an English translation of one short poem from song texts written in the original French, German, or Italian language. A text in one of the three languages must be translated. The applicant may use a foreign-language dictionary when taking the examination.
A minimum score of 60% correct response on each section of the examination is required for passage. Examinees will receive notification of their test results within one week after taking the examination. The exam is administered during the final examination period of each term and prior to each fall semester. It may be taken a maximum of three times.
Graduate Applied Performance Evaluation
An Applied Performance Evaluation is administered to determine if the applicant meets minimum standards for admission in applied music appropriate to the chosen major area of study. Minimum standards are evaluated using the following methods:
- Performance majors perform a 20-30-minute entrance recital for the faculty, either prior to the first term of enrollment or no later than the end of the first term of applied music study.
- Music Education majors show the ability to perform at the graduate level, either prior to the first term of enrollment or no later than in the jury held at the end of the first term of applied music study.
Top
Master of Music Degree Curriculum
Master of Music in Music Education
MUSC 6083 Research Methods and Materials (3)
MUSC 6110 History and Philosophy of Music Education (3)
MUSC 6120 Factors of Musical Learning (3)
MUSC 6184 Seminar in Music Education (3)
MUSC 6210 Music History and Literature (3)
MUSC 6220 Music Theory (3)
MUSC 6600 Principal Applied (2)
MUSC 5850 Applied Conducting or 6610 Secondary Applied (2)
Ensembles: (2)
MUSC 5700 Wind Ensemble
MUSC 5710 Symphony Band
MUSC 5720 Marching Band
MUSC 5740 Chamber Winds
MUSC 5750 Concert Choir
MUSC 5760 Chamber Singers
MUSC 5678 Opera Workshop or 5700 Small Ensembles
Electives in Supportive Graduate Courses: (12)
Electives must be approved by the advisor. Electives include studies in music history/literature, music theory, analysis, composition, music technology, music education, education, performance, pedagogy, thesis, and recital. Up to nine credit hours may be taken in MUSC 6999 Thesis in Music.
Total Hours 36
Master of Music in Performance
MUSC 6083 Research Methods and Materials (3)
MUSC 6210 Music History and Literature (3)
MUSC 6220 Music Theory (3)
MUSC 6600 Principal Applied (9)
MUSC 5850 Applied Conducting or 6610 Secondary Applied (1)
MUSC 6800 Graduate Recital (3)
Ensembles: (2)
MUSC 5700 Wind Ensemble
MUSC 5710 Symphony Band
MUSC 5720 Marching Band
MUSC 5740 Chamber Winds
MUSC 5750 Concert Choir
MUSC 5760 Chamber Singers
MUSC 5678 Opera Workshop or 5700 Small Ensembles
Electives in Supportive Graduate Music Courses: (12)
Electives must be approved by the advisor. Electives include studies in music history/literature, music theory, analysis, composition, music technology, music education, performance, pedagogy, and thesis. Up to nine credit hours may be taken in MUSC 6999 Thesis in Music.
Total Hours 36
Top
Advising and the Plan of Study
Because the Music Qualifying Examination and the Applied Performance Evaluation are used to determine readiness for graduate study in music and to advise an appropriate plan of study, applicants are strongly urged to complete school and departmental admission requirements prior to taking the first course in graduate music studies.
After being admitted to the Master of Music degree program, the student must schedule an advisory conference with the department chair and determine a proposed plan of study. This plan of study officially documents the student's degree major (Music Education or Performance) and the emphasis that he/she wishes to pursue while enrolled in the Master of Music degree program.
Top
Registration
In order to secure enrollment in the graduate courses offered each semester, students are urged to pre-register for every semester that they plan to attend.
Early registration is scheduled approximately four weeks prior to the end of each semester. Late Registration is scheduled each semester during the first week of classes. All graduate students in music may register online via Banweb. Further details regarding registration are included in the schedule of classes bulletin.
Top
Ensemble Requirement
Each graduate student must participate in a conducted or coached ensemble for a total of 2 credit hours, usually for one credit per semester. The ensemble requirement may be satisfied by participation in any approved graduate instrumental and/or vocal ensemble. The ensemble must meet a minimum of one hour per week with a faculty member, and culminate in public performance. The ensemble experience for performance majors must be in the principal applied area.
Top
Approved Electives
All Master of Music degree programs require 12 hours of approved elective courses at or above the 5000 level, and must be selected in consultation with the student's advisor and/or the department chairperson. Students may elect to take courses related to their major area of study or other approved supportive courses.
Top
Graduate Recital
The recital, for which 3 credits are earned, is required in the Performance major and may be considered for one of the approved electives in the Music Education major. The recital must consist of 40-60 minutes of music based on studies in Principal Applied. Each recital must be approved in a hearing, normally scheduled during applied juries in the semester prior to the performance. The student is expected to demonstrate a concert-ready level of performance on all selections, as determined by a majority vote of three or more music faculty members. The performance of the recital is evaluated by the student's faculty committee. A principal-applied voice recital must include works sung in English, French, German, and Italian.
Top
Directed Independent Study
Directed Independent Study (MUSC 6981) may be taken with permission of department chairman and a professor who will direct the student's project. DIS credit shall apply toward the MM degree, with the number of credits determined by the scope of the proposed project, as outlined in the DIS form.
A description of the project and the statement of anticipated results of the semester's work will be signed by the student and the supervising professor. Normally, a written report or term paper will result from the DIS. A performance (recital or jury) may be given in lieu of a written report.
Top
Advancement to Candidacy
The graduate music student must apply for advancement to candidacy one semester prior to the proposed graduation semester. Before the student applies for admission to candidacy, a committee of graduate music-faculty members is determined in consultation with the Chair of the Department of Music. The committee must consist of three graduate faculty members; the student's major professor and two additional graduate faculty members who have worked with the student during his or her program of study. The major professor is the faculty member who has worked most closely with the student in the major area of study.
Upon establishing the graduate faculty committee, the student must complete an Application for Admission to Candidacy. After the application is completed and signed by the student's major professor and the Chair of the Department of Music, it is forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate School for approval.
Top
Comprehensive Final Examination
A comprehensive final examination is administered during the final semester of study to all candidates seeking a Master of Music degree. The examination is conducted orally and is designed to help determine the student's ability to synthesize a broad body of knowledge gained through graduate study. Students may be asked questions of a practical, theoretical, or historical nature as well as specific and general questions relating to the plan of study.
One semester prior to the examination, the student must request examination questions from each member of his or her faculty committee. In addition, the student must coordinate the scheduling of the oral examination with the members of the committee.
In preparation for the oral examination, candidates for the Master of Music in Music Education must prepare a written report based on questions from the faculty committee. The candidate must present copies of this written report to each member of the faculty committee at least one week prior to the scheduled oral examination. Candidates should be prepared to elaborate on the written report as part of the oral examination process.
Candidates for the Master of Music in Performance are not required to prepare a written report as part of their comprehensive final oral examination. Rather, selections performed on the student's graduate recital serve as a basis for answering general and specific questions relating to historical, theoretical, stylistic, and pedagogical areas of concern.
Top
Thesis Option
Students in the Master of Music program who plan to pursue additional graduate study are strongly urged to consider selecting the Thesis Option as part of their degree requirements. The completion of a Master's Thesis is documentation of one's scholarship and generally is considered to indicate expertise in a given area of study. Students pursuing the Thesis Option may register for 3, 6, or 9 hours of credit in MUSC 6999 Thesis in Music as approved electives.
Prior to selecting the Thesis Option, the student must establish his/her graduate faculty committee. The student will work with the committee to develop a thesis topic proposal and complete the thesis document under the direct guidance of the committee chairperson. It is expected that the manuscript will demonstrate high standards of scholarship. Once the topic has been chosen, a formal proposal is prepared. The proposal, when fully developed, must be approved by the candidate's committee. During the research and writing of the thesis document, the candidate is advised to consult regularly with the major professor and the other members of the committee. Following approval of the committee, the document must be defended orally.
Application for Admission
To obtain an application for admission, please contact the UWG Graduate School at 678-839-6419 or http://www.westga.edu/~gradsch/admis/index.html .
For further information about the Department of Music and its programs please contact us at 678-839-6516, musicdpt@westga.edu , or http://www.westga.edu/~musicdpt/ . |
