Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts / BOYER COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DANCE
Learn more about the Master of Science in Music.
About the Program
The Master of Science in Music program is designed for graduate students who wish to broaden their experience in music and combine research and practice at the graduate level. This is a music-generalist degree program that allows students to experience graduate-level instruction that connects research to creative work and problem-solving in a field of practice, as well as expands students' major performing medium or allows them to explore performance media other than their undergraduate major. The degree does not, however, supplant the MM degrees in classical or jazz performance.
Time Limit for Degree Completion: 4 years
Campus Location: Main
Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.
Accreditation: Accreditation is being sought from the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
Areas of Specialization: Within the prescribed credits for the MS in Music, students can focus their studies on instrumental music, keyboards or voice.
Job Prospects: The program prepares students for various careers related to music and for further academic training at the doctoral level.
Non-Matriculated Student Policy: With permission from the Dean's Office, individuals may be granted permission to enter the College as a non-matriculated student, taking up to 9 graduate credits (excluding private lessons) before applying for admission to a program.
Financing Opportunities: Boyer College of Music and Dance offers a number of assistantships and academic internships to matriculated graduate students. Full awards carry a cash stipend plus full tuition remission for the Fall and Spring terms. Partial awards also are available in values of 1/4 or 1/2 of a full award. Duties for assistantships and internships vary, but typically include teaching, tutoring, classroom assistance, research, artistic performance and/or direct service related to academic programs. Assistantship and internship awards are made only in the Fall term for up to two terms: Fall and Spring. Awards may be renewed on an annual basis (typically up to one additional year for master's students and up to three years for doctoral students) based on departmental needs as well as satisfactory academic and musical progress by the recipient.
Admission Requirements and Deadlines
Application Deadline:
Fall: March 1
Spring: November 1
Decisions regarding admission are rendered after receipt of all required credentials. Late applications may be considered for admission.
APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.
Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2
From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from evaluators who can provide insight into the applicant's abilities, talents and aptitude for graduate study.
Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: All applicants must present credentials that are the equivalent of the appropriate Bachelor of Music degree at Temple University, which is based on a curriculum of 124 to 135 hours.
Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: The bachelor's degree in Music may be in any concentration: composition, education, history, performance, theory, therapy, and more.
Statement of Goals: Share your special interests within the discipline and expectations for the program.
Standardized Test Scores:
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:
- TOEFL iBT: 79
- IELTS Academic: 6.5
- PTE Academic: 53
Audition: No audition is required for entry to the program, but students do complete an audition for placement in voice lessons and auditioned ensembles at the beginning of the first academic term.
Resume: Current resume required.
Transfer Credit: A student who wishes to transfer credit should speak with their academic advisor and obtain a "Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit" form, found in TUportal under the Tools tab within "University Forms." Transfer credits must be approved by the advisor, the department chair, and the Associate Dean. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 6.
Other: Due to the large number of applications for admission and the competitive nature of its music programs, the College admits only a portion of its applicants. In addition to the general admissions credentials required of all Temple University graduate applicants, specialized admission criteria (i.e., auditions, portfolios, interviews, recommendations, departmental term papers, and standardized examinations) are very heavily weighted in admission decisions of the Boyer College of Music and Dance. Graduate applicants may be rejected for admission for failing to obtain the required level of proficiency in any one area of the specialized admission criteria regardless of the level of success in meeting the Temple University general admission criteria. In addition to the level of success demonstrated in the above-mentioned criteria, a final admission factor is the College's Optimum Enrollment Policy. This policy may preclude the admission of any student who meets the minimum requirements.
Program Requirements
General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 30
Required Courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| MUST 8701 | Research in Music | 3 |
| MUST 8704 | Music in History | 3 |
| MUST 8741 | Analytical Techniques | 3 |
| Lesson Courses in Voice, Keyboards, or Instrumental Music | ||
| Select one from the following: | 2 | |
| Applied Vocal Graduate Minor | ||
| Applied Keyboard Graduate Minor | ||
| Applied Instrumental Graduate Minor | ||
| Select one from the following: | 2 | |
| Applied Vocal Graduate Minor | ||
| Applied Keyboard Graduate Minor | ||
| Applied Instrumental Graduate Minor | ||
| Select one from the following: | 2 | |
| Applied Vocal Graduate Minor | ||
| Applied Keyboard Graduate Minor | ||
| Applied Instrumental Graduate Minor | ||
| Ensemble Courses 1 | 3 | |
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses in Music History or Music Theory | 6 | |
| Select two courses in Dance, Music, Music Education, Music Studies, or Musical Theater | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
- 1
Three 1-credit ensemble courses are taken in Instrumental Music or Voice.
Language Examination: A language examination is not required for the MS in Music.
Additional Requirements:
Diagnostic Examinations:
Diagnostic examinations in Aural Theory, Written Theory, and Music History are required for all entering master's students. The exceptions are students in Jazz Studies and Music Therapy who have their examinations arranged within their respective departments. In addition, Keyboard students take an additional two-hour examination in Keyboard Literature. As stated in the Boyer College Graduate Handbook, master’s "students may not take final qualifying examinations nor perform graduation recitals until all diagnostic examinations have been successfully completed."
The exams may be taken in one day or split over three days, or the exams can be taken online for a fee. Preparations are provided upon registration. Visit the Boyer College of Music and Dance website for the graduate music examination schedule and registration form.
Please note that registration for a student's first term of study is completed in consultation with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. Please re-read the admission letter, especially the "Special Notes" section on page 2, regarding any entrance deficiencies. If any remedial coursework is required, it must be completed by the end of the first year of study. It is also best for students to complete MUST 8701 Research in Music, which is required of all students except those in Jazz Studies, Music Education, and Music Therapy in the first year of study.
A. Graduate Diagnostic Examination in Aural Theory
The examination lasts approximately 40 minutes and consists of a written portion in which students are asked to:
- Dictate a chord progression that modulates and contains chromatic harmony by writing out the bass line and identifying chords by Roman numerals and inversions.
- Complete a two-part melodic dictation that modulates and contains chromatic pitches.
B. Graduate Diagnostic Examination in Written Theory
The examination lasts one and one-half hours and is in two parts:
- Harmonic analysis of two chorales: one that uses diatonic harmony, and one that uses chromatic harmony.
- Analysis of the form, motives and phrase structures of the first movement of a Classical-era piano sonata.
C. Graduate Diagnostic Examination in Music History
The examination lasts one hour and contains objective questions in a multiple choice and/or true/false format. It covers composers, forms, instruments, musical works, styles and terms from 1450 to the present. Sample questions are:
- The basso continuo came into use in about which year?
(a) 1500 (b) 1600 (c) 1650 (d) 1700 - Who composed Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth)?
(a) Mahler (b) Bruckner (c) Brahms (d) Schumann - Which of the following instruments would not be found in the score of a symphony by Haydn?
(a) horn (b) oboe (c) timpani (d) trombone (e) trumpet
D. Conditions for Exemption from Diagnostic Examinations
The requirement to take the Diagnostic Examination in any area is waived only for graduates of the Boyer College of Music and Dance who:
- matriculate and enroll in the term immediately following completion of all undergraduate degree requirements; and
- received grades of "B-" or better in every undergraduate course taken in each individual examination area to be waived.
Culminating Events:
Final Project:
As a culminating event, students choose to complete an advisor-approved paper, make a presentation, or deliver a performance that connects research to practice. The paper or program verifying the presentation or performance is placed on file in the Associate Dean’s office prior to graduation.
Contacts
Program Web Address:
https://www.temple.edu/academics/degree-programs/music-ms-bc-musc-ms
Department Information:
Dept. of Music Studies
Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts/Boyer College of Music and Dance
2001 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6079
215-204-8316