Graduate Study in Music at csula

The Music Department at California State University, Los Angeles offers Master of Arts in Music and Master of Music degrees that are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). Each of the degree programs provides students opportunities to concentrate in an area of study to increase their professional knowledge and skills.

GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
Master of Arts: The Master of Arts Degree in Music is offered for students desiring a graduate degree with a breadth of music study.  The degree program can be tailored to meet specific interests and abilities in consultation with graduate advisers.

Master of Music: The Master of Music degree is structured for students with career or higher education goals that are in specific areas of music study. The following degree concentrations are available in the Master of Music Program:

• Afro Latin Music – for students wishing advanced study and preparation for a career in the performance of Afro Latin music and related genres.
  

• Collaborative Piano – for students with a baccalaureate or higher degree in piano who are seeking advanced study and preparation for a career as a collaborative pianist (accompanist). Study prepares graduates to collaborate across styles and genres and in a variety of music making contexts.
  

• Commercial Music - for students wishing to develop or enhance the skills necessary for careers in the commercial music field with an emphasis in music technology, including careers as film and television composers, arrangers and orchestrators, studio and road musicians, songwriters and other related commercial music fields.. Two tracks are offered: Performance and Composition/Arranging.
  

• Composition - for students wishing advanced preparation for a career as a composer or in post-secondary education, and for students wishing to prepare for doctoral study in composition.
  

• Conducting (Two degree tracks are offered: Choral and Instrumental) - for students wishing to enhance their skills in conducting, to prepare for a career as a conductor or in post-secondary education, and for students wishing to prepare for doctoral study in conducting.

• Music Education (Three emphases are offered: Instrumental, Choral, and General Music) - for students wishing to pursue advanced studies in music education.
  

• Performance (Three degree tracks are offered – Instrumental, Keyboard, and Vocal) - for students wishing advanced preparation for a career in performance or post-secondary teaching, or students wishing to prepare for doctoral study in a specific performance medium.
  

GRADUATE PROGRAM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Students seeking admission to a graduate degree program must apply through the university and also audition/apply to the Department of Music. The Department of Music has specific admissions requirements for each of the graduate degree options in music. Students are admitted to graduate study in music only in the Fall quarter each year.

Audition/Admissions Requirements by Specific Degree Program

Afro-Latin Music, Performance and Collaborative Piano
Students seeking admission to the Afro-Latin Music, Performance or Collaborative Piano options in the Master of Music program must complete an audition/portfolio review with a faculty committee in the area of emphasis. An audition is normally 15-20 minutes in length and requires that the student perform music of various periods at a difficulty level consistent with admission to graduate status.. For specific examples of performance requirements and to schedule an audition, students should visit the Schedule an Audition link on the webpage.

Composition Portfolio Requirements
Students seeking admission to the composition option of the Master of Music program must submit a portfolio of their work for consideration by the composition faculty. Typically, this portfolio will consist of not less than four examples of recent work. For more specific examples of portfolio requirements, students may contact Dr. John Kennedy.

Commercial Music Portfolio Requirements
Students seeking admission to the commercial music option of the Master of Music program must submit a portfolio of their work for consideration by the area in which they wish to obtain the degree. The application portfolio requirements for Commercial music are five to seven written and aural examples of work demonstrating your abilities in commercial music. For more specific examples of portfolio requirements, students may contact the commercial music faculty:

Conducting: Choral or Instrumental
Students seeking admission to the conducting option, choral or instrumental tracks, of the Master of Music program must submit a portfolio for consideration by the conducting area faculty. This portfolio will consist of a professional resume, two letters of recommendation, an essay that addresses professional goals, a ten-minute video sample of a rehearsal focused on the conductor (not the choir), a list of repertoire performed in the past two years and a copy of the online application receipt.

Music Education

The Master of Music degree in Music Education is open to students who are either enrolled in the music teaching credential program or are qualified music teachers seeking advanced qualifications. All candidates must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university and have satisfied requirements for the California State University, Los Angeles approved subject matter program in music education, or equivalent certification in the candidate's home state or country.

PLACEMENT EXAMINATIONS
Prior to the first quarter of graduate study, students must complete placement examinations in music theory and music history. The purpose of these examinations is to determine if remedial work is necessary prior to enrollment in graduate-level history and theory classes to ensure that the student can be successful in these classes. These examinations require that the student demonstrate knowledge of theory and history equivalent to the basic undergraduate theory and history sequence. The time and place for these examinations can be found on the Schedule an Audition page.

Music Theory Placement Examination

Graduate students will be required to take a placement examination in music theory (commercial music applicants see information below*). This exam is intended to ensure that graduate students have the skills equivalent to those acquired in the undergraduate theory sequence at CSULA. Passing this exam or completing the recommended coursework is a pre-requisite for enrollment in certain graduate-level classes, including MUS 530A and 530B. Placement exams are given at in the first week of the Fall quarter each year and at other times as needed. The time and place for these examinations can be found on the Schedule an Audition page at least three weeks before the beginning of the academic year.

For additional information about the music theory placement exam, a list of skills and concepts covered in the exam, and a list of texts to use for study, please refer to the Department of Music Graduate Handbook.

Music History Placement Examination
Certain graduate applicants take the placement exam in music history. The placement exam for music history is offered at the beginning of the Fall quarter each year and at other times as needed. The graduate placement examination in music history covers the equivalent of an undergraduate sequence in music history, i.e., from classical Greece through the twentieth century. The multiple-choice exam includes sections of listening recognition, of score analysis, and of period, style, genre and composer identification.

For additional information about the music history placement exam, which graduate programs require the exam, expected knowledge covered in the exam, and a list of texts to use for study, please refer to the Department of Music Graduate Handbook.

Commercial Music Placement Examination
Applicants for the M.M. in Commercial Music take a different placement examination than students in other graduate music degree programs.

The graduate placement examination in commercial music covers the following:

1. Chord identification, chord construction, and harmonic analysis using jazz/commercial style analysis
   
   
2. Basic orchestration and arranging.
   
   
3. Basic skills in music technology.

For additional information about the commercial music placement exam, a list of skills and concepts covered in the exam, and a list of texts to use for study, please refer to the Department of Music Graduate Handbook.