Music Composition (Master's) at Michigan State University

Programme overview

The Master of Music in Music Composition is a Plan A degree in the College of Music in which an original music composition is submitted in lieu of a thesis. The programme combines composition study with counterpoint, analysis and contemporary techniques.

Faculty: College of Music | Duration: 32 credits | Study mode: full-time | Location: East Lansing, MI, United States

What you will study

Students complete 32 credits, including MUS 880 Composition, MUS 881 Seminar in Composition, Advanced Tonal Counterpoint, Music of the 20th Century, Late 20th- and 21st-Century Techniques and MUS 899 Master's Thesis Research, 8 credits from theory, analysis, scoring and computer music courses, 4 credits of performance or conducting, and two semesters of ensemble participation.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants submit a portfolio of three or more compositions representative of their work, and selected applicants are invited to a virtual interview in February-early March. Applicants submit both the MSU Graduate Application and the College of Music Supplemental Application, both due December 1; unofficial transcripts may be uploaded for review, with official transcripts required on admission; personal statement of 300-500 words; three letters of recommendation (submitted through the Graduate Application); a curriculum vitae is required for fellowship or teaching assistantship consideration. International applicants complete the MSU international applicant checklist. Priority deadline December 1; applications completed after January 15 are considered on a rolling basis until the programme is filled.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants can start in fall (late August), spring (January) or summer (May) in the MPH programme; intake terms for other graduate programmes are set by each department or program.

The graduate application fee is $75 for domestic and international applicants, with one fee per application; applicants may submit up to two applications to different graduate majors per semester. Applications are reviewed by the department or program, which sets its own deadlines.

MPH application deadlines (SOPHAS completion): fall May 18, spring October 18, summer February 15; MSU supplemental application: fall June 1, spring November 1, summer March 1.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.msu.edu/apply/graduate-students

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