MM Opera Theatre: Music at University of South Carolina

Programme overview

Join our comprehensive professional opera theatre program designed to prepare singers with the musical, theatrical and diction skills needed to begin a career in opera. Opera at USC offers graduate students outstanding vocal instruction and musical coaching with intensive dramatic training. We cover every facet of opera production, from the stage to behind the scenes.

Faculty: School of Music | Duration: 8 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbia, SC, United States

What you will study

Develop the necessary skills expected of professionals in the field of opera. Learn to identify, describe and compare specific methods and practices used in modern opera productions. Gain performance knowledge and skills through executing tasks related to opera productions across a variety of styles and contexts, including one-act and full opera settings.

Career pathways

Potential careers include Performer, Educator, Private Instructor.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admissions (University of South Carolina Academic Bulletin): The general requirements for admission include the completion of an undergraduate degree in music (or the equivalent) with a grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) on relevant courses and fulfillment of the general requirements for admission to The Graduate School, including the submission of three recommendations. The Master of Music with concentration in Music Theory requires submission of a satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination General Test or the Miller Analogies Test. A list of additional admission materials specific to each degree program is available on the School of Music website. Applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL, IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam or Duolingo exam. Normally, the minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 80 (internet-based) or 570 (paper-based). The minimum...

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 applications are accepted for Fall, Spring and Summer terms; Fall applications open the prior September, Spring applications open in January and Summer applications open in May.

The graduate application fee is $50 per primary application, reinstated effective August 1, 2026. Deadlines are programme-specific. The Moore School of Business, the Arnold School of Public Health and the College of Nursing use their own applications; the Moore School charges an additional $50 application fee for graduate programmes.

Apply through the official page: https://www.sc.edu/admissions-at-sc/applications/index.php

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