MM Music at University of South Dakota

Programme overview

The Master of Music offers specializations in music education, performance, music history, history of musical instruments, collaborative piano and conducting, delivered on the Vermillion campus with an online music education option. Several tracks are 30 credit hours.

Faculty: College of Fine Arts | Department: Department of Music | Duration: Music Education option: about two years | Study mode: full-time | Location: Vermillion, SD, United States

What you will study

Music Education (30 credits, thesis or non-thesis, instrumental or vocal/choral focus, all but one class online, with a three-day summer workshop), Music Performance (30 credits, vocal or instrumental), Music History (30 credits, thesis required), History of Musical Instruments (with the National Music Museum), Collaborative Piano and Conducting.

Career pathways

Performer, educator or scholar; advanced K-12 ensemble or music teaching, doctoral study, music historian, college professor or music librarian.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Music programme group: no GRE requirement. Auditions are required for Performance, Collaborative Piano and Conducting; an interview is required for Music Education; a writing sample is required for Music History and History of Musical Instruments; Music History requires proficiency in one foreign language.

Requirements published at program group level.

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 programmes admit for Fall and Spring terms; some programmes do not admit for the spring term and some have earlier deadlines (see the graduate catalog per programme).

Entry terms for international applicants: Spring 2027 classes start January 11, 2027 (new student arrival deadline January 10); Fall 2027 classes start August 23 (new student arrival deadline August 20).

International graduate applicants, Spring 2027: December 5 for MAcc, MBA and MS Business Analytics, and December 5 for MS AI and Computer Science. Fall 2027: July 15 for MS AI and Computer Science and August 1 for MAcc, MBA and MS Business Analytics. Other programmes have deadlines listed in the graduate catalog.

Graduate applications go through the USD Graduate Application or GradCAS; Audiology, Speech Language Pathology, Law, Medical, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies and Social Work use specialty CAS applications. Application deadlines are set per programme in the Graduate Catalog and are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The graduate application fee cannot be waived or deferred and is non-refundable.

Law (JD): applications open September 1 for the next year's admission; applicants apply through LSAC CAS and must submit the LSAT, GRE or JD Next. June LSAT scores are accepted for the same year if the application is submitted by July 1. Out-of-state applicants scoring 150+ on the LSAT receive in-state tuition.

Apply through the official page: https://www.usd.edu/Admissions-and-Aid/Apply

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