Master of Music in Music

On this page:

• Why Choose Music?
• Careers
• Success Stories
• Academics and Curriculum
• Admission

Why Choose Music?

You can harness the power of music and its ability to express and communicate while studying music at Wright State. You will develop knowledge, technical skill, and the use of technology in our multifaceted curriculum. After graduation, pursue a career as a performer, composer, arranger, teacher, cultural administrator, or community leader. Graduates of Wright State’s music programs have proven successful in all of these fields. Choose a Bachelor of Arts program, add a minor to your current major, or continue on to graduate work and earn your Master of Music in music education or performance.

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Careers

Our graduates work as and are employed by:

• Music teacher – Mad River Local Schools
• Worship and music leader – New Life United Methodist Church
• Director of bands and choir – Kansas City Schools
• Singer/dancer – Carnival Cruise Line
• Voice teacher – Piano Preparatory School

The Center for Liberal Arts Student Success (CLASS) helps you complete your degree and achieve success after college. CLASS offers the following workforce development services:

• Personalized and professional career advising
• Liberal arts student career success series
• Experiential education/Internships
• Career-related programs and events
• Liberal arts liaison for all Wright State career resources and services

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Success Stories

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Academics and Curriculum

View the Master of Music program information and degree requirements in the Academic Catalog.

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Admission

Admission Requirements

• In addition to meeting the requirements of the Graduate School, an applicant for admission to the Graduate Studies in Music program present a degree in music from an accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Students who wish to study performance for graduate credit must audition for faculty in their areas of performance. GRE is not required. 
• Four to six weeks after the completion and submission of the Graduate School application file, students will be notified of their admission status by the Graduate School:
  • Regular status when all Graduate School requirements are met and all records have been received.
  • Provisionally if their file is mostly complete (for instance, if we’re waiting for a transcript), on a case-by-case basis. 
  • Conditionally if a student has a cumulative GPA’s lower than 3.0 for the first 12 credits, when their file is reviewed for a Wright State graduate cum GPA of 3.0. 
  • Non-degree-seeking students may take graduate credits in some courses but are not working for a degree. 
    It is preferred that students who eventually want to be in a degree program not apply for non-degree-seeking status.

Music Theory and Music History Requirements 

Graduate students should have completed a standard two-year theory/musicianship sequence or attained a comparable level of proficiency in the materials covered in such a sequence. Standard textbooks such as those by Laitz, Clendinning, or Kostka/Payne may be used as a guide to the level of skills learned prior to entering graduate school. Students should be able to provide a simple and correct common-practice harmonization of a chorale tune. They should also be able to identify cadences and provide a basic harmonic and formal analysis of works such as Baroque dances, classical piano sonatas, or short Romantic-era piano works. Basic proficiency in solfège is advantageous for analysis. Prior studies in music history should have included time periods, composers, literature, forms, and repertoire commonly used in the practice of western classical music.

Admission Procedures

1. Apply to the Wright State University Graduate School (a fee is required to apply). The application and instructions are available online on the Graduate School's Apply Now page.
2. For consideration for a GTA award, you will be asked to upload a cover letter in the Graduate School application process. In this letter, please indicate your experience and strengths in music teaching- classroom, private, tutoring, and other. Also, please outline any relevant professional experience, such as office work, concert management, internships, etc.
3. Auditions are only required for performance majors or those wanting to take private applied lessons. To schedule this audition please contact the School of Music. It is also advisable to contact the applied teacher, or coordinator of your applied area, prior to your audition.
4. First consideration for a Graduate Tuition Scholarship (GTS) or Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA), all application materials must be complete by March 15. Review of applications will begin promptly after the last scholarship audition date of the year.

Audition Requirements

Pianists

Pianists auditioning for a major in piano performance at the graduate level are required to perform three compositions from contrasting style periods. Works must be from the standard repertoire, and all pieces must be performed from memory. One of the works must be a complete sonata.

Strings

Students auditioning for a major in string performance are required to play two contrasting works, such as a concerto movement and a character piece or étude.

M.M. Conducting – Band/Wind and Choral 

TWO-PART APPLICATION PROCESS 

Applying to Wright State University as a graduate music major is a two-part process that requires separate applications to the university (Apply Now) and the School of Fine and Performing Arts: Music (Acceptd). The Band/Wind and Choral departments accept applications for fall and spring semesters only. 

Conducting: Band/Wind and Choral 

• One edited video of a rehearsal lasting no less than fifteen minutes, preferably edited to highlight segments focused on dealing with specific rehearsal problems of intonation, ensemble balance, technique, style or interpretation. Videos of uninterrupted run-throughs in a rehearsal setting are considered but is not ideal rehearsal material.
• One unedited video of a complete performance, preferably one of the works featured in the rehearsal video.

Live Audition  

• Successful candidates will be invited to conduct one of the Bands or Choirs, depending on your area and application, in a live rehearsal. Repertoire and audition expectations will be discussed at the time the applicant is invited to audition live.

Application Timeline (Conducting program only)

Make note of these important dates and deadlines:

Application Event	Fall Dates	Spring Dates
Wright State University application due Apply Online – all transcripts and test scores, if applicable	December 1	August 1
School of Fine and Performing Arts application due (Acceptd)	December 1	August 1
Letters of recommendation due	December 1	August 1
Pre-screening results	Mid-December	Mid-August
FAFSA priority deadline	February 1	N/A
Auditions	January and February	September and October
Admissions decisions	March 1 or before	November 1 or before
Response deadline	April 15	November 30
New student orientation	August	January