The School of Music offers three graduate degree programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. These include the Master of Music in Music Education and the Master of Music in Performance.
The Master of Music in Music Education degree is a professionally oriented program. It is designed to serve music educators from primary to postsecondary levels. Though all courses are pertinent to terminal degree programs, they are equally valuable for students who plan to study at the doctoral level. A variety of program options allows students to design programs that suit their professional goals and take into account their backgrounds and experience.
The School of Music offers three major options in program planning that lead to the Master of Music in Music Education degree. The options include the Thesis Option, the Project Option, and the Recital Option. Each contains requirements in music education, music history and literature, and music theory, as well as opportunities for performance. For the Thesis Option, the student prepares a thesis under the supervision of the thesis director; the Project Option requires one project under the supervision of a project director; and for the Recital Option, the student presents a full-length public recital and a research paper.
The Master of Music in Performance is a degree program designed to prepare graduates for professional careers as performing musicians and/or those who seek to pursue further study in music at the doctoral level. Areas of study include solo performance in the instrumental or vocal areas, and either instrumental or choral conducting. Each program of study includes requirements in music history, music research, and music theory, plus intensive study in the designated applied area. The required thesis comprises a public performance recital of approximately one hour's length, with an accompanying scholarly research document related to the recital. Requirements also include a one-year residency of two consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment, beginning in the Fall Semester and an oral comprehensive examination at the completion of the program.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Concentration
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please
September 2025
College of Liberal Arts
163 Millett Hall,
DAYTON,
Ohio,
45435, United States
In addition to meeting the admission requirements of the Graduate School, applicants for admission to any of the three degree programs of the Graduate students in Music program (Master of Music in Music Education, Master of Music in Performance, or Master of Humanities with an emphasis in music) must present an undergraduate major in music from an accredited college or university with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in undergraduate course work in music. In addition to the application and transcripts sent to the School of Graduate Studies, the applicant may submit the following to the School of Music: resume; three recommendations from teachers, administrators, or colleagues; and other supporting material the applicant may deem appropriate.
If your native language is not English and you do not have a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, you must have a minimum score on one of the following exams:
A score of 79/120 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
A band 6 or higher through the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
A score of 57 or higher on the Pearson PTE
FAFSA priority deadline: Fall - February 1.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
Whether you want to be a scientist, artist, engineer, doctor, or business leader, there鈥檚 an outstanding academic program for every learner.
