Department of Music

Humanities 105 • 678-839-6516
www.westga.edu/music/

Professors:

J. Bleuel, C. Gingerich, K. Hibbard (Chair), D. McCord

Associate Professors:

J. Byrd, E. Kramer, C. Self

Assistant Professors:

D. Neely

The Department of Music at the University of West Georgia is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music. Master of Music degrees are offered with majors in Music Education and Performance. Each major offers a comprehensive curriculum of study designed to meet the needs of both the full-time and the part-time graduate student. All instruction is delivered by a distinguished artist-teacher faculty with extensive credentials and professional experience.

Through its programs and associated activities, the Department of Music provides opportunities for the graduate student in music to:

Develop an advanced level of musical understandings and performance abilities
Foster the advancement of creative and critical skills
Develop sophisticated pedagogical insights and advanced communicative skills
Produce scholarly and creative works in the fields of music and music education

Departmental Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the university’s admission requirements, the applicant must hold a baccalaureate degree in music or the equivalent. Applicants seeking to enroll in the Master of Music in Music Education program must hold an undergraduate degree in music education or professional teacher certification in music. The Master of Music in Music Education program is 100% online. Students may use approved campus-based classes as electives.

Once an applicant has met regular standards for graduate admission, he/she will be required to meet all departmental admission requirements for a Master of Music degree program. Any graduate courses completed prior to regular admission may apply to a Master of Music degree program after a student has successfully met all departmental admission requirements. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can address the applicant’s academic, personal, and professional suitability for graduate-level work in performance or Music Education, as appropriate, are required. Applicants for the Master of Music in Music Education program must also submit a written statement of 400-500 words. Possible topics may include goals in pursuing a graduate degree, personal philosophy of teaching, or experiences that have prepared you for an advanced degree.

All persons who seek departmental admission to a Master of Music degree program must successfully complete or exempt the Graduate Music Qualifying Examination to be admitted and register for classes. In addition, all applicants for the Master of Music in Performance must successfully complete the Graduate Applied Performance Evaluation.

The online application for graduate admission may be found here: http://www.westga.edu/gradstudies/. Questions regarding graduate admission to the university should be addressed to the College of Arts and Humanities Graduate Studies Associate by calling 678-839-5453. For questions regarding graduate admission to the Department of Music, please contact the Department of Music at 678-839-6516 or music@westga.edu.

Graduate Music Qualifying Examination

The Graduate Music Qualifying Examination in music history and music theory is administered to determine whether the applicant meets competency standards for graduate study in music. [See Exemption information below]. Competencies are evaluated in:

Music History
Musical Styles (Aural identification)
Music Theory, Analysis (score excerpts)
Aural Skills

The exam is taken at an approved, proctored testing site, either on the West Georgia campus or at a remote location. Testing fees are the responsibility of the candidate. A minimum score of 60% correct response on each section of the examination is required for passage. It may be taken a maximum of three times.

Vocal Principals seeking the Master of Music degree in Performance are required to write an English translation of one short poem from song texts written in the original French, German, or Italian language. A text in one of the three languages must be translated. The applicant may use a hard copy foreign-language dictionary when taking the examination.

Exemption: Students whose transcripts document earned grades of C or better in Music History, Theory, and Aural Skills classes from an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) are exempt from taking the Graduate Music Qualifying Exam. However, vocalists seeking the Master of Music degree in Performance degree may not exempt the Foreign Language Translation.

Graduate Applied Performance Evaluation

An Applied Performance Evaluation is administered to determine if the applicant meets minimum performance standards for admission to the Master of Music in Performance program. Minimum standards are evaluated through the applicant’s presentation of a 20-30-minute entrance recital for the faculty, prior to the first term of enrollment. Applicants must provide their own accompanists.

Graduate Advising

At the beginning of each registration period, the Graduate Advisor sends advisement information to all students in the program. This information includes program sheets, a schedule of course offerings, deadlines to apply for graduation, links to Academic Policies in the Graduate Catalog, and other general and specific advisement information.

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes for all programs can be viewed at the Web site https://www.westga.edu/academics/coah/music/music-degree-programs.php.

Programs

Master of Music