Pictured | Hannah Azcuna | Master of Music, Composition | Wheaton, Illinois (hometown)

Master of Music in Composition

The Master of Music in Composition is offered in traditional and Low-Residency formats. The Low Residency modality of our Master of Music in Composition is designed to be an individually tailored composition lab to help composers further develop their composition and entrepreneurial skills so they can advance their portfolios and professional careers.

The Master of Music in Composition is designed to develop a personal voice as a composer through private instruction, supporting theory and analysis courses, fostering the entrepreneurship skills needed by the today’s professional composers, and providing a platform to experiment and try out new directions through our campus student ensembles, the IU South Bend Philharmonic, Choral Union, Wind Ensemble, as well as resident and professional ensembles such as the Euclid Quartet and Ensemble CONCEPT/21, dedicated to performing diverse musical output since 2000. We also offer readings to our students for their choral and chamber works. 

With the Low Residency modality, the four-semester program is centered around the practical experiences of four-day residencies in South Bend, Indiana. Student  composers can work with professional performers to rehearse, perform, and record their portfolio compositions, attend and participate in masterclasses  and seminar presentations, as well as complete in-person work needed for certain courses. Besides these short residencies, the remaining work is done through online platforms, allowing participants to continue their professional careers no matter where they are.

Curriculum Requirements (36 cr.)

The Master of Music in Composition curriculum is 36 credit hours total, not counting remedial music nor English courses. 

All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.

Applied Music Courses (12 cr.)

• MUS-K 910 Composition Graduate Majors (3-3-3-3 cr.)
  Composition applied instruction for four semesters
• MUS-I 711 Masters Recital (0 cr.)
• One required outreach activity

Students shall submit a brief written proposal (at least a month prior to the event) that describes a community involvement project that has an element of service. It must be completed prior to the graduate recital.

One required outreach activity (0 cr.) Students must submit a brief proposal for the outreach activity one semester prior to the activity, which should have an element of community service. The music faculty needs to approve the activity, and the student must submit a one-page summary of the activity within two weeks of the event, or by the end of that semester, whichever is sooner. It must be completed prior to the graduate recital.

Core Music Courses (15 cr.)

• MUS-G 571 Master’s Advanced Orchestral Conducting
• MUS-I 503 Graduate Residency (3 semesters, 1 credit each)
• MUS-K 505 Projects in Electronic Music I
• MUS-M 530 Contemporary Music
  (by recommendation of the advisor, another course may be substituted if this course was taken in the undergraduate degree.)
• MUS-M 539 Introduction to Music Bibliography

Electives (6 cr.)

• BUS-M 301 Introduction to Marketing Management
  No pre-requisites subject to approval of the Marketing Department. Other marketing classes as approved by advisor.
• One additional elective (students may substitute courses at the 300– or 400–level as a graduate elective if approved by the Coordinator of Graduate Studies

Supporting Course(3 cr.)

• MUS-U 530 Seminar on Current Topics in Music Studies

Keyboard Proficiency

• Final Project
  The keyboard examination is given at the end of each semester. Students who fail the examination must register in piano until the requirement is met.
• Designed to ensure the student’s ability to use the piano as a tool within the framework of professional activities, the requirements vary according to level and area of music study. Students are to discuss specific requirements with their music advisors. Other examinations pertaining to specific degrees may be required as appropriate.

Final Project

The student must complete a final writing project prior to the graduate recital. This project may take one of three forms: a thesis, extended program notes, or a performance-lecture. Students must present a proposal for their project by October 1 for completion in the spring semester and by March 1 for completion in the fall semester. Proposals should include the student’s name, degree program, a working title for the project, a 1-2 page single-spaced narrative providing background and significance of the project, and the semester in which the project will be completed. An additional MUS-I 711 Masters Recital may be substituted for the final project.

Students choose one of the following three project options.

1. Master's Thesis

The master’s thesis is an extended research paper on a subject in music history or music theory chosen in consultation with and under the direction of a member of the academic faculty. The thesis must present an original idea and argument that is supported by extensive research in a document generally 50-75 pages in length.

2. Extended Program Notes

With this option, the student will prepare extended, comprehensive program notes that address the repertoire chosen for the student’s graduate recital. The notes must be based on substantive research in order to provide contextualization and analysis for each piece on the program. This project has two parts: extended program notes for review by the advisor (approximately 15 pages) and condensed program notes for printing in the recital program (approximately 5 pages).

3. Lecture–Recital

The student will prepare a 45-60 minute performance lecture that will be given before the recital program. During the lecture, the student should provide the audience with historical contextualization and analysis of the pieces to be performed and demonstrate musical examples where appropriate.

Graduate Qualifying Examinations

Students must pass final examinations in music history, theory, and major area before the graduate recital. A student may attempt the examinations at any time during the degree program but must successfully complete each segment within a maximum of two attempts or be dismissed from the program.

• Each oral examination will be about 50 minutes.
• There will be a committee of three faculty members—including the studio teacher—and at least one academic faculty member.
• Two questions will be asked four weeks prior to the oral examination. One question will relate specifically to the area of study, and one question will relate to the final writing project, with a focus on music history and music theory. The student will prepare a 15 minute answer for each question, with additional time allotted for follow-up.

Sample question | Composers often engage with political and social issues through their music. Choose two pieces, one choral and one symphonic, by two different American composers and compare and contrast the ways in which each addresses a specific contemporary problem. Be prepared to discuss and cite relevant scholarly literature.