Master of Arts - Music

The Music program in Washington State University's (WSU) School of Music offers the degree of Master of Arts in Music, which may be earned face-to-face or with Global Campus through study in areas of music education, composition, music history and literature, conducting, and performance studies. Four emphases are available: Music education: Provides advanced studies for experienced or prospective teachers. Performance: Selected by students wishing to teach at the college level or enter professions such as music performance and conducting. Composition: Prepares students to enter professions in music such as composition and arranging. Jazz emphasis: Focuses on one or more aspects of jazz, including performance, composition, arranging, pedagogy, or history, in preparation for careers in jazz. The degree may also be completed without an emphasis. The program offers both thesis and non-thesis options, designed according to the goals of the student. Learning Outcomes: All graduates will be able to: Critical, Creative and Musical Reasoning: This includes learning to analyze and interpret music, to express the composer’s intention, the character of the music and to convey the emotion of the work. Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning: This involves taking the abstract symbols on the page and making musical sense of them, interpreting the rhythmic and pitch elements of the music and making expressive choices based on the notation on the page. Information Literacy: Musicians must understand the historical and cultural aspects of the music that they are performing to present a musically and artistically convincing performance. Also, students must become familiar with a wide range of important works from the musical canon. Students are required to use several outside sources, including library and online resources, to gain this knowledge. Communication: A musical performance is not successful unless there is communication with the audience. Diversity: To perform music of different styles and genres, it is essential to understand diverse cultures and musical views. This is related to information literacy. Integration of Learning: For a musical performance to be truly successful, all of these Learning Outcomes—creative thinking, symbolic reasoning, information literacy, communication and diversity must be integrated by the performer. Student Opportunities: Graduate students have opportunities to conduct and rehearse ensembles; teach undergraduate courses; perform and make recordings with world acclaimed faculty artists; prepare for major competitions in performance and composition; and tour nationally and internationally with performance ensembles. WSU graduate students have won numerous awards in major competitions for performance and composition. Recent graduates have been featured in Jazziz magazine and been successful in publishing their compositions. Career Opportunities: Graduates are prepared for professional careers in music including work as performers, composers, arrangers, recording artists and educators. Career Placements: Graduate students in music have achieved teaching positions at major universities, community colleges and public schools throughout the United States, including the Director of Jazz Studies at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA; teaching position at the Joy of Music Academy in Boston; and teacher position at the American School in Rome, Italy. Other students have continued their postgraduate work at other prestigious schools of music and performed at major music festivals.