The requirements for the M.S.M. total 48 credit hours.

During the student’s final term of enrollment, they will be given a set of comprehensive written examinations covering the major areas of study and related fields. Satisfactory performance on these examinations and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.000 or a grade of B on all M.S.M. work is required for graduation. In addition, in their outgoing term students are required to undergo a Supervised Practicum Assessment in their ministry context in which church music faculty confer with an on-site committee to determine the student’s professional development during the course of the degree, and areas for further growth.

All requirements for the M.S.M. degree must be completed within seven calendar years from the time of initial registration.

Planning a Program of Study

The M.S.M. course of study includes work taken in common by all sacred music students; courses that fulfill the requirements of one of the seven concentrations; and work that is designed to serve the individual student’s particular needs and interests. Each student elects one of seven options for concentration study:

Applied Concentrations:

• Choral Conducting

• Composition and Arranging

• Keyboards

• Organ

Admission to these concentrations requires that the applicant demonstrate performance proficiencies adequate to their selected concentration. This requirement will be fulfilled through an in-person audition, digital submission of performance materials, or submission of a portfolio, according to audition requirements.

Academic Concentrations:

• Music Education

• Worship Arts

• Liturgical Musicology

Graduate candidates who have successfully completed the admissions process and have been admitted into the master of sacred music program are required to take Graduate Diagnostic Exams in Music History prior to enrollment. Through these examinations, administered online by the Division of Music, students are expected to demonstrate skills and knowledge in music history, aural skills and theoretical materials equivalent to those of graduating seniors who have met general requirements in these areas at SMU. While not a factor in admission, an application cannot be considered for enrollment and financial aid until the exams are taken. The Graduate Diagnostic Exams aid the student’s adviser in planning their course of study and provide the student with a better understanding of the expectations for graduate-level study. Students who fail the diagnostic examinations will be required to enroll for MUTH 6000 - Graduate Theory Review and/or MUHI 6000 - Music History Review. The successful exams or the above-named courses are prerequisite for all graduate theory and history courses. STUDENTS CANNOT BE ADVISED INTO GRADUATE COURSES AT MATRICULATION IF THEY MISS THE EXAMS. Additionally, any required graduate review coursework must be successfully completed by the end of the first term. Students who do not complete graduate review coursework in the fall term will be placed on academic probation in the spring term and required to enroll again into the applicable review courses for credit. Additionally, tuition and fees will be charged in the spring term and the cost of the review courses are NOT covered by scholarship, grants or tuition waiver. Failure to complete requirements according to the probation conditions will result in suspension from the program at the end of the spring term. Those who do not successfully complete the exams during the application process may take them again at the beginning of their first semester. Remedial instruction is offered online to assist the student to complete this aspect of their requirements.

For all concentrations except organ and keyboards, materials for the keyboard proficiency exam will be sent to successful applicants after they have been admitted. These exams are administered throughout a student’s course of study, and must be completed before a student’s final semester in the program.

Course Requirements

The requirements for the M.S.M. total 48 term hours and may be completed in two years (usually including summers) depending on the results of the Graduate Diagnostic Examinations. Pursuing an additional graduate music degree at Meadows School of the Arts or fulfilling the requirements for deacon’s ordination in the United Methodist Church may require extra semesters towards completion.

The required supervised practicum includes musical/liturgical leadership in a local congregation.

The 48 credit hours for the M.S.M. are distributed as follows:

SCMU-MSM - Sacred Music

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Overview

Admission Information

Requirements

Specializations/Concentrations

Learning Outcomes