Graduate Degrees

Graduate degrees (the Master of Music and the Doctor of Musical Arts) are offered in performance, conducting and music education.

The Master of Music Degree (M.M.)

Three tracks are offered: Performance, Conducting and Music Education. The Performance, Choral Conducting and Instrumental Conducting tracks require a minimum of 30 credits; the Music Education track requires a minimum of 32 credits.

The M.M. in performance and conducting is the professional degree in music designed for performers and conductors wishing to augment and refine their skills. The M.M. in Music Education is designed for music teachers who wish to update and increase their practical pedagogical knowledge.

Applications may be completed online at www.ndsu.edu/gradschool.  A complete application will include three recommendations, transcripts and a scholarly writing example. Applicants should notify the graduate music coordinator, jo.miller@ndsu.edu,  of their intention to apply. For applicants in performance and conducting, an on-campus visit and audition are required. Following acceptance into the masters program, applicants will complete a diagnostic exam, which will be used by their advisors to plan appropriate coursework.

All coursework must be passed with a minimum grade of B. Comprehensive written examinations in the student’s primary area and in music academic studies must be passed near the end of or after coursework. The final oral examination (administered by the student’s committee) occurs after the written comprehensive exam.

Conductors and performers will prepare a recital as their capstone experience. Those in the music education track will complete a written practicum. Both experiences will be planned with guidance by the candidate’s committee. The committee will include three graduate faculty members: the advisor, a representative from music academic studies, and at least one other music faculty member.

Master of Music in Music Education Degree

This degree is designed to be completed in three summers or in a combination of summers and the academic year. Students must register for a least six credits per calendar year until all degree requirements are completed. Classes are offered both online and on campus. Course-work can be focused in elementary, choral/vocal, or instrumental music education. No thesis is required; rather, students will complete a four-credit practicum. The practicum will be agreed upon and planned jointly by the student and his/her advisor. Comprehensive written examinations must be passed near the end of or after coursework. The final oral examination (administered by the student’s committee) occurs after the written comprehensive examination.

Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)

The D.M.A. is the terminal professional practical degree in music, designed for performers and conductors wishing to acquire the highest performance abilities. Graduates will have attained the academic qualifications generally accepted for teaching at the college level.

Entering students in the vocal performance track are expected to have appropriate language proficiencies in French, German, and Italian. Remedial work may be required upon recommendation of the adviser and committee.

Recitals and a final written project are planned in conjunction with the candidate's committee, which consists of at least three graduate faculty members: the adviser, a representative from academic studies, and at least one other member at large.

All course work must be passed with a minimum grade of B. Qualifying examinations in the student's primary focus area and in academic studies must be passed near the end of or after course work, and prior to a final oral examination by members of the candidate's committee. All D.M.A. graduates must have reading proficiency in at least one foreign language. For some, an alternative such as a computer language or other research skill, if appropriate to the student's focus area, may be substituted. This proficiency will be determined and assessed by the candidate's committee. Further, students in Choral Conducting must demonstrate appropriate proficiency in foreign language diction.

Two tracks are offered: Performance and Conducting. Each track requires a minimum of 90 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree (93 for the D.M.A. in choral conducting). Students entering the program with an approved master's degree or its equivalent may apply credits toward the D.M.A. The graduate music faculty will determine the viability and number of transfer credits.