Application Requirements
Download an Application.
Download Letter of Recommendation forms.
Music Theory-History Diagnostic Examination instructions can be found on Black Board.
Degree-Seeking Students
Application Deadlines:
Summer term: April 1
Fall term: July 1
Spring term: December 1
Application Criteria:
Applicants for admission to the Master of Arts in Music Education degree program must meet the following minimal criteria:
-
baccalaureate degree and a major in music or music education from an accredited college or university with a minimum of a "B" grade average;
-
at least two years of full-time music teaching experience and current or previous teaching licensure; and
-
evidence of successful work in the field confirmed by three letters of recommendation from teachers, administrators, or other professional colleagues.
Meeting minimal application criteria does not guarantee admission; likewise, exceptions to minimum criteria may be made by the admissions committee based on other factors of professional achievement.
Application Requirements:
Applicants must submit the following materials to Graduate Programs in Music Education (GPME). Applications will not be processed without receipt of all items.
-
Completed and signed Application for Admission form,
-
Nonrefundable application fee of $50. Include a check payable to the University of St. Thomas with the application form.
-
Official transcripts of all baccalaureate and graduate studies.
-
Resume, including education, teaching experience, music performances, awards, professional activities and affiliations.
-
Three confidential letters of recommendation.
-
Application essay. Typed, double-spaced essay describing why you have decided to pursue graduate study, how the University of St. Thomas Master of Arts in Music Education degree program will help you meet your professional goals, and what outcomes you expect as a result of earning the M.A. degree at the University of St. Thomas.
-
Submit a clearly marked DVD of your teaching (one lesson or rehearsal) and a typed, double-spaced lesson/rehearsal plan. Briefly describe the school and students. Refer to the DVD of Teaching section below.
-
Performance Assessment Hearing. Ten minute demonstration or the applicants music performance ability. Refer to the Performance Assessment Hearing section below.
-
Admission Interview and Degree Plans. These are scheduled directly with Dr. Bruce Gleason, Director of Graduate Programs in Music Education, bpgleason@stthomas.edu.
Performance Assessment Hearing
Candidates for the Master of Arts degree must demonstrate music performance ability in piano, voice, or other classical instrumental performance. The performance assessment hearing is approximately 10 minutes long. Students perform two different compositions, showing contrasting styles in historical periods, technical demands, and tempi. At least one piece must be in the art music genre. Students provide their own accompanists. Taped accompaniments are not acceptable unless the piece being performed was composed for taped accompaniment. Although not required, students are encouraged to perform pieces from memory. Instrumentalists, regardless of concentration, will be asked to sing either "My Country 'Tis of Thee," or "America, the Beautiful" or another familiar song, a cappella.
Live performance is required. Local students must complete the hearing assessment in the semester prior to the first semester of coursework. Non-local students perform during the first term in which they are enrolled as a degree-seeking student, and are admitted conditionally until successful completion of the performance assessment hearing.
Performance Assessment Hearings are evaluated on technical competence (at the level of a senior recital) and musical expression, including stylistic understanding of the music presented. The emphasis in the Performance Assessment Hearing is on meaningful musical performance that demonstrates the student's ability to expressively convey music convincingly in a formal setting.
Performance assessment hearings are scheduled directly with Dr. Bruce Gleason, Director of Graduate Programs in Music Education, bpgleason@stthomas.edu.
DVD of Teaching
A distincitve feature of the St. Thomas Master of Arts in Music Education degree program is the emphasis placed on the classroom teaching practices of our students. The entrance teaching DVD provides an invaluable opportunity for assessment and growth of artistic, reflective teaching practice. DVDs of teaching are intended to be a demonstration of pedagogic practice, not performance.
The student's DVD is submitted as part of the application materials and becomes the property of the university. The DVD should document the student's choice of one class or rehearsal of typical length, usually 30 minutes. The camera should focus on the students and the teacher.
This DVD is diagnostic and provides a framework for objective analysis of teaching practice. A field of concentration faculty member critiques the DVD with the student and identifies demonstrated expertise and strategies for improvement. Toward the conclusion of the student's coursework, the faculty member and student review a second DVD, submitted near the end of the student's coursework to review outcomes of the recommended strategies.
NonDegree Students
You may begin the Master of Arts degree in Music Education as a nondegree student. This option may interest prospective students who are interested in graduate study but not necessarily in obtaining a degree. Enrolling in one or more courses at nondegree status will provide contact with faculty members, and/or a chance to evaluate whether the program's offerings match your needs, interests, and abilities.
Changing from NonDegree to Degree Status
Nondegree students may apply for degree-seeking status at the regular admissions deadlines by submitting all required application materials. Letters of recommendation solicited from faculty in the program are allowable. Up to six credits taken as a nondegree student may be applied for credit towards the degree.
International Applicants
International students must have a recent (within two years) paper-based TOEFL score of not less than 550, a computer-based TOEFL score of not less than 215, or an internetpbased TOEFL (IBT) combined total score to be determined February 2008. This applies to students whose native language is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate degree in the United States. It is recommended that international students complete their application at least six months prior to their anticipated arrival on campus.
Office of International Recruiting and Admissions.
