2. Courses of Study and Admission Requirements

2.1 Application for Admission

Admission to the Graduate School and School of Music is by formal application to both schools. Directions and an application for admission are found on the University and School of Music websites. The completed admission application consists of:

Application for admission and appropriate fee
Personal statement of purpose
CV or résumé
Official transcript from each college and university attended
Three letters of recommendation from people who can assess the candidate’s potential as a graduate student and/or a professional musician; the letters should be sent from the recommenders (not the candidate) directly to the Graduate School.
TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores (international students only)
GRE scores (if required by degree program)
Other materials required by the prospective department or program (such as writing sample, portfolio, or in-person/recorded audition materials)

All the above materials (except those in item 8) must be sent directly to the Graduate School. Materials in item 8 are submitted with the School of Music application.

2.2 Master of Music

Graduates of recognized four-year courses leading to a bachelor’s degree in music with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 may become candidates for the Master of Music degree. Applicants must have the equivalent of the undergraduate major in music at Baylor University in the field of concentration in which they wish to continue. Those who lack courses prerequisite to graduate study may make up the undergraduate work, for which graduate credit may be granted, provided the course work is at the 4000 level and appropriate to the degree program. All students will take music theory and music history diagnostic examinations. Certain majors, including Vocal Performance, Choral Conducting, Collaborative Piano, and the Vocal Performance Concentration of Church Music, require additional diagnostic exams in Diction. Appropriate remedial course work may be required as a result of the tests (see section 7.1). The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required of applicants in Musicology and Music Theory; while there is no specific minimum requirement, a score of at least 300 for the combined Verbal and Quantitative portions of the GRE General Test is recommended (the Verbal Score is more important than the Quantitative Score.) The GRE is not required of Church Music, Collaborative Piano, Composition, Conducting, Performance, or Piano Pedagogy and Performance majors. International students are expected to secure a minimum of 550 on the paper-based, 213 on the computer-based, or 80 on the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Students may also take and achieve a comparable score on the IELTS test (6.5) or Duolingo exam (125). (See the Graduate School’s website for more details: https://www.baylor.edu/graduate/index.php?id=959283)

All applicants for majors in Performance, Collaborative Piano, Piano Pedagogy and Performance, and Church Music with performance or conducting emphasis must audition (in person, preferred, or by submitting a video recording of a recent performance with repertoire of at least senior recital level, if a video recording is allowed by the program). Before auditioning students must make application for admission and submit a repertoire list and other requested materials. Applicants for the major in Composition or the composition option in Church Music must submit a portfolio of recently completed compositions. An example of a recent paper is required of applicants who intend to pursue an emphasis in Musicology, Church Music, or Music Theory. Applicants seeking admission to the conducting program must submit a video of their work in both rehearsal and performance. Papers, composition portfolios, videos, and audio recordings should be submitted to the School of Music. To request an audition or submit materials, please go to the School of Music’s website: https://www.baylor.edu/music/index.php?id=948683. Students with majors in Vocal Performance, Collaborative Piano, and Church Music with vocal performance emphasis must demonstrate knowledge of German, French, and Italian diction (knowledge of the IPA is necessary; only two of these languages are required for Collaborative Piano). Applicants in Musicology must possess reading ability in German or French. Students who are deficient in these areas may meet these requirements through courses offered at Baylor or other institutions, or through examination.

2.3 M.M. Double Major

Students who desire to pursue a major in two areas (e.g., Music Theory and Piano Performance) must fulfill all application requirements for and be accepted by both areas. An additional 15-18 credit hours will be required to complete the major in the second area (the number of hours depends upon the majors chosen). Except for the core course requirements of 9 credit hours and some elective hours, no courses can be credited toward degree requirements in both areas (e.g., a recital in Piano Pedagogy and Performance cannot be used to fulfill degree recital requirements in Piano Performance). The second major typically is added after the first year of course work toward the first major.

2.4 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Doctor of Music (D.M.A.) in Church Music

Applicants must have earned a master’s degree in music from an accredited college or university. Applicants are encouraged to have significant prior professional experience in the field of music. At least two years of full-time employment or the equivalent in part-time and/or volunteer work is recommended. Three letters of recommendation are required. At least one should be from a person qualified to comment on the applicant’s master’s degree work, and at least one should be from a person who can speak to the applicant’s musical activities in a local congregation.

Applicants must submit a master’s thesis or significant research paper as a writing sample. The research paper may take the form of a published book or article, a major paper for a master’s-level course, or a paper written specifically to fulfill this requirement. The writing sample must demonstrate familiarity with appropriate research techniques, originality of thought, and ability to write with clarity. Students from non-English speaking countries must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language and submit a minimum score of 600 (250 computer-based, 100 internet-based). Comparable scores on the IELTS or Duolingo exam may also be submitted.

Applicants will have a face-to-face interview with the Church Music faculty. The applicant should prepare a curriculum vitae for the interview that includes all relevant academic and professional experience as well as goals and plans for the future. Prospective D.M.A students must audition for and be accepted by the Church Music and applied faculties in their area of performance. No audition is required for Ph.D. applicants.

Diagnostic examinations in music history, music theory, conducting, voice, and piano will be administered to each student. Appropriate remedial course work may be required as a result of the tests (see section 7.1).

Additional D.M.A. Admission and Audition Requirements: D.M.A. in Church Music applicants must have a strong background in the particular performance area for which they are applying. Generally speaking, this will involve having had a graduate major or concentration in that instrument or voice or at least significant graduate study in that area. Students who did not give one or more master’s level recitals may be required to do appropriate study and give such a recital (or recitals) before beginning doctoral-level study. Such decisions will be made in conjunction with the applied faculty in the area of concentration.

D.M.A audition requirements vary from those for M.M. programs. Please consult the School of Music website for more details: https://www.baylor.edu/ccms/index.php?id=935658

2.5 Joint Master of Divinity/Master of Music in Church Music

The Master of Divinity degree is designed primarily for students preparing for pastoral ministry, though it also provides preparation for other specialized ministries. The Master of Music degree in Church Music is a professional graduate degree for those who plan to serve in the music ministry. The degree is designed to develop proficiency in performance; a knowledge of church music (including music history, music theory, and conducting); and an understanding of the theological context of church music and the administration of a church music program.

Admission: Students seeking admission to the joint degree program will be required to fulfill admission requirements to the George W. Truett Theological Seminary, the Graduate School, and the School of Music. Students must apply and be admitted to each of the programs. Upon commencing seminary studies, the student may enroll in courses in both programs.

Requirements: Students will complete sixty semester hours of the theological education core, three hours of electives, twelve hours of music concentration courses, and twelve hours of Master of Music courses to satisfy requirements for the Master of Divinity. To complete requirements for the Master of Music degree, an additional eighteen semester hours will be taken from the Church Music degree program in one of the following five options: Thesis, Performance, Conducting, Church Ministry, or Composition. Since both degrees are awarded simultaneously, all requirements in both schools must be completed to receive either degree.

2.6 Advanced Performers Certificate Program (Piano or Organ only)

The Advanced Performers Certificate is intended for students who demonstrate the potential to establish a career as a performing artist. Accordingly, the goals of this non-degree program are more narrowly focused than traditional graduate performance degrees. The requirements for the Advanced Performers Certificate are designed for students who have demonstrated the ability to perform advanced repertoire and whose artistic communication and technical mastery of major repertoire for the instrument are unusually strong.

Admission: It is expected that the student applying for admission to the certificate program will have completed a Bachelor of Music degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution. Those applying for admission to the Advanced Performers Certificate must follow the procedures and regulations of other students applying for acceptance to the Graduate Program of the School of Music (see Graduate Catalog for full description).

Upon recommendation of the faculty of the Keyboard Division, a student may be accepted to the Advanced Performers Certificate Program. Admission will require a live audition before a committee that will include at least four members of the Keyboard Division faculty appointed by the Director of Keyboard Studies and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. The option of a video performance may be approved when distance to the audition would be a hardship. When the audition is by video, the student must present a live audition before a designated faculty committee during the first semester of residence in order to be fully accepted into the program. The audition will require sixty minutes of solo repertoire representing the 18^th, 19^th, and 20^th centuries and will include at least two major works and two virtuoso etudes from the literature. The audition committee may choose from the repertoire prepared. Students who have been admitted to the Advanced Performers Certificate Program will be advised on course content by the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in consultation with the major teacher and the Director of Keyboard Studies.

Language Requirement: All international students whose first language is not English must achieve a TOEFL score of 550 (213 computer-based or 80 Internet-based) or equivalent to be admitted to the Advanced Performers Certificate Program.