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This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Master of Arts in Music

Up one level:

Graduate Programs in Music

University requirements for the M.A. are described in the "Graduate Degrees" section of this bulletin.

None of Stanford's required undergraduate courses may be credited toward an advanced degree unless specifically required for both degrees. Only work that receives a grade of 'A,' 'B,' or 'Satisfactory' (a passing grade in an instructor-mandated credit/no credit course) in Music courses numbered 100 or higher taken as a graduate student is recognized as fulfilling the advanced-degree requirements. Students may need to devote more than the minimum time in residence if preparation for graduate study is inadequate.

ADMISSION

Applicants are required to submit evidence of accomplishment (scores, recordings, and/or research papers) when they complete the application form. Applicants should arrange to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) well in advance of the December 16 application deadline. All components of the application are due by December 16. International students whose first language is not English are also required to take the TOEFL exam (with certain exceptions: see http://gradadmissions.stanford.edu).

FIELDS OF STUDY OR DEGREE OPTIONS

All of the above fields of study are declarable as subplans in Axess:

Master of Arts degree (M.A.)—in Composition.

Master of Arts degree (M.A.)—in Music History.

Master of Arts degree (M.A.)—in Computer-Based Music Theory and Acoustics.

Master of Arts degree (M.A.)—in Music, Science, and Technology (M.A./M.S.T.) Note: The MA/MST program is the only terminal master's degree; it is one year in duration and consists only of coursework.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

A minimum of 45 academic units is required for the master's degree in Music. The Department of Music does not accept students for study only towards the M.A. degree except in the Music, Science, and Technology program, described below.

Required Courses—

I. Composition—Students are not admitted into the M.A. as a terminal degree for composition: rather, students in the D.M.A. program in composition who enter directly from the bachelor's level may, upon completing 45 graduate-level units and advancing to candidacy by passing the qualifying examination, be recommended for the M.A. degree in composition.

II. Music History—Students are not admitted into the M.A. as a terminal degree for music history: rather, students in the Ph.D. program in musicology who enter directly from the bachelor's level may, upon completing 45 graduate-level units and advancing to candidacy by passing the qualifying examination, be recommended for the M.A. degree in music history.

III. Computer-Based Music Theory and Acoustics—Students are not admitted into the M.A. as a terminal degree for computer-based music theory and acoustics: rather, students in the Ph.D. program in computer-based music theory and acoustics who enter directly from the bachelor's level may, upon completing 45 graduate-level units and advancing to candidacy by passing the qualifying examination, be recommended for the M.A. degree in computer-based music theory and acoustics.

IV. Music, Science, and Technology—The M.A. in music, science, and technology is the department's only terminal master's degree. This is a one-year program of 45 units focusing on the integration of music perception, music-related signal processing and controllers, and synthesis. The program is designed for students having an undergraduate engineering or science degree or a degree that includes course work in engineering mathematics. In addition to degree requirements required of all students listed above, students must complete at least 39 units of approved course work. Modifications to the required course work listed below may be proposed on a student's behalf by the student's program adviser.

  1. Required:

    MUSIC 151. Psychophysics and Cognitive Psychology for Musicians (4 units)

    MUSIC 154. Composition and Performance of Instrumental Music with Electronics (3 units)

    MUSIC 192A. Foundations of Sound-Recording Technology (3 units)

    MUSIC 192B. Advanced Sound-Recording Technology (3 units)

    MUSIC 220A. Fundamentals of Computer-Generated Sound (4 units)

    MUSIC 220B. Compositional Algorithms, Psychoacoustics, and Spatial Processing (4 units)

    MUSIC 220C. Research Seminar in Computer-Generated Music (4 units)

    MUSIC 250A. Human-Computer Interface Theory and Practice (4 units)

    MUSIC 320. Introduction to Digital Audio Signal Processing (4 units)

    MUSIC 420. Signal Processing Models in Musical Acoustics (3 units)

    MUSIC 421. Audio Applications of the Fast Fourier Transform (3 units)

  2. Electives: students are required to complete an additional 6 units of graduate level work that may be taken outside the department.

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