Introduction
The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree program in music has emphases in composition, musicology/ethnomusicology, or performance practice, and integrates studies in performance, composition/analysis, and research. In consultation with a faculty adviser, the student pursues a two-year course of studies culminating in a final project that combines an original composition, written thesis, or essay with a related public performance or lecture recital.
Requirements
Course Requirements
A minimum of 60 course credits completed at UC Santa Cruz is required for the degree. All M.A. students are required to complete the following core courses:
| MUSC200 | Introduction to Research Methods | 5 |
| MUSC201 | History of Music Theory from the Greeks Through Rameau | 5 |
| MUSC202 | Tonal and Posttonal Analysis | 5 |
| MUSC252 | Current Issues Colloquium | 0 |
Students entering the program Fall 2007 and later take MUSC 252 each quarter they are in residence.
Students with an emphasis in composition also complete:
| MUSC219 | Techniques in Composition | 5 |
| MUSC220 | Graduate Seminar in Music Composition | 5 |
Plus one course in the Music 203 Performance Practice series
| MUSC203A | Performance Practice in the Middle Ages | 5 |
| MUSC203B | Performance Practice in the Renaissance | 5 |
| MUSC203C | Performance Practice in the Baroque | 5 |
| MUSC203D | Performance Practice in the Classic Period | 5 |
| MUSC203E | Performance Practice in the Romantic Period | 5 |
| MUSC203F | Performance Practice in the 20th Century | 5 |
| MUSC203G | Concepts, Issues, and the Practice of Ethnomusicology | 5 |
| MUSC203H | Area Studies in Performance Practice | 5 |
Students with an emphasis in musicology/ethnomusicology or performance practice also complete:
Three courses from the Music 203 Performance Practice series
| MUSC203A | Performance Practice in the Middle Ages | 5 |
| MUSC203B | Performance Practice in the Renaissance | 5 |
| MUSC203C | Performance Practice in the Baroque | 5 |
| MUSC203D | Performance Practice in the Classic Period | 5 |
| MUSC203E | Performance Practice in the Romantic Period | 5 |
| MUSC203F | Performance Practice in the 20th Century | 5 |
| MUSC203G | Concepts, Issues, and the Practice of Ethnomusicology | 5 |
| MUSC203H | Area Studies in Performance Practice | 5 |
MUSC 206D: Music Perception and Cognition meets the requirement for one MUSC 203 course. It is possible, in some cases, to substitute a course from the MUSC 253 or MUSC 254 series for one MUSC 203 course. Students should contact the Graduate Advisor for more information on petitioning the Graduate Committee for course substitutions.
Other Requirements
The final project for the degree includes both performing and scholarly components, which vary according to the degree emphasis.
Students with a composition emphasis submit a thesis composition together with an essay that addresses historical, technical, and/or interpretive issues of the music (MUSC 299); and they complete a full-length recital (MUSC 298) of their compositional work. [MUSC 299 is not required for composition emphasis (essay not thesis).]
Students with a musicology/ethnomusicology emphasis complete a thesis (MUSC 299) and a short performance or lecture-recital related to the thesis (MUSC 298).
Students with a performance practice emphasis complete a full-length recital (MUSC 298) and an accompanying short essay that addresses historical, technical, and/or interpretive aspects of the music performed in the recital. Students in this emphasis whose main area is conducting complete a full-length recital (MUSC 298) and one of the following: a shorter lecture-recital, a short analytical or contextual essay on a different topic, or a collaboration with a graduate student composer or faculty composer on a premiere public performance. Students are encouraged to create a program involving corollary studies such as computer studies, area cultural studies, linguistics, anthropology, theater arts, and visual arts.
Letter Grade Policy
Graduate students must take all core courses for a letter grade. These courses include the following: MUSC 200, MUSC 201, MUSC 202, 203A-H, 206A-D, MUSC 219, MUSC 220, 253A-D, and 254A-M. Graduate students must take all courses for a letter grade with the exception of independent study courses (MUSC 261, MUSC 265, MUSC 295, MUSC 297, MUSC 298, and MUSC 299) and the colloquium course (MUSC 252), which may be taken with the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade option. Grades of C or D do not satisfy any course requirement for a music graduate degree.
Applying for Graduation
Students should contact the Graduate Adviser to confirm that all requirements for the M.A. degree have been met and to complete the Graduate Division "Application for the M.A. Degree" form.