Music - General Music (Vocal-Choral) (Master of Arts)

Application Deadlines

Deadline dates for applications and receipt of all required application materials are:

Date Event
July 1 Fall Admission
November 1 Spring Admission
April 1 Summer Admission

Any exceptions to these deadlines must be granted by the graduate program chair.

Application Materials Required for the MA with a Major in Music (Vocal-Choral)

Applicants for the MA with a major in Music and a general music concentration may be permitted to enroll for one semester of graduate coursework (only after official degree posted transcripts have been received) while completing all other general application requirements.

Applicants for the MA with a major in Music and a general music concentration must submit all of the following documentation to Graduate Studies to be considered for admission:

Graduate Admissions
Jacksonville State University
700 Pelham Road North
Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602

  1. Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission.
  2. Non-refundable $35.00 application processing fee.
  3. Official transcripts from all colleges/universities with degrees posted.  To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a degree from an institutionally accredited institution or its foreign equivalent. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the university.)
  4. Three Graduate Reference Forms completed by individuals who can provide qualitative assessment of the applicant’s potential for success in graduate coursework. Reference forms will be submitted electronically. Instructions for submission will be sent through email to the applicant upon submission of the online graduate application.
  5. International student applicants must see the International Student Applicants section of this catalog for other application and enrollment requirements.
  6. Applicants must take the graduate music diagnostic exam given by the Music Department. The examination requires students to demonstrate competence in the theory of music, knowledge of the history and literature of music, and an applied music audition.

Admission Requirements for the MA with a Major in Music (Vocal-Choral)

Applicants are admitted on a selective basis upon review of the completed application package.

Applicants who are granted conditional admission must achieve a GPA of at least 3.00 on the first 12 graduate hours attempted. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the student being dropped from graduate studies.

Minimum Requirements for the MA with a Major in Music (Vocal-Choral)

An overall 3.00 GPA is required on all coursework attempted for the master’s degree. Transfer credit cannot be used to raise the GPA to the required 3.00 GPA.

Non-Thesis Option

Total of 32 graduate semester hours. The student must complete:

  • 16 semester hours in required music courses
  • 16 semester hours in approved music electives by advisement
  • Students will be required to complete a comprehensive examination
Course Title Credits
Required Music Courses
MU 509Seminar in Choral Music3
MU 511Research Methods in Music and Music Education3
Select one of the following:3
Music Literature: Renaissance and Baroque Eras
Music Literatures: Classic Era
Music Literature: Romantic Era
Music Literature: Contemporary Era
Select one of the following:3
Music Theory: Style Analysis
Music Theory: Style Analysis
Select four hours of the following:4
Advanced Conducting
Vocal Pedagogy
Individual Applied Music
Individual Applied Music
Graduate Ensemble
Electives
Approved Music Electives by Advisement 16
Total Hours32

32 Graduate Semester Hours Required for this Degree

Thesis Option

Total of 32 graduate semester hours. The student must complete:

  • 16 semester hours in required music courses
  • 10 semester hours in approved music electives by advisement
  • 6 hours of thesis
Course Title Credits
Required Music Courses
MU 509Seminar in Choral Music3
MU 511Research Methods in Music and Music Education3
Select one of the following:3
Music Literature: Renaissance and Baroque Eras
Music Literatures: Classic Era
Music Literature: Romantic Era
Music Literature: Contemporary Era
Select one of the following:3
Music Theory: Style Analysis
Music Theory: Style Analysis
Select four hours from the following:4
Advanced Conducting
Vocal Pedagogy
Individual Applied Music
Individual Applied Music
Graduate Ensemble
Thesis Option
Must complete the following for a total of six semester hours:
MU 599Thesis3
MU 599Thesis3
Electives
Approved Music Electives by Advisement10
Total Hours32

 32 Graduate Semester Hours Required for this Degree

Thesis students should contact Graduate Studies to receive an orientation to the thesis process prior to enrolling in the first three semester hours of thesis, 599. This orientation can be completed either in person or via email. The purpose of the orientation is to provide the thesis student with information concerning required forms, due dates, and to answer any questions concerning thesis options and/or procedure. For further information concerning this orientation, please contact LaRilda VanSandt, vansandt@jsu.edu, 322 Bibb Graves, (256) 782-5345. See Thesis Options and Procedures in this catalog for more information.

Graduation and Comprehensive Exam

A comprehensive exam is required for the Non-Thesis Option of this degree; please see the graduate advisor for full details. For students choosing the Thesis Option, the thesis defense serves as the comprehensive exam. All students must apply for graduation by the given deadline of the semester in which they plan to graduate. Please see the Graduation and Comprehensive Exam section of this catalog for more information.