Introduction
The Master of Arts (MA) 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 advisor, 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 MA students are required to complete the following core courses:
| MUSC 200 | Introduction to Research Methods | 5 |
| MUSC 201 | History of Music Theory from the Greeks Through Rameau | 5 |
| MUSC 202 | Tonal and Posttonal Analysis | 5 |
| MUSC 252 | 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:
| MUSC 219 | Techniques in Composition | 5 |
| MUSC 220 | Graduate Seminar in Music Composition | 5 |
Plus one course in the MUSC 203 Performance Practice series
| MUSC 203A | Performance Practice in the Middle Ages | 5 |
| MUSC 203B | Performance Practice in the Renaissance | 5 |
| MUSC 203C | Performance Practice in the Baroque | 5 |
| MUSC 203D | Performance Practice in the Classic Period | 5 |
| MUSC 203E | Performance Practice in the Romantic Period | 5 |
| MUSC 203F | Performance Practice in the 20th Century | 5 |
| MUSC 203G | Concepts, Issues, and the Practice of Ethnomusicology | 5 |
| MUSC 203H | 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
| MUSC 203A | Performance Practice in the Middle Ages | 5 |
| MUSC 203B | Performance Practice in the Renaissance | 5 |
| MUSC 203C | Performance Practice in the Baroque | 5 |
| MUSC 203D | Performance Practice in the Classic Period | 5 |
| MUSC 203E | Performance Practice in the Romantic Period | 5 |
| MUSC 203F | Performance Practice in the 20th Century | 5 |
| MUSC 203G | Concepts, Issues, and the Practice of Ethnomusicology | 5 |
| MUSC 203H | 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.
Language Proficiency Requirement
All M.A. students are required to demonstrate reading knowledge equivalent to at least one year of coursework for one language other than English. To complete this requirement, current skill in reading and comprehension of a language other than English, to be determined in consultation with your primary advisor, must be demonstrated in one of the following ways:
- Native speakers of a language other than English will satisfy this requirement (no test is necessary).
- Satisfactory completion of “level 3” (the third quarter) language instruction at UCSC, preferably in the first year of the program. These courses may be taken Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Submission of an official transcript documenting successful completion of one year of university-level language instruction at another institution (equivalent to level 3 at UCSC).
- Passing a proficiency examination administered by the Music Department in French, Spanish, German, Italian, or Russian. (This test requires translation of a passage of at least 600 words with no resources other than a dictionary to be completed in 1.5 hours.) If a student does not pass this test, enrollment in the appropriate language at UCSC will be required. The proficiency examination may be taken only once.
- For languages other than French, Spanish, German, Italian, or Russian, the department may accept completion of an online course as fulfilling the requirement if the student can demonstrate that the course builds skills equivalent to those gained in a “level 3” (third-quarter) language course at UCSC. The Graduate Committee will determine whether or not to accept any such course.
Other Requirements
The final project for the degree includes both performing and scholarly components, which vary according to the degree emphasis.
Two types of master’s degrees are offered: “A Thesis Plan I master's requires a research thesis, while a Capstone Plan II master's has a capstone requirement, which may be a comprehensive exam, an individual project, or a group project.”
Students with a composition emphasis will complete a Thesis Plan I masters. Students with this 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.
Students with a musicology/ethnomusicology emphasis will complete a Thesis Plan I master's, regardless of whether or not they complete a performance or lecture-recital. Students with this emphasis will complete a thesis (MUSC 299) and may choose to give a short performance or lecture-recital related to the thesis (MUSC 298).
Students with a performance practice emphasis will usually complete a Capstone Plan II master's and write a short essay to accompany a recital, but may have the option to choose a Thesis Plan I master's instead. Students in this 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, MUSC 203A-H, MUSC 206A-D, MUSC 219, MUSC 220, MUSC 253A-D, and MUSC 254A-X. Grades of C or D do not satisfy any course requirement for a music graduate degree.
The colloquium course (MUSC 252) must be taken with the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade option.
Independent study courses (MUSC 261, MUSC 265, MUSC 295, MUSC 297, MUSC 298, and MUSC 299) may be taken with the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade option.
Applying for Graduation
Students should contact the graduate advisor to confirm that all requirements for the MA degree have been met and to complete the Graduate Division "Application for the M.A. Degree" form.