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Admission

The general requirements for admission are: a master’s degree in music education (or the equivalent); satisfactory score on the general section (verbal/quantitative/analytical) of the GRE or the Miller Analogies Test; master’s thesis or equivalent demonstration of the ability to undertake and complete significant, original scholarly work; evidence of successful full-time teaching at the elementary or secondary level (a minimum of three years and an expectation of five years); an interview; and fulfillment of the general requirements for admission to The Graduate School, including the submission of three recommendations preferably written on School of Music forms. Applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit a satisfactory score on the TOEFL or the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL is 250 (computer-based) or 600 (paper-based). The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam is 7. Additional admission requirements for specific areas are listed online. Admission decisions are based upon the applicant’s total portfolio with particular weight being given to a record of successful music teaching at the elementary or secondary level and documented evidence of an ability to undertake and complete significant, independent research and writing.

Degree Requirements

Prior to taking any graduate music study, all doctoral students must take the Graduate Music Diagnostic Examination and, early in their studies, complete all deficiencies or courses resulting from the exam. Doctoral students must be admitted to degree candidacy no later than the completion of the equivalent of two semesters of full-time study (12 credits total for graduate assistants and 18 credits total for others) and must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate work past the master’s degree. At least 18 of the credit hours must be completed as part of doctoral residency (18 approved credits taken within a span of three consecutive semesters, with at least one semester being spent in full-time study on the Columbia campus). Prior to the scheduling of the comprehensive examination, degree candidates must have satisfied reading proficiency in a foreign language. Doctoral candidates in music education must also complete written comprehensive examinations in music education (and any minor area) as well as an oral comprehensive examination that covers music education, music history/literature, music theory, and any doctoral minor. In addition, degree candidates must complete a written dissertation. The final doctoral requirement is the successful oral defense of the dissertation. Specific program requirements are listed online.

Curriculum (48 Post Masters Hours)