• University Admission Requirements
• Advancement to Candidacy
• University Graduation Requirements
• Master’s Requirements (30 units)
• Program Learning Outcomes   

The Concentration in Composition in the Master of Music, offered by the School of Music , is a two-year, 30-unit program designed for students who wish to pursue advanced study and practice in the art of musical composition. The program emphasizes the development of an individual compositional voice supported by a strong technical foundation in theory, analysis, orchestration, and contemporary techniques. Students work closely with faculty mentors in private composition lessons and seminar settings, while also benefiting from regular opportunities to hear their music rehearsed and performed by university ensembles, soloists, and visiting professional musicians. The program encourages engagement with a wide range of musical styles and media, including chamber music, large ensemble works, and electro-acoustic composition, providing the resources and experiences necessary to prepare students for careers as composers, educators, and creative professionals, or for further advanced study at the doctoral level.

Additional information is available in the School of Music Office and at the department website.

University Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements . 

Department Requirements 

Students need to apply separately to the university to obtain approval for university-level admission and to the department to obtain admission into the Master of Music Program. All required transcripts and supporting documents should be sent directly to the university.

The School of Music graduate program requires applicants to:

1. Have a bachelor’s degree in Music or equivalent from a regionally accredited institution:
2. ​Be in good academic standing at the last college or university attended;
3. Have a minimum GPA of 3.00 in the last 60 units of undergraduate coursework;
4. Audition, Portfolio, Interview
   1. Conducting and Performance: a live (preferred) or unedited recorded audition is required for conducting and performance specializations. Please see the School of Music website for specific requirements of individual performance areas.
   2. Composition, Music Education, Musicology: the submission of a portfolio of work is required for all academic specializations. Please see the School of Music website for specific requirements of individual academic areas.
   3. Individual areas may also require an interview.
5. Submit three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant’s potential for graduate-level work in music to be sent to the appropriate performance area advisor.

Applicants to master’s programs in the School of Music  whose native language is not English must submit official, valid English proficiency scores (taken within the past 2 years) unless granted an approved waiver. Accepted exams and minimums:

1. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT: 88 overall.
2. TOEFL MyBest scores are not accepted
3. IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic: 6.5 overall.
4. PTE (Pearson Test of English): 68​

Waiver eligibility may apply for applicants who completed an entire degree in English in approved countries/institutions; waivers are not guaranteed and must be requested with documentation by the application deadline.

Test scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service office (institution code 4687), Pearson Office, or IELTS office directly to SJSU.

The School of Music  does not require the GRE (Graduate Record Exam).

Admission to Graduate Standing - Conditionally Classified

Graduate students admitted to the School of Music  are usually admitted in “conditionally classified” status. This status is normal for all entering graduate students, who must demonstrate a bachelor’s level competence in music history and music theory by passing the Graduate Entrance Evaluations given during Pre-Instruction before the start of the first semester of study. Students who pass their Entrance Evaluations may then become “graduate classified” and are eligible to take all 200-level graduate seminars after completing MUSC 200 . Students who fail one or more portions of the Evaluation will remain conditionally classified and will be required to remediate with the appropriate coursework before taking graduate seminars beyond MUSC 200 . Coursework taken as remediation is not applied to the Master’s degree requirement units. Students who fail the entire Entrance Evaluation will not be admitted into the program. Please see the “Graduate Program Test Requirements” for more information.

Advancement to Candidacy

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.

Program of Study Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Master’s Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.