This program is pending Chancellor’s Office approval.

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

The Master of Music in instrumental Performance offered by the School of Music , is a 30-unit graduate program designed for advanced instrumentalists seeking to refine their artistry and prepare for professional careers in music. The program offers intensive applied study with faculty artist-teachers, emphasizing technical mastery, interpretive depth, and comprehensive musical knowledge. Students receive individualized instruction, participate in ensembles, and engage in coursework in music pedagogy, analysis, literature, and history, complemented by elective options tailored to students’ interests. Regular performance opportunities-including solo recitals, chamber music, and ensemble concerts-develop students’ skills as compelling performers across a wide range of repertoire.

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in music or present equivalent preparation from an accredited institution. Admission is determined by entrance audition, review of academic credentials, and, where applicable, diagnostic examinations in music history and theory. Letters of recommendation and a statement of artistic goals are also required. The program is structured to support careers in solo and ensemble performance, teaching at the college or pre-college level, and further doctoral study in music. Completion of the degree requires a public graduate recital and satisfactory results on a comprehensive examination in music.

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

Admission Requirements

University Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements. Applicants apply separately to the department to obtain admission into the MM, Music program. See Graduate Admissions website and this Catalog for general information about graduate admissions at SJSU.

Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirements webpage. For TOEFL Requirements, see the Policies and Procedures section, Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Information.

Program 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;
   1. 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:

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) iBT: 88 overall.

TOEFL MyBest scores are not accepted

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic: 6.5 overall.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.

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

Admission to Classified Standing

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

Candidacy denotes that the student is fully qualified to complete the final stages of the MM. In order to achieve candidacy, students must meet the university requirements for candidacy. General university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the Master’s degree are detailed in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. Advancement to candidacy requires that the student be in good standing with a 3.0 GPA or better in a minimum of 9 units of letter-graded coursework as a graduate student in 100- or 200-level courses in the degree program as indicated by all courses on the Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy. These courses must conform to university and departmental requirements, and the area and graduate advisors must approve the proposed program. The proposed program must list a total of 30 semester units, including the appropriate number of “core” courses, area of specialization courses, required ensembles, and supervised graduate study.

The student must be “graduate classified” and have met and cleared their conditions for admission to the program indicated by their results in the Graduate Entrance Evaluation in music history and music systems/theory. Candidacy also includes successful completion of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) , which in the School of Music  is MUSC 200 .

University Graduation 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 . All students must satisfy Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) , and culminating experience as outlined in the degree requirements.