Academic Programs Catalog

College of Music

Graduate Study

Piano Pedagogy - Master of Music

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Music students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Master of Music degree program in piano pedagogy, an applicant must present a live performance audition before and be interviewed by a committee of faculty of the piano area. For an applicant who has a Bachelor of Music degree in music performance from Michigan State University, the live performance audition and the interview may be waived at the discretion of the faculty in the piano area. With the approval of the faculty in the piano area, an applicant may be considered for admission to the program on the basis of (a) a high-quality audio or video recording of a recent performance, (b) a video recording of him or her teaching a piano lesson to a young child, and (c) a written statement of his or her teaching philosophy.  An applicant who submits recordings and a written statement may be admitted only on provisional status pending the presentation of a live performance audition before and an interview with the faculty in the piano area.  The live performance and the interview must be completed before the end of the first semester of enrollment in the program and must meet the requirements of the piano area.

To be admitted to the Master of Music degree program in Piano Pedagogy on regular status, an applicant must have a bachelor’s degree in piano pedagogy, a bachelor’s degree in piano performance or a bachelor’s degree in music education with a major in piano from a recognized educational institution.

In addition, an international applicant is required to have fulfilled the University’s English language proficiency requirement for regular admission as described in the Graduate Education section of this catalog.  Provisional admission as a result of English language scores is not possible for this degree program.

Requirements for the Master of Music Degree in Piano Pedagogy

The program is available under Plan B (without thesis).  A total of at least 30 credits is required for the degree under Plan B.  The student’s program of study must be approved by the student’s academic advisor.  The student must meet the requirements specified below.

1. Complete all of the following courses (19 credits):
MUS 466 Internship in Music 1
MUS 843 Seminar in Piano Pedagogy 8
MUS 896 Master's Performance 10
The credits of MUS 896 must include at least 4 credits of instruction in piano (1 credit for each of four semesters), 4 credits of piano performance class (1 credit for each of four semesters), and 2 credits of instruction in chamber music (1 credit for each of two semesters). 
2. Complete 2 or 3 credits in music theory at the 800 level or above.
3. Complete 3 credits in musicology at the 400 level or above.
4. Complete 4 credits from the following:
MUS 413 Keyboard Literature to the Mid-19th Century 2
MUS 414 Keyboard Literature since the Mid-19th Century 2
MUS 465 Music in Early Childhood 2
MUS 496 Your Music Business 1 or 2
MUS 830 Research Methods and Materials in Music 3
MUS 850J Jazz Piano 1 or 2
MUS 864 Research in Music Education 3
5. Perform a piano recital under the guidance of the student's applied music instructor and approved by a committee from the piano area in a pre-recital hearing. A recording of the recital must be submitted to the office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Students and will be retained by the College as part of the permanent degree record.
6. Complete 2 credits of MUS 898 Master's Research by completing a research project and a one-semester teaching project and cumulative portfolio under the guidance of the Director of Piano Pedagogy.
7. Complete the final oral certifying examination administered by a committee consisting of the Director of Piano Pedagogy, another member from the piano area, and a faculty member from either the music theory or musicology area.
Academic Standards
A grade of 3.0 or higher is required for Music 898.