Master of Music in Music Education

Admission

Requirements

  • An undergraduate degree or the equivalent, with a grade-point average of 3.0 or above
  • The thesis option requires the submission of a major paper from undergraduate work or the equivalent.
  • All music education degree candidates at the graduate level must either be certified to teach public school music or must enroll concurrently in the Teacher Certification Program.

Placement Examinations

Students who completed their undergraduate degrees or the Teacher Certification Program in music at URI are exempt from the placement examination unless it has been three years or more since their graduation.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission to our master’s degree program in music. However, students accepted into any Master of Music program at URI must take a post-admission placement examination in appropriate areas of music history and theory. Students entering the M.M. in Music Education are also tested in areas of music education. Students showing deficiencies can make up the deficiencies by retaking sections of the examination or by taking the appropriate undergraduate courses for non-program credit.

Programs of Study

All Master of Music degree candidates must prepare a program of study with the guidance of the director of Graduate Studies in Music, Eliane Aberdam. This will then be submitted for approval by the Graduate School.

The purpose of the program of study is to ensure that students, at an early stage, organize coherent, individualized plans for their coursework, research, and recitals. Credit hours may include formal coursework, independent study, research, preparation of a recital, essay, or thesis, and other scholarly activities as approved by the candidate’s major teacher, the director of Graduate Studies in Music and the dean of the graduate school.

Application Process

Applications are submitted online through the URI Graduate School, using the Centralized Application System (CAS).

To apply for a Master of Music, please visit and follow the instructions: https://gradcas.liaisoncas.org/apply/

It is important for applicants to read entrance requirements carefully in the URI Music Handbook for Graduate Students. After the application is submitted, the following steps are taken:

  • Director of Graduate Studies in Music submits applications to the department’s Graduate Studies Committee.
  • The Committee reviews each transcript to determine the applicant’s qualifications and whether the content of the applicant’s undergraduate program can serve as a prerequisite for graduate study in music.
  • The Graduate Committee recommends acceptance to the Graduate School, and they will notify the candidate of the outcome. This process can often take several weeks.

Graduate Assistantships

The deadline is Feb. 1st every year.

To be considered for an assistantship, candidates should send their resume along with a letter of interest/request by February 1.

Please write about your experience teaching one-on-one lessons and/or in classroom/group settings. Mention relevant leadership experience, assistant roles, or any administrative work in a music or other organizational setting.

Write about anything else that you think would show your abilities in these areas, such as describing why you would like a graduate assistantship, explaining your strengths and weaknesses, your ability to teach introduction to Music, Basic Musicianship, or Introduction to Jazz, grade theory homework, or tutor ear-training, etc.

The letter does not need to be long.

Please send the email with these materials to Dr. Eliane Aberdam – eliane@uri.edu and music@uri.edu, by February 1.