74 Best Music Master's Degree Programs for 2025

The Music and Arts Graduate School of the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts aims to accomplish the objectives of developing students’ outstanding professional competence in various areas of the musical arts. Based on the above, and following the founding principles of the school, outstanding practical education shall be provided to students, with particular attention paid to the technical characteristics of Okinawa’s traditional performing arts, which have been inspired by the particular history, culture, and natural environment of this archipelago.

Master in performing music or composition The master's program in performing music or composition at the Grieg Academy is an offer for instrumentalists, singers and composers in the genres of classical, jazz and traditional music. The program places emphasis on further developing the students' artistic profile, and strengthening the ability for academic reflection and independence. The master's program has two parallel courses throughout the program: main instrument or composition and project work. The project work is divided into three sub-projects and provides an opportunity for in-depth study of one or more self-chosen topics within one's own executive or creative fields of interest. The project work will support the performing / creative work by helping to increase awareness of and to be able to reflect on musical issues. Great freedom is given in the choice of documentation forms in relation to the nature of the projects (oral or digital presentation form).

The Graduate School of Art was established in 1951 as a master’s program in Literary Arts, but has since expanded to a full-scale comprehensive graduate school of the arts that currently offers master’s programs in Literary Arts, Image Arts, Fine Art and Design, Musical Arts, and Performing Arts. While the emphasis is on education in the various departments, the School is also engaged in high-level research. The doctoral program consolidates all the arts into a single field, making possible even deeper research into the arts than at the master’s level. Apart from research and creation within each specialized field, we also encourage collaboration with adjacent fields and aim for an understanding of the arts from a broad perspective. In particular, the doctoral program lends equal weight to the theory and history of each of the arts and to studies of artistic expression, and we instruct our students to conduct balanced research between theory and expression in order to obtain a doctoral degree.

In the field of composition research at the graduate school, we will strive to develop knowledge and abilities that can fully demonstrate individuality and creativity in the world music scene. It is also a place to deepen research on a comprehensive art genre with faculty members, focusing on the utilization of multimedia and enabling various collaborations. The environment that supports vibrant efforts in research and creative practice is becoming more fulfilling, and today, composers who are attracting attention both inside and outside the country are leaving every year.

Master of Music Church Music (Arp-Schnitger-Master for historical Church Music) Our church music programmes prepare students for the wide-ranging responsibilities of church musicians serving in both Protestant and Catholic parishes. Choral direction and organ music from the central areas of focus in these programmes. The University of the Arts has a long-standing tradition in the training of church musicians, and – with over 200 historical organs – northern Germany is home to the richest concentration of historical organs worldwide, including numerous creations from the workshop of Arp Schnittger – the Stradivarius of the organ world!

Building on a long tradition of excellent performing ensembles, the Greatbatch School of Music seeks to shape motivated, dedicated musicians into conductors with outstanding musical understanding, solid technical preparation, effective rehearsal techniques, and broad stylistic expertise.

The Master of Arts in Music degree is a graduate research degree which culminates with a written thesis and a public presentation (lecture or lecture/recital). Possible areas of focus for the thesis include (but are not limited to) music history, music theory, ethnomusicology, historical performance practice, music technology, and interdisciplinary subjects relating music with other fields.

The Graduate Theatre program at Villanova offers a distinct fusion of both academic work and practical experience. As a student, you will have the opportunity to expand your mind through rigorous academic courses, covering topics such as theatre history, dramaturgy, dramatic literature, theatre criticism and script analysis.

The Master of Music (concentration in Performance) provides all music students with the academic and performing skills requisite for professional or continued academic work. Purpose To develop professional and scholarly competence in performance. This program has provided the School of Music with a community of advanced students in the area of performance (both classical and jazz styles) who function as role models for the undergraduates. Interaction and exchange of ideas between the graduate students and faculty is highly encouraged. The School of Music also has flexibility in tailoring the graduate program to meet the needs and interests of the graduate students. Illustrating this flexibility is the performance concentration in both the classical and jazz styles with the wealth of available performance opportunities through ensemble participation, studio, and recital work.

Applicants to the master's program in orchestral conducting must submit a video of the applicant in rehearsals and performances. Upload this to the College of Music Supplemental Application. Deadline is Dec 1. Virtual Audition Those invited to audition will be contacted by the orchestral conducting faculty.

The Master of Arts - Music Composition is designed to advance the music composition creative skills of advanced students and to prepare them for admission to doctoral study. The program emphasizes mastery of composition of large-scale works for media including orchestra, choir, band and/or chamber music ensembles. Based on a solid undergraduate music degree, the master’s degree further develops abilities in music theory including analytical, aural, written, keyboard, and pedagogical skills. The program further develops breadth and depth in the area of Western music history and literature. Students are required to write a thesis composition.

The MA Music Business (Online Blended) is a one year, practical and industry-focused Master of Arts Degree, delivered via a combination of online interactive media and face-to-face delivery and is designed for the creative industry experienced, aspiring or established music entrepreneur seeking to learn interactively online, balancing their professional lifestyle and work commitments with a more flexible approach to study and career.

The MMus/MA is a taught full-time or part-time postgraduate course that sees you continue with your specialism in either Production, Performance, Composition, or Performance and Composition, and demonstrate critical engagement with your discipline through a viva voce (MMus) or written critique (MA).

The Graduate School of Music reorganized its master's degree programs in 2007. The former classification of specialties, that is three programs consisting of six different areas of study: Composition (Composition, Musicology), Voice, and Instrumental Music (Piano, Strings, Winds, and Percussion), were incorporated into one unified Music program. This single program aims to establish a flexible system for interdisciplinary study and education beyond the boundaries of specialization while it offers opportunities for solid specialized researches. As a result, students can pursue their interests with more flexibility. Specifically, the master's degree program at the Graduate School of Music covers seven areas of study: Composition, Musicology, Voice, Keyboard Instruments, Strings, Winds, and Percussion. Each of the areas is establishing classes in cooperation with other areas, even with the liberal arts classes and the Graduate School of Fine Arts. Such classes planned and established by more than two different areas of study are called "Project". Projects currently in operation are Composite Arts Project (Opera Project and Art Management Project, implemented in cooperation with the School of Art) and Music Project (Chamber Music Project, Orchestra Project, and Wind Orchestra Project). There are considerable latent social needs for music. In other words, they are ample opportunities to make a contribution to communities through music. The master's degree program at the Graduate School of Music intends to develop individuals who can discover and at the same time, create social needs for music through their musicianship while refining their abilities as genuine professionals. The program provides the necessary support for this purpose. As it has established the Art Management course recently, its flexible education effectively cultivates the talents and interests of individual students.

Our graduate programs encourage you to expand your musical knowledge and skills through contact with our world-class faculty. A variety of concentrations are available at the master’s level to prepare you for a fulfilling music career.

The Graduate Music Engineering Technology degree (GMUE) was introduced in 1986. It has consistently placed graduates into high-tech engineering fields that emphasize audio technology, usually in audio software and hardware design engineering and product engineering or development.

Music technology uses modern mechanical applications to enhance the musical experience. This knowledge is used in many fields, including the entertainment industry, education, and therapy.

MA in Performance is a two-year full time study, for those with a developed artistic practice from any art field, wishing to expand their approach into and as performance. Research with guest artists and faculty in interdisciplinary composition, materiality and new dramaturgies enhance the development of students’ own methods and relations to theory, expanding contested perspectives on what performance is and can do. Students develop ethical reflection within practical master projects, contextualizing their methods and work in the expanded field internationally.

This program addresses the needs of the twenty-first century church by offering the appropriate classes and experiences that will prepare the individual for a vocational worship arts or music ministry.

Clinical music therapy actively applies supportive science to the creative, emotional, and energizing experiences of music for health treatment and educational goals. Maryville University’s Master of Music Therapy, the only degree program in music therapy in the St. Louis region, can launch you into this fast-growing field. Offered through the Walker College of Health Professions, the MMT degree program provides advanced clinical training supported by studies in psychotherapy, ethics, research, and advanced models of treatment needed for national board certification. As a music therapist, you’ll work in interdisciplinary treatment teams serving individuals with mental disorders, substance abuse, dementia, autism, developmental and physical disabilities, and other disorders. Maryville’s St. Louis location, a major medical center in the Midwest, provides many employment opportunities.