Master of Music Performance (M.M.P.)

Total Credit Hours: 36          Degree Format: Traditional

The College of the Arts and the Department of Music offer the Master of Music in Performance (M.M.P.) degree. The M.M.P. curriculum prepares musicians for careers in professional performing, conducting, and studio teaching.

The Masters of Music in Performance (M.M.P.) is a 36-semester-hour, non-thesis master's degree program intended to further the musical and academic skills of accomplished musicians. Students in the M.M.P. degree program will refine their performance skills to an advanced degree, deepen their knowledge of the academic and research aspects of music, and further develop their pedagogical skills.

Program Coordinator: Dr. Beibei Lin, email: zblin@valdosta.edu, phone: 229-333-5804

Department of Music Website

ADMISSION DEADLINES

• Fall Semester: July 15
• Spring Semester: November 15
• Summer Semester: April 15

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Online Graduate Application

• Application Fee 

Official transcript from your bachelor’s degree-granting school and from any graduate coursework.

• Transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at VSU will be obtained by the Graduate School
• Must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution.
• Bachelor of Music in Performance is preferred but other baccalaureate music degrees will be considered.
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 Scale.

Three Recommendations

• General Recommendation Form 
• Please enter the name and email of your recommenders as you complete the application. They should receive an email inviting them to complete the recommendation. If they do not receive the email (or find it in their spam folder), they may email their recommendation as an  attachment to gradschool@valdosta.edu. The General Recommendation Form can be used if the email from the online recommendation system does not arrive.
• Recommendations should be completed by professionals acquainted with your academic and/or vocational background.

VSU Medical Form

• The VSU Medical Form must be completed and signed by the student/applicant.
• This form must be received prior to enrollment, NOT prior to admission.
• Applicants who are currently enrolled, and those who attended VSU in the past, are not required to resubmit the Medical Form

IMPORTANT PROGRAM INFORMATION

• The Music Department requires an audition for admission into the MMP program. For details, please contact the Graduate Music Coordinator.
• Applicants who do not meet the admission requirements may be considered for Probationary status.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS 

International applicants must meet all admission criteria and documentation requirements as defined by the program, however, additional documentation are required.  Please review the information below for specific  guidelines.

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Exam or International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Applicants whose first language is not English (based on country of citizenship) must submit official scores of the TOEFL exam or IELTS exam. International applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution may be exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement. 

• Certificate of Finances- The Certificate of Finance is required of any applicant requiring a student visa to enter the United States to complete his or her studies.  Applicants who do not require an I-20 student visa to complete their studies are exempt from this requirement.
• Evaluation of International Transcripts - Applicants who have completed coursework at an institution outside of the United States must submit a transcript evaluation completed by an international education credentials evaluation service such as Josef Silny, ECE, etc.  The transcript evaluation does not replace the transcript requirement. Official transcripts are still required.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

• Call Us: 229-333-5694 
• Email Us: gradschool@valdosta.edu 
• Visit Us: Converse Hall (Main Campus), Third Floor, Suite 3100

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Students must complete an application for graduation one semester prior to their expected graduation date.

2. A 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for graduation. No grade below a “C” will be credited toward the degree

3. Before receiving the Master of Music in Performance degree, students must perform a graduate recital or recitals. The graduate recital represents a culmination of applied study, pedagogy, music history, research, and analysis. An assessment of satisfactory on the recital is required for successful completion of the degree program.  The faculty committee will hear the entire proposed recital from 7 to 14 days before the performance date in a formal recital hearing to approve or disapprove the public performance. If memorization is required for the recital, the hearing must also be memorized.

4. Collaborative piano requires two graduate recitals–one vocal and one instrumental.

5. In the area of conducting, the student recital is replaced by at least one of the following:  (1) an ensemble recital of 60 minutes approved by the principal professor, including the recruitment and organization of the ensemble, (2) performance assignments, (3) a conducting appearance with an appropriate University ensemble on a regularly scheduled concert

6. Students must pass a comprehensive examination consistng of written and oral portions  This examination, completed during or after the last term of coursework, determines achievement related to pedagogy, music history and analysis, literature, and research methodology. The procedure for the administration of the comprehensive examination is available from the Music Department.

RETENTION, DISMISSAL, & READMISSION POLICIES

1. Students holding a non-music bachelor's degree will complete diagnostic examinations during the first semester of study to aid in the planning of courses; any deficiencies identified in the diagnostic examinations must be remedied by recommendations of the Curriculum and Education Policies Committee; studio teachers may also recommend areas needing remedial work to the Graduate Music Committee for approval; undergraduate coursework will not receive graduate credit.
2. After admission, courses taken more than seven years prior to the semester of degree completion cannot be used to meet graduate degree requirements.
3. No more than 6 semester hours of academic work may be transferred from another institution into a College of Arts graduate program.  Transfer credit will be evaluated after admission, by the academic department. To be eligible, credit must be no more than seven years old at the time of admission unless otherwise approved by the program.
4. Earning grades below “B” in graduate courses will result in the following consequences: Students will be dismissed from the Graduate School if they accumulate three or more academic deficiency points  A grade of “C” (although it may be credited toward a degree) equals one deficiency point. A grade of “D,” “WF” or “F,” or “U” (none of which will be credited toward a degree) equals two deficiency points. Candidates admitted PRIOR to Fall 2011 and receiving two grades below “C” (“D”, “F”, “WF” ,“U”) will be dismissed from the program. One grade below a "C" results in a warning.
5. If dismissed from the program, a student must sit out two semesters before applying for readmission. Readmission is not guaranteed. The academic program reserves the right to place specific conditions and contingencies on any offer of readmission.
6. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all graduate courses. Failure to do so will result in probationary status.