College of Music and Media

Within the College of Music and Media at Loyola University New Orleans, the School of Music & Theatre Professions is an academic community made up of artists, scholars, practitioners, and students who believe in the transformative power of the arts and who are dedicated to the education of the whole person in the Ignatian tradition. In pursuit of this goal, we have attracted faculty and staff who are national leaders in their fields, who offer our students a professional education in music within a broader academic environment deeply informed by the liberal arts tradition and recognized for its excellence, rigor, and innovation.

Overview

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Master of Music

The Master of Music (MM) is a 30 credit hour, graduate-level academic program designed for students who wish to perform at an advanced level. Vocal and Instrumental concentrations are available, including jazz. Students complete the following courses and requirements: 

  • Music Courses. Students complete the following course areas for 12 crs: 
    • MUGN M705 Introduction to Graduate Studies for 3 crs
    • MUHL M801-M815 Music History course for 3 crs
    • MUTH M720-809 Music Theory course for 3 crs
    • Music Elective for 3 crs, selected in consultation with an advisor
  • Music Applied Study Courses. Students complete the following course areas for 11 crs: 
    • MUEN M700 - M910 Ensemble for 2 crs
    • MUPR M721 - M748 Applied Study for 6 crs
    • MUPR M800 Graduate Recital for 3 crs
  • Electives. Students complete 7 crs of graduate level courses in music, in consultation with an advisor. Supportive courses in other areas may be approved.
     
  • Additional Requirements & Regulations

Candidacy for MM Degree

Students are admitted to candidacy in the College of Music and Media after the following degree program requirements have been met:

  • Completion of nine credit hours of non-remedial graduate coursework with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
  • Completion of remedial courses required as a result of the theory and history entrance examinations with a grade of B or higher.
  • Completion of Introduction to Graduate Studies (MUGN M705) with a grade of B or higher.

 
Comprehensive Exam for MM 

All students in MM programs must take a comprehensive exam during or after their final semester of coursework; the comprehensive exam must be passed within two years following the completion of other degree requirements, or additional coursework may be required before the exam can be taken. The exam, graded pass-fail, will cover topics such as performance, pedagogy, and repertoire.

For the purposes of administering comprehensive exams, a committee of faculty members is comprised with input from the student as follows:

  • The student's applied teacher or the area coordinator.
  • An ensemble director or another faculty member with whom the student has studied.
  • One member of the music history or music theory faculty.
  • The Graduate Coordinator or Director of the School of Music and Theatre Professions (ex officio).

The Graduate Coordinator or Director of the School of Music and Theatre Professions will contact the student for input regarding committee members and the examination schedule.

The comprehensive exam includes written and oral components, with the oral component usually scheduled at least a week after the successful completion of the written component. The three sections of the written exam may be taken over the course of a single ten-day period, with not more than four hours allotted to each section; written and oral examinations will be scheduled in consultation with the student and the faculty members of the student’s examination committee.

The specific format and content for each part of the exam will be determined in advance between the student and the individual members of the examination committee. Each student must pass the written exam in all three areas before proceeding to the oral examination. Each section of the written exam may be taken up to three times; if the student has not passed the written exam by the third attempt, additional coursework may be required to remediate deficiencies before the student is allowed to retake the test. The oral exam, which usually lasts from one and a half to two hours, may address any problems identified in the written examination and test the student’s ability to synthesize knowledge in different areas. The student must pass at least two sections of the oral examination, in addition to all three sections of the written examination, in order to graduate. Students who do not pass the oral examination may be asked to repeat the oral portion of the examination with input from the faculty committee members; if the student has not passed the oral examination at the second attempt, additional coursework may be required to remediate deficiencies before the student is allowed to retake the oral portion of the comprehensive examination. A student who fails the oral exam on this third attempt will not receive a Master of Music in Performance degree from Loyola University. The graduate recital serves as the final project for the Master of Music Performance degree.

GPA Requirements for MM

In addition to fulfilling all degree requirements and candidacy requirements (courses, exams, recital, etc.), each student must maintain an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to graduate.

No course with a grade below "C," including recital, may be used toward MM degree requirements. Any course with a grade of "C-" or below must be repeated, and a "C" or higher earned (a “B” or higher in Introduction to Graduate Studies and remedial courses), prior to graduation.

Placement for Music History & Music Theory courses

All MM students must take placement exams in music history and music theory before graduate study is begun, to ensure an adequate foundation in these disciplines. Depending on the results of these tests, students may be required to enroll in remedial or undergraduate courses in music history and/or music theory; these courses will not count toward the degree. Remedial courses must be passed with a grade of B or higher; students who do not meet this standard must repeat the course or retake and pass the diagnostic exam. The placement examinations should be taken prior to the first semester of enrollment. Students may not enroll in any graduate theory or history course until they have taken the exam and remedied any deficiencies in that subject.

Composition does not fulfill graduate-level music theory requirements. 

Introduction to Graduate Studies (MUGN M705) is normally taken during the first semester of enrollment. Students are not allowed to register for a graduate music theory or history course unless they are enrolled in or have already completed MUGN M705.

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Music Therapy Graduate Programs

The College of Music and Media offers two graduate-level programs in Music Therapy. For students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy, there is the 36 credit hour Master of Music Therapy (MMT). For students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in music (e.g., music, music education, etc.) and wish to become Board-Certified Music Therapists, a 60-hour graduate level Master of Music Therapy equivalency degree track provides comprehensive education and training. Students who do not hold an undergraduate degree in music are encouraged to apply for the Bachelor of Music Therapy degree.
 

Master of Music Therapy 

The Master of Music Therapy (MMT) is a 36 credit hour graduate-level academic program designed to provide students the opportunities for advanced clinical and research skills. This degree is designed for individuals who have an undergraduate degree in music therapy and hold the credential "Music Therapist-Board Certified" (MT-BC). This degree is offered online.

Students complete the following courses and requirements: 

  • Music Therapy Core Courses. Students complete the following courses for 19 crs: 
    • MUTY M702 Music Therapy Research (3 crs) 
    • MUTY M704 Music Therapy Supervision (3 crs)
    • MUTY M705 Advanced MUTY Psychotherapy Models (3 crs)
    • MUTY M706 Music Therapy and Medicine (3 crs)
    • MUTY M718 Music Therapy Theories (2 crs)
    • MUTY M720 Multicultural Considerations in Music Therapy (2 crs)
    • NURS G905 Ethics & Social Justice (3 crs)
       
  • Music Therapy Practicum. Students complete the following courses for 2 crs: 
    • MUTY M703 Advanced Music Therapy Practicum (1 cr), 2 courses for 2 crs total
       
  • Master’s Thesis or Culminating Project. Students complete one of the following sequences for 2 crs: 
    • MUGN M810 Thesis (1 cr), 2 courses for 2 crs total OR
    • MUGN M812 Scholarly Project (1 cr), 2 courses for 2 crs total
       
  • Electives. Students complete 13 crs of graduate level supportive courses, in consultation with an advisor. These may include courses in music therapy, music, business, counseling, or statistics.
     
  • Additional Requirements & Regulations

Candidacy for MMT Degree

Students are admitted to candidacy in the College of Music and Media after the following degree program requirements have been met:

  • Completion of nine credit hours of non-remedial graduate coursework with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

GPA & Progression Requirements for MMT

In addition to fulfilling all degree requirements and candidacy requirements (courses, exams, thesis, etc.), each student must maintain an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to graduate.

  • No course with a grade below a "B" may be used toward an MMT degree requirement. Any course with a grade of a "B-" or below must be repeated, and a "B" or higher earned prior to graduation. If the thesis or scholarly project receives a grade of B- or below, the student will be required to make revisions and defend the project again.

Thesis/Scholarly Project

Students in the Master of Music Therapy Program can choose between a master's thesis and a scholarly project (with the approval of their advisor). A thesis in this context involves working with clients, developing an experimental design, approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), and data analysis to answer research questions. A Scholarly project may involve the IRB, but is more of a review of existing literature to answer research questions.

The MUTY faculty will assist the student in identifying research interests, developing a research plan, and completing the project in a timely manner. Please note: students are required to register for MUGN M810 Thesis or MUGN M812 Scholarly Project each semester once work on the project has begun until it is completed. Explicit details of the thesis and scholarly project processes may be found in the Music Therapy Student Handbook.

Students completing either a thesis or a scholarly project are required to work with a committee. The thesis or scholarly project committee is composed of two to three people: 

  • The committee chair (who must be a member of the music therapy faculty)
  • Another member of the music therapy faculty
  • One other person with expertise related to the research topic. 

All members of the committee are subject to approval by the Music Therapy Coordinator.

The Music Therapy Coordinator must approve all thesis and scholarly project topics, as well as the final paper, but does not have to be a formal member of the committee. Students work with their advisor to determine which music therapy faculty member has the appropriate experience/expertise to serve as chair of their committee. Students will work with the chair to identify additional members, and after approval by the Coordinator will invite the remaining two members of the thesis committee. Students work with the chair of their committee to develop their proposal. The committee and Music Therapy Coordinator will approve the proposal and the final document. 

When the initial draft of the proposal is completed, it is sent to the committee for review and feedback. Once the proposal is accepted, the student may begin work on the project.

Thesis students, and any student whose scholarly project requires IRB approval, must submit an application for protocol review to Loyola's IRB before starting work on the project, unless IRB approval is not needed for the project. When the study is approved by the IRB, the student may begin collecting data and complete the research study. When the study is completed, the student submits a draft of the final thesis or scholarly project to their committee for approval. 

When all requested revisions of the written report have been completed, the student will work with the chair to schedule an oral defense. Students may

  • pass the defense
  • pass with revisions (which may or may not require a second oral defense), or
  • fail.

Failure of the defense may result in academic remediation requirements. Students have officially completed their thesis or scholarly project when they have:

  1. made all required revisions
  2. collected signatures from all committee members, and
  3. submitted a .pdf copy of their thesis to the library.

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Master of Music Therapy (MMT) Equivalency 

For students who have completed an undergraduate degree in music (e.g., music, music education, etc.) and wish to become Board-Certified Music Therapists, we offer a 60-hour degree track that provides comprehensive education and training. Students complete on-campus undergraduate music therapy classes, an internship, and online graduate coursework. Upon completion of internship, students are eligible to sit for the Board Certification exam and may begin clinical employment; however, they do not hold the Master of Music Therapy until graduate coursework is complete. Students who pass the Board-Certification exam are also eligible to apply for licenses in states that require licensure to practice music therapy.

Curricular requirements for the MMT equivalency program are identical to the MMT program listed above, with the following additions and modifications. Note that these on-campus courses must be completed, along with the internship, before the student may begin graduate MMT coursework and advance to candidacy.

  • Foundational Music Therapy Courses section: 
    • MUTY M500 Introduction to Music Therapy (2 crs) 
    • MUTY M502 MT in Education & Habilitation (3 crs)
    • MUTY M525 Music Therapy in Healthcare (3 crs)
    • MUTY M535 MUTY in Mental Health & Wellness (3 crs)
    • MUTY M602 Recreative & Compositional Methods (2 crs)
    • MUTY M620 Receptive Methods (2 crs) 
    • MUTY M630 Clinical Improvisation Methods (2 crs)
    • MUGN M700 Psychology of Music (3 crs)
       
  • Fieldwork & Internship section: 
    • MUTY M517 Orientation to Field Studies (1 cr) 
    • MUTY M518 Field Work Seminar II (1 cr) 
    • MUTY M519 Field Work Seminar III (1 cr) 
    • MUTY M520 Field Work Seminar IV (1 cr) 
    • MUTY M697 Music Therapy Internship (1 cr)
       
  • The number of graduate electives is reduced from 13 to 12 crs.
     
  • Students who have not taken the following courses should plan to do so in their first semester of study:
    • PSYC A100 Intro to Psychology
    • PSYC A230 Developmental Psychology
    • PSYC A235 Abnormal Psychology
       

MMT Equivalency Music Proficiency Requirements

All MMT students must demonstrate functional guitar, piano, and voice proficiency via barrier examinations during the first semester of enrollment. Students without prior experience may be given the option to take lessons, which may require an additional fee. The Music Therapy faculty, with input from the guitar, piano, and voice faculty, will be involved in the development, administration, and evaluation of the proficiency examinations ("Barriers"). Students who do not pass the functional guitar, piano, and voice proficiency examinations will be required to do remedial work as outlined in a remediation plan and may not proceed with field studies coursework until the exam is passed.

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Dual Degrees

The College of Music & Media participates in dual degree programs in collaboration with the Department of Counseling. Detailed information can be found in the Dual Degrees entry of the Graduate Bulletin.

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Accreditation

The College of Music and Media, founded in 1932, is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music. The music therapy program is approved by the American Music Therapy Association.

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Admission Requirements

The College of Music and Media requires an appropriate undergraduate music degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, as well as a performance audition for MM students, for matriculation in the college, in addition to meeting university requirements for admission. Those applicants whose undergraduate GPA is below 3.0, or whose undergraduate major was not in music, may be admitted conditionally. This especially applies to students who have considerable work experience in the field of music. Students given conditional admission must achieve a 3.0 GPA in their first nine hours of non-remedial graduate music coursework.

MM applicants are required to complete the College of Music and Media Audition Application prior to scheduling their audition on one of the published audition dates. Video auditions may be accepted in some programs. Contact the College of Music and Media for specific requirements. 

Prospective students can view the application materials and process for the programs on the School of Music and Theatre Professions webpage. 

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Residency Requirements

Residency in the College of Music and Media is defined as a minimum of one semester, or its equivalent in summer terms, as a full-time student. Ordinarily, two summer terms will be interpreted as meeting this minimum requirement. A student may enroll for a maximum of 12 credit hours during the regular terms and a maximum of 12 credit hours during the two terms (10 weeks) of a summer session. The equivalency Master of Music Therapy requires a minimum of two semesters of on-campus coursework and a 6-month internship. Graduate coursework begins at the completion of the internship. All graduate courses in music therapy are offered online. Additionally, selected non-music therapy electives are campus-based.

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Scholarships

Scholarships may be available for graduate students. These awards vary according to the student’s potential for continued musical and academic progress, and the performance needs of the college. Retention of a music scholarship depends on satisfactory musical and academic progress and the student’s fulfillment of performance requirements as stipulated in the scholarship contract.

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Transfer Credits

College of Music and Media graduate programs follow the Transfer of Academic Credit policy in the Academic Regulations section of the University Bulletin. 

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