Music, M.A.

I. Contact Information

Louis Niebur, Ph.D., Graduate Program Director
(775) 784-6145
lniebur@unr.edu

Department of Music
Church Fine Arts, Mail Stop 0226
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557-0049

II. Brief Introduction

The Master of Arts in Music at the University of Nevada, Reno includes courses on film music, American music, world music and jazz. The University’s music history courses are designed to examine music and composers in broad cultural and social contexts through highly interdisciplinary approaches, particularly at the graduate level.

The graduate seminar in Music History covers many topics, including:

• Representations of Gender and Sexuality in Opera
• Music Institutions
• Music and Postmodernism
• Aesthetics and Techniques of Program Music vs. Absolute Music
• Jazz Cultures

The Music Department regularly invites guest lecturers to provide students with an opportunity to become acquainted with current topics in musicological studies and to meet renowned musicologists in diverse areas of specialization.

III. Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

• Students pursuing the Master of Arts-Musicology and Master of Music-Music Education degrees are expected to write and conduct research at a professional level
• All Master’s students are expected to gain an in-depth understanding of music theory and music history.
• All Master of Music in Performance majors are expected to perform at a professional level

IV. Admission Requirements

To be admitted into the Department of Music graduate program you must meet the program requirements, but you must also meet the requirements of the Graduate School. The University Admissions Web site has information specifically for the graduate admissions process.

Applicants steps:

Contact the appropriate graduate faculty member or the Department of Music Chair to determine eligibility for a graduate degree in music.

• Apply to audition by obtaining the Audition/Application Procedures from your appropriate faculty member
• Complete the online Graduate School application and pay the application fee. You can apply to Graduate School at UNR online. The process is straightforward: create an account, login and you’re on your way.
• Have two official transcripts sent directly from your undergraduate institution to the Graduate School: University of Nevada, Reno, Graduate School, Mail Stop 0326, Reno, NV 89557-0326
• Have two letters of recommendation sent to the Department of Music: University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Music, Mail Stop 0226, Reno, NV 89557-0226
• Complete your Immunizations and send those records to: University of Nevada, Reno, Graduate School, Mail Stop 326, Reno, NV 89557-0326

V. Program Requirements

The master of arts degree requires six credits of thesis and one credit of comprehensive examination as follows:

VI. Total Units (32 units)