Frequently Asked Questions

Application materials are due by December 1st for admission to the program starting the following fall semester. Within the month of December, candidates will be informed as to whether they are invited to interview as finalists in early February. We can often communicate admissions and funding decisions by the end of February, but it occasionally takes us longer, up to early April. Please contact Dr. Gordon Sly, area chairperson of music theory (sly@msu.edu), for further details.

Students who are invited to interview can choose between two formats that are of equal value to us: (1) an in-person interview day on our campus in East Lansing, Michigan, or (2) remote interviews conducted via Zoom. We understand that traveling to us can pose barriers to applicants, and we do not want those barriers to stand in the way of being considered for admission to our graduate program. Therefore, we would like you to choose whichever format works best for you.

For the interview, we invite you to tell us more about you and your background, your research interests, and your professional goals. The interviews help us to assess your skills and potential in analysis, musicianship, research, teaching, and communication. During the interview day, we also provide opportunities to learn more about our program and to meet our faculty and current graduate students. Applicants who interview remotely are still provided with opportunities to interact informally with members of our community.

Students earning the Master’s degree in Music Theory are required to participate in one of the MSU large ensembles (e.g., band, choir, orchestra) for two semesters. In addition, some of our students take gigs around the Lansing area, including local church jobs. Students can also choose to collaborate with their colleagues in the composition program.

The 31 required credits of the Master’s degree in Music Theory can be completed in four semesters of full-time enrollment (fall and spring of two school years). Students who earn just this one degree are typically on campus for two years, while students who earn two or more degrees simultaneously, such as a DMA or MM in performance or composition simultaneously with an MM in music theory, take longer. For example, it is usually possible to earn two Master’s degrees in three school years.

The Master’s degree in Music Theory prepares students very well for doctoral study in music theory, and many of our graduates go on to PhD programs elsewhere with great success in the application process and beyond. However, our Master’s degree also prepares dual-degree students whose primary expertise is elsewhere—such as those earning the MM Theory alongside a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in music performance or composition—for collegiate jobs that include music theory teaching. Our graduates are very successful along both paths. Visit our alumni placement page for more information.

The city of East Lansing offers numerous events throughout the year including concerts at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts and exhibits at the Broad Art Museum. Downtown East Lansing is home to numerous restaurants, coffee shops, entertainment, and shops. The public transportation system also makes it very easy to get around the Greater Lansing area.