MUSIC GRADUATE PROGRAM -- Music Composition (Master of Music)
The Music Department at Cal State Northridge offers a full range of opportunities to study the art of music composition at the graduate level. The Master of Music degree in composition is designed for students interested in pursuing advanced studies in contemporary music styles and techniques. Scholarships are available every year for incoming and continuing students at the graduate level.
Over the past decades, the music compositon program at CSUN has achieved a solid reputation locally and at the national level. Our faculty composers have been featured in the most important music festivals of the world and our alumni have developed successful careers in academia or the music industry. Every semester, the composition students at CSUN have multiple opportunities to perform and record their music on our campus, collaborate with professional ensembles and guest artists, or pursue internships with the top movie studios in Hollywood.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF MUSIC IN COMPOSITION PROGRAM
Advanced studies in contemporary music styles and modern techniques of composition
- Portfolio of 3-4 works written in contemporary styles, for various combinations of instruments/voices. Professional recordings, reading sessions, piano reductions, or MIDI versions of the scores submitted are strongly recommended.
- Transcripts from all previously attended academic institutions.
- One-page statement discussing previous musical background as well as current interests and goals as a composer.
- Brief biography and list of performances, as well as contact information concerning recommenders.
- In certain cases, a phone or on-campus interview with at least one composition faculty may be scheduled after a complete portfolio has been submitted.