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
- Academic Programs
- Accreditation
- Admission Requirements
- Residency Requirements
- Scholarships
- Transfer Credits
- Course descriptions can be viewed in the Course Catalog
Back to Top
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 - M915 Ensemble for 2 crs
- MUPR M721 - M750 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 in 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.
Back to Overview
Music Therapy Graduate Programs
The College of Music and Media offers two graduate-level programs in Music Therapy:
- Master of Music Therapy Equivalency (MMT EQ) (55 credits) for students with a bachelor's degree in music who wish to become board-certified music therapists
- Master of Music Therapy (MMT) (30 credits) for students who already hold a bachelor's degree in music therapy and are board-certified (MT-BC)
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 (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 55-hour degree track that provides comprehensive education and training. Students complete on-campus foundational music therapy courses, a 1200-hour internship, and online graduate coursework. This is a hybrid program: equivalency courses are taken on campus, while graduate courses taken after the internship are fully online. (Students who are able to take classes on campus may use such courses to complete graduate elective requirements.) 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.
Note that on-campus foundational and fieldwork courses must be completed, along with the internship, before the student may begin graduate MMT coursework and advance to candidacy.
Additional regulations regarding candidacy, GPA and progression requirements, and requirements for the Scholarly Project appear below, following the requirements for the MMT degree.
Program Sequence (MMT Equivalency):
- On-campus foundational & fieldwork coursework (minimum 2 semesters)
- 1200-hour internship
- Eligibility for board certification exam
- Online graduate coursework (MMT core + elective)
- Overview of curriculum requirements - 55 credit hours (crs) required for completion:
- Foundational Music Therapy Courses: 20 crs On-Campus
- Fieldwork & Internship courses: 5 crs On-campus
- Master's Music Therapy Courses: 15 crs Online
- Requires completed internship and board certification exam (MT-BC)
- Electives: 15 crs Online and/or On-Campus
- Foundational Music Therapy Courses (20 crs) On-Campus:
- MUTY M500 Introduction to Music Therapy (2 crs)
- MUTY M502 MUTY in Education & Habilitation
- MUTY M525 Music Therapy in Healthcare
- MUTY M535 MUTY in Mental Health & Wellness
- 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
- Fieldwork & Internship (5 crs) On-Campus Except for Internship:
- 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)
- Master's Music Therapy Core Courses (15 crs) Online:
- Students may not begin graduate MMT coursework until they obtain MT-BC certification (unless otherwise approved by the Coordinator).
- Students must complete 15 crs graduate-level music therapy coursework in consultation with their advisor. Please note that not all courses are offered every semester or each year.
- Required:
- MUTY M702 Music Therapy Research
- MUTY M703 Professional MT Mentorship (1 cr)
- MUTY M704 Music Therapy Supervision
- MUTY M706 Music Therapy and Medicine
- MUTY M722 Music Therapy in Trauma Work
- MUTY M812 Scholarly Project (2 crs)
- Offered as a 0-3 crs course
- Offered as a 0-3 crs course
- Electives (15 crs) Online and/or On-Campus:
- Students complete 15 crs of graduate-level supportive courses, in consultation with an advisor. These may include, but are not limited to, graduate courses in music therapy, music, business, counseling, or statistics. Students who are able to take classes on campus may use such courses to complete graduate elective requirements, but it is possible to complete the electives fully online.
- Additional Music Therapy Courses that may be used as electives:
- MUTY M705 Advanced MUTY Psychotherapy Models
- MUTY M718 Music Therapy Theories (2 crs)
- MUTY M822 Research Apprenticeship (1-3 crs)
Prerequisite courses in music history or psychology may be required. The coordinator will decide, in consultation with the student, which courses are required during their first semester.
Curricula listed for the Master of Music Therapy and Master of Music Therapy Equivalency programs are pending AMTA approval.
- Additional Requirements & Regulations
MMT Equivalency Music Proficiency Requirements
All MMT EQ students must demonstrate functional guitar, piano, and voice proficiency via benchmark 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 ("Benchmarks"). 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.
Back to Overview
Master of Music Therapy
The Master of Music Therapy (MMT) is a 30 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 fully online, though students who are able to take classes on campus may use such to complete elective requirements.
Students complete the following courses and requirements:
- Overview of Requirements - 30 credit hours (crs)
- Master of Music Therapy Core Courses: 15 crs
- Electives: 15 crs
- Master of Music Therapy Core Courses (15 crs) Online:
- Student must complete 15 crs of graduate-level music therapy coursework in consultation with their advisor. Please note that not all courses are offered every semester or each year.
- Required 15 crs:
- MUTY M702 Music Therapy Research
- MUTY M703 Professional MT Mentorship (1 crs)
- MUTY M704 Music Therapy Supervision
- MUTY M706 Music Therapy and Medicine
- MUTY M722 Music Therapy in Trauma Work
- MUTY M812 Scholarly Project (2 crs)
- Offered as 0-3 crs courses
- Offered as 0-3 crs courses
- Electives (15 crs) Online and/or On-Campus:
- Students complete 15 crs of graduate-level supportive courses, in consultation with an advisor. These may include, but are not limited to, graduate courses in music therapy, music, business, counseling, or statistics. Students who are able to take classes on campus may use such courses to complete graduate elective requirements, but it is possible to complete this degree fully online.
- Additional Music Therapy Courses that may be used as electives:
- MUTY M705 Advanced MUTY Psychotherapy Models
- MUTY M718 Music Therapy Theories (2 crs)
- MUTY M822 Research Apprenticeship (1-3 crs)
Curriculum listed above for the Master of Music Therapy and Master of Music Therapy Equivalency programs are pending AMTA approval.
- Additional Requirements & Regulations
Back to Overview
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, scholarly project, 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 scholarly project receives a grade of B- or below, the student will be required to make revisions and defend the project again.
Scholarly Project
Students in the Master of Music Therapy Program are required to complete a scholarly project (with the approval of their advisor).
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 MUTY M812 Scholarly Project each semester once work on the project has begun until it is completed. Explicit details of the scholarly project processes may be found in the Music Therapy Student Handbook.
Students completing a scholarly project are required to work with a committee. The scholarly project committee is composed of two to three people:
- The committee chair (who must be a full-time member of the music therapy faculty)
- Another member of the music therapy faculty and/or 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 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 one to two members of the scholarly project 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.
Students working on a scholarly project that requires IRB approval must submit an application for protocol review to Loyola's IRB before starting data collection. 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 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 scholarly project when they have:
- made all required revisions
- collected signatures from all committee members, and
- submitted an electronic copy of their scholarly project to the library.
Back to Overview
Dual Degrees
The College of Music & Media participates in a dual degree program in collaboration with the Department of Counseling. Detailed information can be found in the Dual Degrees entry of the Graduate Bulletin.
Back to Overview
Accreditation
Loyola University New Orleans 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.
Curricula listed above for the Master of Music Therapy and Master of Music Therapy Equivalency programs are pending AMTA approval.
Back to Overview
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, MMT, and MMT EQ 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, MMT, and MMT EQ 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. In-person, Zoom, and video auditions options are available for the MMT and MMT EQ programs. Video or Zoom auditions may be accepted in MM 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.
Back to Overview
Residency Requirements
Residency in the College of Music and Media is defined as a minimum of one semester, or its equivalent in summer sessions, 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 total during all sessions offered in the summer. The Master of Music Therapy Equivalency (MMT EQ) requires a minimum of two semesters of on-campus coursework and a 1200- hour internship. MMT EQ students may not begin MMT coursework until the internship is completed. MMT coursework (graduate coursework following the internship for equivalency students) is fully online, though students may choose to take on-campus electives if they wish.
Back to Overview
Scholarships
Scholarships may be available for graduate students in MM programs. 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.
There are currently no music therapy scholarships for students. Students may contact the Office of Financial Aid to request information about scholarship and loan options.
Back to Overview
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.
Back to Overview