Graduate Programs: Master of Music

Conducting Department
Major Study: Master of Music in Conducting

General. The Conducting major is a two-year curriculum with rigorous demands. Only candidates possessing a strong background and broad combination of skills should audition. Students who wish to apply for the instrumental or choral conducting program must identify themselves to the conducting department faculty during the freshman year. Students are required to audition for admission to the degree program at the end of the junior year. The audition will include conducting a self-recruited and a self-prepared ensemble, an interview with the conducting committee, and a diagnostic examination which will consist of sight singing, aural skills, score reading and score playing at the keyboard, knowledge of historical style periods, and theoretical analysis.

Prerequisites. Students applying for the instrumental or choral conducting program must have satisfied the following prerequisites for admission:

MUTH 301 (Aural Skills V)
Proficiency in piano
Fifteen hours of Music Theory
Twelve hours of Music History
APST 350, 351, or 360, 361 (Advanced Instrumental or Choral Conducting)

At the time students are auditioned for the conducting major, they must be a) currently enrolled in good academic standing as an Oberlin student, b) maintaining a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, and c) successfully completing three years of any of the following undergraduate degree programs at the Oberlin Conservatory: performance, music education, composition, electronic and computer music, or music history. It is understood that students will probably have to extend the bachelor's degree program so that both degrees will be completed at the end of five years.

Non-Course Requirement. Graduate Listening Exam. For more information see "Graduate Listening Exam" under Graduate Programs in this catalog.

Comprehensive Examination. A comprehensive final examination, both written and oral, is required in the final month of study. The examination will be administered by a committee convened by the student with the consent of his or her advisor.

Instrumental Conducting Program

Steven Smith, Associate Professor of Conducting; Music Director of the Oberlin Orchestras

Course Requirements		Recommended Course Distribution
Hrs.		Fresh		Soph		Junior		Senior		5th Year
4	APST 350, 351 or 360, 361 (Advanced Instrumental or Choral Cond)	-	-	-	-	2	2	-	-	-	-
2	APST 214 (Keyboard Skills I)	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-
2	APST 240 (Continuo Realization)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-
15	Music Theory electives	3	3	3	3	3	-	-	-	-	-
3	MUTH 370 (Music of Twentieth Century)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-
13	Music History electives	4	3	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Language electives1	-	-	-	-	5	5	-	-	-	-
75	Undergraduate major and electives	8	10	9	10	5	9	4	5	6	9
124	Undergraduate Credits	15	16	15	16	15	16	6	7	9	9
8G	APST 450, 451 (Orch Cond Sem)	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	4	-	-
8G	APST 550, 551 (Orch Cond Sem)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	4
4G	COMP 300, 331 (Orchestration)	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	2	-	-
6G	MLIT 300, 301 (Surv Orch/ Choral Lit)	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	3	-	-
5G	Graduate electives2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	3
31G	Graduate Credits	-	-	-	-	-	-	9	9	6	7
155	Credits required for graduation	15	16	15	16	15	16	15	16	15	16

(G = Graduate credit)

¹ One year of French, German, or Italian is required. It is recommended that a second year of one language be taken.

² To be selected from advanced Music Theory or Music History courses, or graduate-level Private Applied or Private Composition Study.

Choral Conducting Program

Hugh Floyd, Associate Professor of Choral Conducting

Course Requirements Recommended Course Distribution

Course Requirements		Recommended Course Distribution
Hrs.		Fresh		Soph		Junior		Senior		5th Year
4	APST 360, 361 (Advanced or Choral Cond)	-	-	-	-	2	2	-	-	-	-
2	APST 214 (Keyboard Skills I)	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-	-
2	APST 240 (Continuo Realization)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	-	-
15	Music Theory electives	3	3	3	3	3	-	-	-	-	-
3	MUTH 370 (Music of Twentieth Century)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-
13	Music History electives	4	3	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Language electives1	-	-	-	-	5	5	-	-	-	-
75	Undergraduate major and electives	8	10	9	10	6	8	4	5	6	9
124	Undergraduate Credits	15	16	15	16	15	16	6	7	9	9
8G	APST 460, 461 (Choral Cond Sem)	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	4	-	-
8G	APST 560, 561 (Choral Cond Sem)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	4
4G	COMP 300, 331 (Orchestration)	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	2	-	-
6G	MLIT 300, 301 (Surv Orch/ Choral Lit)	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	3	-	-
5G	Graduate electives2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	3
31G	Graduate Credits	-	-	-	-	-	-	9	9	6	7
155	Credits required for graduation	15	16	15	16	16	15	15	16	16	15

 
(G = Graduate credit)

¹ One year of French, German, or Italian is required. It is recommended that a second year of one language be taken.

² To be selected from upper-division Music Theory or Music History courses, or graduate-level Private Applied or Private Composition Study.