Master of Music in Theory-Composition

stock image of sheet music

Academics

Concentrations:

  • Theory
  • Composition
  • Theory-composition (dual emphasis)

SFA's theory-composition masters program will provide you with all the advanced analytical and creative opportunities crucial to your future success as a composer or music theorist.

Requiring a thesis, this 36-credit course of study prepares will prepare you for further academic work and careers as higher education teachers or freelance composers. Our talented and active faculty welcome a diversity of styles and interests within the program and recent thesis projects have covered such diverse topics as:

  • Marvin Gaye and the civil rights movement
  • Broadway musicals
  • horror films
  • Swedish metal music
  • speech melody
  • video-game music
  • steel-pan orchestras of Trinidad-Tobego
  • and the sampling techniques of J Dilla.

If you have a passion for research and creativity, SFA is a great place to take it to the next level.

Go to grad school online

We know that not everyone has the time or resources to attend classes in-person regularly. That's why SFA offers many of our required courses online. In fact, the Master of Music in theory-composition can be earned entirely online — perfect for people who already have a job but want to keep growing in their art.

This concentration may be completed either in person or entirely online. Students attending in person benefit from extensive interaction with faculty and facilities while also completing some coursework through Brightspace/D2L. In certain cases, students may choose between online or face-to-face sections for degree requirements. The same curriculum may be completed entirely online without any on-campus attendance. Online students participate in regular interaction with faculty and peers through video conferencing, discussion boards, and other instructional technologies. For individual course offerings, the institution communicates the mode of delivery through its published Course Offering Schedule. This schedule is updated regularly.