Master of Music in Composition with Thesis (revised March 2015)
The Master of Music in Composition degree (thesis based) requires a minimum of 21
credit units of graduate courses, of which at least 18 must be earned at the University of
Saskatchewan.
(A) Admission Requirements
1. A Bachelor of Music (Honours), or equivalent, with a cumulative average of 80% in
the final 60 credit units.
2. Three letters of recommendation.
3. A current résumé.
4. A statement of intent in which the applicant describes his/her prior academic
background, readiness to undertake the Master of Music Degree in Composition, and
the purpose/rationale for wanting to enroll in the program.
5. TOEFL Examination (or equivalent) results for applicants from non English-speaking
countries.
6. All entering graduate students in the MMus program are required to sit assessment
examinations in Musicology and Music Theory. The examinations are given in the
week prior to the start of classes. Deficiencies must be addressed before taking
“Course Requirements” (Section C below).
(B) Application Requirements
1. Submission of three compositions (score and CD recording for each – one recording
may, however, be in MIDI format).
2. Submission of one upper-level undergraduate paper (from the final two years of
undergraduate study). The paper must illustrate the applicant’s methodology and
research skills in music theory, music analysis, or music history.
3. Submission of online application forms for the Department of Music
All application materials are due by February 15 of the year in which the applicant
plans to commence graduate studies (early application is encouraged). This includes
the online application and all other application materials, which are to be submitted
to the following addressee:
Graduate Admissions
Department of Music
University of Saskatchewan
9 Campus Drive, Arts 515
Saskatoon, SK
CANADA, S7N 5A5
OR
nadine.penner@usask.ca
(C) Course Requirements (24 cu)
Please refer to the program catalogue for details regarding course requirements
• http://www.usask.ca/programs/colleges-schools/grad-studies/programs/music.php
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(D) Professional Activities
The student is responsible for submitting at least two substantial compositions beyond the
thesis work. These works should be presented in conjunction with Departmental
composition concert activities before the end of the third term of graduate studies. The
student is required to attend the Fine Arts Research Lecture Series in Music, providing a
forum for the exchange of scholarly ideas through the presentation of scholarly research
in formal papers and lecture recitals prepared by both members of the Department of
Music and guests from the national and international scholarly community. Master of
Music in Composition students should also secure at least one significant concert or
conference engagement outside the University of Saskatchewan over the course of their
degree program.
(E) Language Requirement
The student must demonstrate ability to read professional literature in German or French.
The student can fulfill the language requirement in one of two ways:
1. Prior successful completion of an undergraduate language course (German or
French)
2. Register in and successfully complete a German or French course (e.g. GERM
114.3) at the University of Saskatchewan.
The language requirement must be satisfied by the end of the student’s third semester of
coursework.
(F) Keyboard Requirement
The student must demonstrate adequate keyboard skills through transcripts or audition.
Deficiencies must be satisfied by registering in and successfully completing MUS 160.0
or the equivalent.
(G) Master Thesis in Composition
The Thesis in Composition consists of two parts:
A. A composition: a substantial piece of original music (about 20 minutes in length
or longer), developed in consultation with the thesis advisor (who must be a
tenured or tenure-track member of the Composition faculty). The work should
preferably be performable at the University of Saskatchewan. The score must be
of publishable quality.
B. An essay paper of 20-30 pages in length on a 20th- or 21st-century music topic
(other historical areas may be considered as long as they are relevant to 20thcentury or contemporary music). The paper should emphasize the relevance of the
discussed theoretical/analytical materials to composing and do so in a futureoriented fashion. Topic choices must, in any case, be finalized in consultation
with the thesis advisor. The composition and the essay do not need to be directly
related to one another.
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Procedure for thesis proposal:
1. All students enrolled in the Master of Music in Composition degree prepare a thesis
within the guidelines provided above and within those defined by the College of
Graduate Studies and Research.
2. All students enrolled in the Master of Music in Composition degree must submit a
formal proposal, which will include a review of previous research in the topic, a
justification for further work, an outline, and a selected bibliography. The scope of
the proposal is equal to that of graduate-level term papers. The proposal must provide
the current state of knowledge in the form of a review of previous research on the
chosen topic, a justification of the research to be undertaken, as well as a detailed
outline of the scope of the proposed study and the methodology underscoring the
research to be conducted. Master of Music in Composition students are also asked to
provide a timeline stipulating the completion of all components of the thesis.
3. The written proposal, to be prepared in consultation with the principal advisor, will be
presented formally at a meeting of the candidate’s committee, comprised of the
principal advisor, a second reader (a full-time tenured or tenure-track Composition,
Music Theory, or Musicology faculty), an external examiner (to be appointed by the
College of Graduate Studies and Research), and the head of the Department of Music
(ex officio).
4. The student will defend the completed thesis (both the composition and the paper) in
a verbal defence before the candidate’s thesis committee members. This defence will
constitute a comprehensive oral examination and will not be limited to the topic of
the thesis composition or paper.
(H) Residency requirement
The minimum requirement is one year (two years recommended).
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