School of Music

Tayloe Harding, Dean
Clifford Leaman, Associate Dean and Director of Graduate Studies

With approximately 350 undergraduate and 150 graduate students, the School of Music is a comprehensive professional school that offers the Certificate of Graduate Study in Music Performance; the Master of Music degree in performance, composition, conducting, jazz studies, music history, opera theatre, or piano pedagogy; the Master of Music Education degree; the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in performance, composition, conducting, or piano pedagogy; and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in music education. The Master of Arts in Teaching is offered in conjunction with the College of Education.

The Certificate of Graduate Study and all master’s programs are available to applicants who have developed skills or knowledge in the major area beyond that expected of a typical undergraduate student. Both doctoral degrees are appropriate for those who desire to teach at the college level. The D.M.A. is a practice-oriented degree available to applicants who evidence not only exceptional abilities in the major area but well-developed musical intelligence and ongoing scholarly interest as well. The Ph.D. in music education is a research-oriented program, and applicants are expected to demonstrate a record of successful teaching experience in elementary or secondary schools, to offer evidence of academic excellence and ongoing scholarly inquiry, and to demonstrate the ability to conduct independent research. All master’s and doctoral programs require a comprehensive, functional knowledge of music history, music literature, and music theory. Specific requirements for graduate music programs, as well as the policies and procedures that govern those programs, can be found in the document Graduate Studies in Music, which is available online. To contact the music graduate office, please e-mail gradmusic@mozart.sc.edu or call 803-777-4106. The School of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.