Petrie School of Music

Converse University was founded in 1889 as a liberal arts institution for women, and from the very beginning the music program was one of the University’s greatest strengths. The School of Music was founded as a separate entity within the University in 1910 and renamed the Carroll McDaniel Petrie School of Music in 1999. Throughout its history the School has played a prominent role on campus, in the region, and in the country, and for over a century the School’s Twichell Auditorium in the Zimmerli Performance Center has hosted internationally renowned musicians, musical organizations, and festivals.

The graduate music program was initiated in 1944, and today enrollment in all graduate programs at Converse University is coeducational.

Accreditation

The Petrie School of Music is a charter member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and has been continuously granted accreditation since 1927. All degree programs are approved by NASM. Music education degree programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation (CAEP) and approved by the South Carolina Department of Education.

Mission

The mission of the Petrie School of Music Graduate Program is to provide post-baccalaureate study leading to the Master of Music Degree in the areas of Performance and Music Education or the Graduate Performance Diploma.

Admission Procedures

Enrollment in all graduate programs at Converse University is coeducational. The Application for Admission may be obtained from the Petrie School of Music Office, Converse University, 580 E. Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302, (864) 596-9021 or online at http://www.converse.edu/admissions/graduate/masters-of-music-mm.
For consideration of admission to the Music Graduate programs, the application should have the following credentials:

Graduation from an accredited institution
For full, non-provisional admission, into an MM program, the applicant must have an overall cumulative 2.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale
The Graduate Admission application, including the $40 application fee. You must also complete a graduate music audition application
Three letters of recommendation
Master of Music Education applicants must submit scores from either the PKE or the Music Area Test of the ETS Praxis II series.
Applicants for the Music Education with Initial Certification, a competitive score on the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) will be required for admission to the MM with Initial Certification.

International Students

Converse University requires that you have your international educational credentials evaluated by one of several agencies. Students must submit a course-by-course report of the undergraduate degree. Students may choose from these organizations to have their degrees evaluated:

World Education Services (WES)
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
Joseph Silny & Associates

TOEFL Scores

All international students whose native language is not English must submit an official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score for admission consideration. Australian, British and Canadian students do not need to submit the TOEFL. For applicants to Master of Music Programs a score of 550 or better is expected on the paper version of the test, 213 on the electronic test, or 79 on the Internet version of the test. Applicants to the Graduate Performance Diploma Program must show a score of at least 473 on the paper version of the test, 183 on the electronic test, or 68 on the Internet test.

Audition/Interview

In addition to the application materials, each student must be auditioned and interviewed by the appropriate music faculty before she/he will be admitted to graduate study in the Petrie School of Music. The faculty is usually able to schedule auditions and interviews at times that are convenient for the applicant. It is the responsibility of the applicant to arrange for the audition/interview. Applicants should contact the Petrie School of Music office to make these arrangements.

A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 is required for unconditional acceptance into a master’s degree program in the Petrie School of Music.

Area Admissions Requirements

Master of Music in Music Education: An audition in the area of performance (ten minutes minimum).

Master of Music or Graduate Performance Diploma in Instrumental Performance: The audition should be a minimum of twenty minutes in length and demonstrate at least two style periods. Memory is required in piano, strings and voice (except oratorio).

Master of Music or Graduate Performance in Vocal Performance: The audition should be a minimum of twenty minutes and include:

an art song in French, German, Italian and English
an operatic aria
an oratorio aria

Memory is required (except for oratorio). While live auditions are preferred, a Video recording of a recent performance may be substituted for an on-campus audition. In such cases, the Performance Study level will be determined by an audition during registration for the student’s first term at Converse University.

Master of Music (M.M.) Diagnostic Examinations

Prior to registering for graduate-level coursework (usually immediately before the beginning of the fall or spring term), entering Regular Graduate Students in M.M. programs should expect to receive diagnostic exams in the following areas:

Music History: All M.M.Regular Graduate Students will be given a diagnostic exam in music history to determine whether MUH 601 Graduate Music History Survey has to be taken as a required music history course.
Music Theory: All M. M.Regular Graduate Students will be examined in music theory. This examination will determine whether MUT 601, Graduate Survey of Music History has to be taken as a required Music Theory course. Review of undergraduate transcripts will determine which prerequisite courses should be taken to remedy deficiencies.
Diction: All Master of Music& Graduate Performance Diploma entering graduate Vocal Performance majors must pass an examination in Italian, French, German, and English lyric diction. If they do not pass, they must enroll in diction and receive a passing grade in the course, or audit the portion(s) of the diction course(s) in which they are deficient and pass an appropriate exam.
Keyboard: Non-keyboard majors who have not satisfied a keyboard requirement equivalent to that for a Converse Bachelor of Music alumna in their undergraduate programs will be required to fulfill the undergraduate piano requirement at Converse.

During initial advisement sessions, students are informed of the resulting placements and deficiencies, which may be implemented on an advisory or a mandatory basis, depending on the student’s performance. Deficiency courses are specified by area examiners after study of the undergraduate transcript and the results of the placement examinations. An undergraduate degree whose curriculum agrees with NASM guidelines is generally taken as an acceptable standard for this evaluation. Undergraduate-level courses may be taken by the graduate student to remedy deficiencies. While their satisfactory completion is required for graduation, the course hours involved neither apply toward the degree program, nor are they considered in arriving at the student’s graduate grade point average. In most cases, the passing of the undergraduate course will remove the deficiency. In other cases, undergraduate participation may be used as a review prior to second administration of the placement examination.

Master of Music: Language Requirements

Remedial work in foreign languages may be required if students’ undergraduate transcripts show a deficiency.

Requirements

Vocal Performance:
Four semesters of languages in any combination of Italian, French and German are required: (e.g.. one year Italian; one term French; two terms German). Remedial work in foreign languages will be required if undergraduate transcripts show a deficiency. The student may elect to take the courses or take and pass an exemption test in the foreign language department.

Instrumental Performance: One year minimum at the college level of a language other than English, or the equivalent.

Music Education: There is no undergraduate language requirement for admission to the Master of Music degree in Music Education.

Master of Music: Literature Requirements

Prior to graduation, every Performance major must have had appropriate literature courses in the major area. For pianists, this means Piano Literature; for singers, this means both Song Literature and Opera Literature; for orchestral instrumentalists, this means both Orchestral Instrument Literature and Chamber Music Literature. Curricular deficiencies in Literature classes are offered on a 2-year rotation; graduate students must take their required literature course at the time they are offered. these areas may be removed with either undergraduate or graduate credit.

Types of Master of Music Student Status

REGULAR M.M STUDENTS: Students seeking degree candidacy; these students are enrolled for graduate credit.

SPECIAL MASTER OF MUSIC STUDENTS: Students wishing to enroll for graduate credit but not seeking degree candidacy may file an application for Special Graduate Student status by submitting college transcripts and the appropriate application. Applicants accepted to Special Graduate status may register for graduate credit in any course work offered by the Petrie School of Music subject to the following conditions:

Permission of the area faculty is required. This may take the form of a transcript examination or administering of the placement test normally given entering regular graduate students.
Special Graduate students may not register for those offerings leading directly to terminal projects in graduate degrees, such as Thesis, Recital, Graduate Ensemble, and major credit performance studies offerings.
While there is no limit on the number of graduate credit hours a student may earn as a Special Graduate Student, a maximum of fifteen semester hours of graduate credit earned as a Special Graduate Student may be carried over to Regular Graduate status for use in the degree program. A list of the courses to be carried over must accompany the Application for Admission for Regular Graduate status.

PROVISIONAL MASTER OF MUSIC STATUS: A student may be accepted provisionally to the Master of Music Programs if the audition panel and/or the Graduate Committee is not convinced of the applicant’s likely success in meeting the standards of the performance major at the graduate level.

Provisional status based on audition:
1. If the student has Provisional status because of the level of performance demonstrated, he or she will be required to perform a qualifying examination in the performance area at the end of the first year of study. The examination will be performed for the area faculty, and will normally occur during regularly-scheduled juries.
2. The examination repertoire should meet the graduate audition requirements of the area in length, variety of styles, and memory. The material should be prepared under the direction of a Converse teacher, and should not include works studied by the applicant before admission to Converse.
3. If the examination is passed, the student may proceed in the chosen performance degree. Elective hours in performance taken as a provisional student will not count towards the required graduate credits for a performance degree.
Provisional status based on grades:
1. Students admitted provisionally as a result of poor academic performance at the undergraduate level must attain a GPA of at least 3.0 over the course of nine hours of Converse Graduate study, with other stipulations to be set on a case-by-case basis by the Graduate Committee.

Transfer Credit

In general, Converse does not accept transfer credits in any Performance Studies area at the Graduate level. Master of Music Education Students, a similar prohibition applies to transfer credits in the major field of concentration.
Transfer credits in other areas of the program of study must be approved by the Head of the Petrie School of Music and are limited to six semester hours. They will be placed on the student’s Converse transcript only after admission to Regular Graduate status.
Credits will not be accepted for transfer to the Converse graduate program if the credits are more than five years old at the time of their consideration.

Second Master's Degree

The Petrie School of Music awards the Master of Music degree; the major is not specified on the diploma. Therefore, while graduate students are encouraged to study as widely as they may desire, a “double degree” or a second master’s diploma cannot be awarded. Instead, the Head of the School of Music may supply a letter certifying the completion of the courses in the additional major for distribution with the graduate’s transcripts.

Assistantships/Financial Aid

The Petrie School of Music offers a number of graduate assistantships to Master of Music Students each year on the basis of available funds and school needs. Assistantships may include a waiver of University tuition, waiver of applied fee, a stipend, or a combination of the above. Each assistantship carries specific duties and responsibilities.

Assistantship applications for the upcoming fall term will be reviewed beginning March 15. The awarding process will continue until all assistantships have been awarded. All application materials must be submitted and auditions completed to qualify for consideration. Contact the Music Office for additional information.

Students receiving an assistantship must turn in a monthly timesheet, signed by the appropriate supervisor, to the Head of the Petrie School of Music. Failure to turn in the timesheet will result in withholding of the student’s check.

The Finance and Registration Center is available to assist students with loans and questions regarding funding of their education.

Residency

While specific minimum loads and/or periods of residency are not stipulated, neither the Master of Music degree or Graduate Performance Diploma may be earned through summer study alone.

Faculty Adviser

Upon enrolling at Converse University, each degree-seeking graduate student in the Petrie School of Music is assigned an adviser. The role of the adviser is to help the student plan an academic program, and to help answer questions along the way, but it is ultimately the student’s own responsibility to make sure she/he satisfies all degree requirements.

For Graduate Students pursuing Performance degrees, the academic advisor is normally the major studio teacher. If the major studio teacher is adjunct faculty, a full-time faculty member in the area may be assigned as academic advisor. For Graduate Students pursuing Music Education degrees, the academic advisor is a full-time faculty member of the music education faculty.

Each M.M. student is appointed a Master’s Committee which oversees the thesis, recital, and comprehensive examination process. The student and the faculty adviser together submit a list of requested faculty for the student’s Master’s Committee to the PSOM Graduate Committee for approval by the Head of the Petrie School of Music.

Couse Load

The normal full load for a graduate student is 7 hours during the fall or spring term (1 during the January Term). Half-time load is 6 hours during the fall or spring terms (1 during the January Term). Permission of the Head is required to take more than 10 hours in a long term or 4 in a short term.

Ensemble Participation

The National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) recommends that candidates for Master’s degrees be required to participate in conducted or coached ensembles. All Converse University graduate full-time music students are encouraged to participate in such ensembles beyond the minimum required by their degree program.

Directed Independent Studies in Music

The purpose of a Directed Independent Study is to allow concentration on a particular topic in music. Topics that significantly overlap courses offered by the School or that seem to be an effort to circumvent curricular requirements will not be approved. A document which presents the results of the study will be required. A copy of this document must be placed in the student’s permanent file. A Proposal for Directed Independent Study form (available from the School of Music Office) must be completed by the student and submitted to the major professor and then the PSOM Graduate Committee for approval prior to the end of the semester preceding the one in which independent study is to be undertaken.

Application for Graduation

Application for Graduation for the Master’s degree is made only after the student has completed all undergraduate deficiencies and approximately one semester of graduate course work with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the graduate courses. The application must be submitted at least one semester before sitting for comprehensive examinations. Application for Graduation forms may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office or Graduate Studies Office. The deadline to submit the application is December 1, 2022.

After the student has filled out the form, but before securing signatures of his/her Master’s Committee, he/she must submit a completed copy to the Office of the Head of the Petrie School of Music, which will check to determine that all degree requirements are met. Having secured approval from the Music Office, the student completes a copy as amended, secures the signatures of his/her Master’s Committee and obtains final approval from the Head of the Petrie School of Music. The original and two copies of the Application for Graduation form must be submitted to the Office of the Head.

Application for Graduation for the Graduate Performance Diploma is made only after the student has completed all undergraduate deficiencies and approximately one semester of graduate course work with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the graduate courses. The application must be submitted at least one semester before projected completion of the program. Application for Graduation forms may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office or Graduate Studies Office. The original form, along with two copies, must be submitted to the Office of the Head.

Graduate diplomas are awarded at the May Graduation Exercises only. Students who complete their programs during the regular academic year will receive certification of completion to accompany their transcripts pending the actual awarding of the diploma.

Graduation Requirements

Master’s degree candidates as well as Graduate Performance Diploma candidates in music must complete all courses, including deficiencies, specified in their course of study as required by the Petrie School of Music.

A grade lower than B- will not count for graduate program credit in any course within the Major area.
A grade lower than C- will not count for graduate program credit in courses outside the Major area.
A total cumulative average of 3.0 must be achieved in all courses attempted at the graduate level. Prerequisites taken to erase undergraduate deficiencies are not averaged into this total.
Except for Ensembles and Performance Studies, a graduate level course whose content duplicates that of an undergraduate course present on the candidate’s transcript will not count toward graduation except by specific permission of the PSOM Graduate Committee.
At least half of all credits must be at the 600 level.

Comprehensive Examinations

The Master of Music Programs requires all candidates to pass an hour-long final oral comprehensive examination. The examination is not merely a test over course work, but a demonstration of the candidate’s ability to integrate materials in the major and related fields. The purpose of the comprehensive exam is for a student to demonstrate his or her ability to talk intelligently about his or her concentration in music and its relation to the overall field of music.

The examination includes questions which relate the student’s major area to music history and theory. In addition, it includes questions which require the student to demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the major area. The examination is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Comprehensive examinations are given near the end of each long term. Should a student not pass on the first attempt, he or she must wait until the next term for a second examination. The examination may not be repeated more than once.

Time Limit

Candidates have six calendar years from the time of enrollment in the Graduate Program to complete their program requirements. Students who change degree programs during this six-year period may be granted an extension after review and approval by the PSOM Graduate Committee. With the approval of their applied teacher, the PSOM Graduate Committee, and the Head of the Petrie School, Graduate Performance Diploma students who meet all criteria for admission into the M.M. program may apply credits earned towards M.M. degree requirements with the exception of MUA 680 and MUA 690.

Facilities

The Petrie School of Music is housed in the Blackman Music Hall, one of the finest music facilities in the region. Solo and chamber music performances in Blackman take place in Daniel Recital Hall, an acoustical marvel that seats 340. Opera and large ensemble concerts are presented in Twichell Auditorium, a 1500-seat fully-equipped professional theater and concert hall that serves not only the Petrie School and the University but also schools and performing arts organizations from throughout the region. Adjacent to Twichell is the Alia Lawson Academy of the Arts, home to a 125-seat recital hall and studios for our highly successful community music and dance program.

The Petrie School’s collection of music books, scores, sound recordings, and subject-specific video recordings is housed on the first floor of the Mickel Library, in the Gwathmey Wing. The 51,000-volume collection is supervised by a professional library staff.

Course Offerings

At the first meeting of a class, the instructor will distribute a syllabus that details the expectations for the course.

The School reserves the right not to offer courses for which the enrollment is less than five. If a course is canceled, an effort will be made to accommodate any affected student.

Courses are offered in a sequence: some courses are offered every term, others once a year, others once every two years. In collaboration with advisers, students must carefully select courses.

Prerequisites must be satisfied before taking a course. Courses numbered 600-699 are open only to graduate students. At least half of the required courses taken for a Master of Music degree must be at the 600-699 level.

Fees for courses are not refundable after the University drop-add period.