Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements and Courses

Students must complete a minimum of 32 semester hours of credit in approved 500-level courses. A minimum of 20 semester hours must be completed at the University of South Alabama. Up to 12 hours of USA courses taken while in another program (or non-degree status) may be applied. Only courses not applied to another degree may count. Maximum of 12 hours with grades of "A", "B", or "S" of approved transfer credit is allowed. If the university is non-accredited, the individual USA graduate program will determine if the quality and content of the courses meet the standards of the program.

Grade Requirements

• A minimum of a 3.0 GPA on all work attempted is required for graduation.
• Courses in which a student receives a "D" or below will not be counted toward the degree program.
• A maximum of two courses with a grade of "C" will be counted toward the degree program.
• Students receiving four grades of "C" or below, regardless of the overall GPA will be dismissed from the program.
• A student who receives a failing grade in a course for graduate credit may be dismissed from the program.

Time Limitations

• All degree requirements must be completed within seven calendar years.
• Most students who take nine hours per semester complete the degree within a two-year period.
• The time required for degree completion depends on how many courses a student can take each semester and the ability of that student to complete the recital(s) or final project(s).

Course Load

Six to ten credit hours per semester constitute a full-time course load.

Collaborative Keyboard Degree Checklist

(15 Courses, 32 Hours)

• All master's degree students will be advised by the Graduate Music Program Coordinator to ensure timely completion of the curriculum.
• The time required for degree completion depends on how many courses a student can take each semester and the ability of that student to complete the recital(s) or final project(s).

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
MUL 501	Graduate Research in Music	2
MUL 546	Collab Piano Lit for Vocal	3
MUL 566	Coll Piano Lit for Instruments	3
Complete 2 credits in the following:		2
MUO 507	Ensemble with Coll Keyboard
Select 12 hours from the following:		12
MUL 535	American Music
MUL 590	Spec Topics in Music History
MUT 512	Intro Analysis of Music Lit
MUT 513	Pedagogy of Theory
Select eight hours from the following:		8
MUA 507	Applied Collaborative Piano
MUA 508	Applied Collaborative Piano
MUA 509	Applied Collaborative Piano
Complete 2 credits in the following:		2
MUA 500	Graduate Recital
Total Hours		32

Comprehensive Exams

Each student will be evaluated to ensure achievement of program outcomes. This evaluation may be in the form of a comprehensive exam or other measurement tools, such as a recital. If unsatisfactory, after corrective action, the evaluation may be repeated up to two (2) times. Eligibility for graduation is contingent upon successful completion of the degree requirements specified by both the University and the Department of Music, including

1. Completion of all coursework with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (A=4.0) and
2. Successful completion of comprehensive examinations after all course work is completed.

Approval of committee must be secured no less than two weeks prior to the scheduled date of the recital. The Graduate Coordinator will complete the “USA Graduate School Comprehensive Examination Committee Appointment Request and Evaluation Report” Form prior to recital. The Student will sign the form upon notification of recital results. A recital program will be attached and the form with program will be sent to the Graduate College.