THE NEW MUSIC HISTORY GRADUATE CURRICULUM
The graduate Music History
curriculum was revised in Spring 2008 by a vote of the
Faculty Assembly. The new courses will
begin in the academic year 2008-2009 and will be implemented over a 2-year
period.
We offer three types of
masters-level Music History courses: a
pro-seminar in music history (MHL 610), two “Topics” courses (MHL 602 and 602)
covering specific historical periods, and Music History seminars (MHL 700-799)
on a variety of subjects. The pro-seminar
is designed to teach graduate academic skills in music – research, writing, and
source criticism. The Topics courses
review music history from 1700 to the present by investigating a limited number
of important topics. The seminars cover specific
composers, repertories and ideas in depth, offering students an opportunity to
do research on their own and present their findings to the instructor and one
another. All courses count toward the
15-units of credit in Music History required for the Masters degree.
Masters students take at
least 5 graduate Music History courses.
All students must take the pro-seminar – if possible during their first
year of study. When students enter the Conservatory
they take a Music History placement test.
Students who are weak in music history from 1700 to 1900 are placed into
MHL 602; students who are weak in 1900 to the present are placed into MHL
603. Students who pass both sections of
the test will usually take the pro-seminar plus 4 seminars, although they may
take one or both Topics courses instead of seminars if they so choose.
The pro-seminar will not be
offered in 2008-2009. Students entering
in Fall 2008 will take a regular seminar instead of
the pro-seminar. Students who entered
before Fall 2008 will follow the old curriculum (i.e.
History Review if appropriate, plus 5 seminars). Students entering in Fall
2009 will follow the new curriculum as outlined above. Continuing students who neither passed the placement exam nor took History Review should get in touch with John Spitzer (jspitzer@sfcm.edu) to work something out.