Other Graduate Programs in Music at Boston University

The School of Theology offers the Master of Sacred Music (MSM). The Master of Sacred Music program at Boston University is at the forefront of professional training in sacred music. Students are prepared for leadership roles in communities of faith, and as performers, scholars, and teachers using the incomparable resources of the Boston University School of Music and School of Theology. Boston University houses the headquarters of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, the editorial office of Studia Liturgica (the journal of the international and ecumenical Societas Liturgica), the AGO organ library, and one of the finest hymnological collections in North America.

Since the MSM is essentially professional training for employment as a church musician, the program is offered with two concentrations: organ and choral conducting. The curriculum follows the pattern of the MM degree, with an additional five courses taken at the School of Theology: a course each on theology, worship, Bible, history, along with the sacred music practicum, a course that provides essential professional training for the church musician in areas such as hand bells, children’s choir, recruitment, and professional concerns. Details of the degree, audition requirements, and application processes can be found online through the School of Theology. The program director, Dr. Andrew Shenton (shenton@bu.edu), is pleased to hear from potential students at any time.

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Department of Music offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts (MA) in Music with specializations in musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory, composition, or music education; and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in musicology, ethnomusicology, or double concentration in musicology and music theory.

The Department of Music overlaps significantly with the School of Music in the College of Fine Arts. All of the faculty members of the Department of Music are also faculty members of the School of Music. Courses and seminars are taken by graduate music students of both Schools. This allows students pursuing graduate studies in musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory, music education, and composition to maintain close contact with the practice of music. Further information is available online through the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.