Master of Arts in Wind Conducting

Earn your MA in wind conducting

The MA in wind conducting requires 38 semester hours, a minimum of 24 graduate credits must be earned at the University of Iowa

How to apply to the program

Applicants should contact Mark Heidel immediately upon deciding to apply to the graduate wind conducting program.

Applicants will be assigned a wind band composition to analyze.
Applicants are required to submit a video of a rehearsal and/or performance (frontal view).
Finalists will have a Zoom interview/conducting lesson with faculty.

View full requirements and apply

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Requirements and program planning

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General requirements

Introduction to Graduate Study in Music (MUS:5300), 3 semester hours

Music theory requirements

Review of Undergraduate Theory (MUS:5200): Required of all graduate students who do not pass the advisory examination in music theory. It must be taken before completing 6 semester hours from the following list of theory courses. This course does not count toward graduate degree requirements.

Students exempt from MUS:5200 through the advisory examination in music theory must complete 6 semester hours from the following:

Spectral Nature of Sound (MUS:3280), 3 semester hours
Counterpoint Before 1600 (MUS:4200), 3 semester hours
Counterpoint After 1600 (MUS:4201), 3 semester hours
Jazz Theory (MUS:4730), 3 semester hours
Tonal Analysis (MUS:5235), 3 semester hours
Non-Tonal Analysis (MUS:5236), 3 semester hours
Analysis of Popular Music (MUS:5237), 3 semester hours
Special Topics in Theory and Analysis (MUS:5240), 3 semester hours
Theoretical Approaches to Music (MUS:6211), 3 semester hours
Theory Pedagogy (MUS:6215), 3 semester hours

Musicology requirements

Select from the musicology courses in the following list.

Music and Gender (MUS:4320), 3 semester hours
Early Music (MUS:4330), 3 semester hours
18th-Century Music (MUS:4335), 3 semester hours
19th-Century Music (MUS:4340), 3 semester hours
20th-Century Music (MUS:4345), 3 semester hours
Advanced Jazz History (MUS:4350), 3 semester hours
American Music (MUS:4355), 3 semester hours
Jazz Matters (MUS:4360), 3 semester hours
Studies in Film and Music (MUS:4610), 3 semester hours
Teaching Music, History, and Culture (MUS:6305), 3 semester hours
Topics in Musicology (MUS:6310), 3 semester hours
Historical Approaches to Music (MUS:6312), 3 semester hours
Topics in Ethnomusicology (MUS:6314), 3 semester hours
Foundations of Ethnomusicology (MUS:6315), 3 semester hours
Music Editing (MUS:6375), 3 semester hours

Ensemble participation

Major Ensemble (four semesters required), 1 semester hour each

Area requirements

20 semester hours of these courses are required.

Advanced Wind Conducting (MUS:6589), four semesters required, 2 semesters hours each
Seminar in Advanced Band Literature/Band History (MUS:6590), four semesters required, 2 semester hours each
MA Recital (MUS:6900), two required, 2 semesters hours each

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