The Graduate Program of the Converse College Petrie School of Music is open to male and female students. Admission to the Master of Music degree program as a Regular Graduate Student requires the approval of the Petrie School of Music Admissions Committee. Action on admission will be taken only after all required items have been received by the Office of Music Admissions. It is the responsibility of the applicant to request that references and transcripts be sent, and to submit required test scores. Admission to Special Graduate Status is an administrative action.

For consideration of Regular Graduate Student admission, the applicant should submit the following:

a. The completed application/audition registration form and application fee of $35 (check or money order payable to Converse College).

b. An official transcript from each college or university attended. Upon receipt, transcripts become the permanent property of Converse College.

c. Three letters of recommendation from persons who can assess the student’s competence to undertake graduate study.

d. Official test scores on the General Section (not the music area) of the Graduate Record Examination. Music Education applicants must submit scores on either the P.K.E. or the Music Area Test of the National Teachers Examination. Applicants for the Music Education with Initial Certification degree program may submit G.R.E. scores. 

e.  Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are required for applicants whose native language is not English.

f. For students considering a graduate assistantship, the graduate assistantship application must be completed along with the graduate application.

Audition/Interview

In addition to the application materials, each student must audition and/or be interviewed by the appropriate music faculty before he/she will be admitted to graduate study in the Petrie School of Music. Click here for specific instructions regarding audition requirements.  Please visit the Preview Days page to schedule an audition. 

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Graduate students may apply for one of several Graduate Assistantship awards available through the Petrie School of Music. Graduate applicants may also file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for federal student loans.

ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS

The entering Regular Graduate Student should expect to be examined in music theory and music history. These examinations determine what courses may be taken at the graduate level and which prerequisite courses should be taken to remedy deficiencies.

All 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 for diction or audit the portion of diction courses in which they are deficient and receive a passing grade in those areas.

Non-keyboard majors who have not satisfied a keyboard requirement equivalent to that for a Converse Bachelor of Music graduate in their undergraduate program will be required to fulfill the undergraduate piano requirement at Converse.

If, in the opinion of a majority of the Music Enrollment Committee, the tapes, audition, or recommendations cast reasonable doubt on an applicant’s probable success in meeting the standards of the performance major at the graduate level, additional special requirements may be made. These requirements are described in detail in the Petrie School of Music Student Handbook.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Remedial work in foreign languages may be required of vocal, instrumental, theory, composition, and music history majors if their undergraduate transcripts show a deficiency. 

Requirements: 
Vocal: One year each of French, German, and Italian at the college level or the equivalent.

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

GRADUATE ASSISTANSHIPS

Policies and Procedures:

Graduate assistantships are awarded by the Dean of the Petrie School of Music based on the qualifications of the applicant, the needs of the School, and the availability of funds. Assistantships are awarded for one year at a time and may be renewed for a second year, contingent upon the performance of the student, the needs of the School, and the availability of funds. Graduate assistantships may consist of a stipend, tuition remission, and applied music fee waiver. Priority for awards is given to full-time students who hold Regular Graduate Student status.

Once a Graduate Assistantship has been awarded, a contract will be signed between the student and the Petrie School that defines the hours to be worked and the terms of the assistantship. Each Graduate Assistant is assigned a faculty/staff supervisor. Monthly reports are provided by the Graduate Assistant stating the hours worked. The reports will be signed by the Graduate Assistant’s supervisor and submitted to the Business Manager.

Assistantship Duties:

Graduate Assistants are expected to serve in the position assigned by the Petrie School of Music. The School makes every effort to assign responsibilities which will enhance the credentials of the Graduate Assistant. Responsibilities may include assisting faculty in the classroom or general duties related to music performance library, recording, opera theatre, office assistance, etc. The number of work hours required will be determined by the amount of the award.

Assistantship Awards:

Graduate Assistantship awards may consist of a monthly stipend, tuition waiver, andapplied music fee waiver. Full assistantships include $5,000 stipend, 16 hours tuition waiver per year ($4,160 in value), and one hour of applied music fee waiver per term ($1,000 in value), for a total of more than $10,000 in value.

Deadline for Application:

The awarding of Graduate Assistantships begins on March 15 each year. Priority will be given to complete applications (including audition) received by March 1.

SPECIAL GRADUATE  STATUS

Students wishing to enroll for graduate credit, but not seeking degree candidacy, may apply for admission as a Special Graduate Student by submitting the Application for Admission and college transcripts. An audition is not required for Special Graduate status.

Applicants accepted to this status may register for graduate credit in any course offered by the Petrie School of Music, subject to the following conditions:

1. Permission of the area faculty is required. This may take the form of a transcript examination or the administration of the placement tests normally given entering regular graduate students.

2. Special graduate students may not register for those offerings leading directly to terminal projects in graduate degrees, such as Thesis or Graduate Ensemble. 

There is no limit on the number of hours of graduate credit which may be accumulated by a Special Graduate Student; however, a maximum of fifteen hours of graduate credit earned while in this status may be applied to Regular Graduate status for a Master of Music degree.

Send application forms and fees to:

Office of Music Admissions
The Petrie School of Music
Converse College
580 East Main Street
Spartanburg, South Carolina 29302-1931

Phone:  864-596-9021