Graduate Programs

The College of Visual and Performing Arts offers graduate degrees in Art, Music, and an online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Design Thinking, as well as the post-baccalaureate Advanced Certificate in Music Pedagogy (pending NASM approval).

Art (MFA)

The Master of Fine Arts degree is a terminal studio degree program to pursue professional activities as a practicing visual artist or for entry into college teaching. The degree consists of 60 semester hours of course work, a thesis, and an M.F.A. exhibition. Students work closely with the graduate faculty to plan their program of study, selecting an area of concentration such as: painting, watercolor, photography, graphic design, ceramics, jewelry & metalsmithing or drawing.  The written thesis requirement of the M.F.A. program insures that students display scholarly as well as artistic abilities. This graduate program draws students from many parts of the United States as well as other countries, promoting a global perspective.

Admission Requirements

Minimum grade point average of 2.75 overall and in the major; two letters of reference; statement of philosophy, overall goals, synopsis of work; B.F.A. or commensurate collegiate course work; 20 slides or CD of recent art work.

Application Dates

March 15 for fall; October 1 for spring.

If there continues to be space available after these deadlines, we will continue to accept applicants until the program is full.

 

Music (MA, MS)

Master of Arts in Music

The Master of Arts in Music program provides advanced study for musicians and music scholars in preparation for professional careers or doctoral study. The Master of Arts degree program in music includes a required core of studies in performance, history and theory. Emphases in various areas of music are dependent on the specific needs and objectives of each student. Within this degree, students may consider using at least ten (10) elective credits to emphasize such areas as: Performance, Accompanying/Collaborative Piano, Composition, Computer Music, Conducting, Music Education, and Music History.
 
Master of Science, Music Therapy

The Master of Science, Music Therapy program provides advanced study and opportunities for music therapists to refine existing competencies and to attain new ones. The degree program includes a required core of studies in performance, history and theory. Students may choose from two options, clinical and research.

  • The Clinical Option (42 credits) includes Level I training in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM), along with course work focused on the development of verbal counseling skills and techniques. The course work is consistent with state requirements for licensure as a professional counselor in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  • The Research Option (33 credits) requires the completion of a thesis with the areas of research open to the student's particular interests.

Admission Requirements

  • Minimum overall grade point average required is 2.7.
  • All graduate students in music must take written diagnostic exams in music history and theory before the end of the registration period of their first semester of study and prior to admission to regular graduate status.
  • Two letters of reference are to be submitted from professional sources (i.e., former professor/mentor, private teacher, etc.).
  • All students pursuing a master's degree in music must have, at the undergraduate level, music courses equivalent to those required in an appropriate undergraduate degree program at Radford University.
  • All students entering the M.A. (Music) program (which requires at least two hours of graduate level applied study) must also present an entrance audition in their applied performance area for placement purposes.
  • Students entering the M.S. in Music Therapy without a bachelor's degree from an NASM member institution must also present an entrance audition in their undergraduate major and minor performing areas for diagnostic purposes.
  • All students applying for admission to a graduate music program are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Praxis II music content examination.

Application Dates

March 15 for fall; October 1 for spring.

This program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). The curriculum in Music Therapy, which is in accordance with the recommendations established by the American Music Therapy Association Association (AMTA), provides eligibility to take the national certification exam administered by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT).