Graduate Programs

Welcome to the graduate programs in the Challey School of Music. We are dedicated to high-quality teaching, and our small class sizes provide excellent opportunities for you to grow as a serious performer, teacher, and scholar.

We offer the following graduate degrees and tracks:

Master of Music

  • Conducting
    • Choral or Instrumental
  • Music Education
  • Performance
    • Bassoon, Clarinet, Euphonium, Flute, Horn, Oboe, Percussion, Piano, Collaborative Piano, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Voice

Doctor of Musical Arts

  • Conducting
    • Choral or Instrumental
  • Performance
    • Clarinet, Euphonium, Percussion, Piano, Collaborative Piano, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Voice

Graduate Program Application Timeline

Applications for the Master of Music in Music Education (MMME) program are considered on a rolling basis; however, prospective MMME students are encouraged to consider starting the program during a summer semester. NDSU Graduate School applications for students wishing to start in summer semester are due April 1 for domestic students and March 1 for international students.

Applicants for Challey School of Music residential graduate programs (excluding the MMME program) wishing to begin the program in Fall 2027 must complete their application and audition process according to the following timeline:

  • Complete and submit NDSU Graduate School application by December 1, 2026.
  • Any pre-screening material required by your program must also be submitted by December 1, 2026.
  • Invitations to participate in required live auditions will be issued by January 8, 2027.
  • Audition invitations must be accepted and audition repertoire/scores for accompaniment provided by January 25, 2027.
  • In-person graduate auditions will take place Friday, February 12, 2027 and Saturday, February 13, 2027.
  • Graduate program admission offers will be sent by March 1, 2027.
  • Availability of Graduate Teaching Assistant duties and positions will be publicized by November 1, 2026.

Fine Tune Your Success

To start your journey toward a graduate music degree at North Dakota State University, please review the information below.

M.M. Course Requirements D.M.A. Course Information Application Process Audition Information

Degree Details

Our graduate degrees in choral conducting provide a comprehensive scholastic background centered in inspirational leadership through sound vocal pedagogy, effective rehearsal and conducting techniques, and repertoire from broad historical and global perspectives. There are opportunities for hands-on experience with our five choral ensembles, along with assisting/leading classes within the greater Challey School of Music. Teaching Assistantships and tuition waivers are available.

Our instrumental conducting degrees prepare you for all aspects of leading an ensemble. In addition to rigorous academic classes, our instrumental ensembles include Jazz bands, concert bands, a marching band and wind ensemble, providing you with ample time on the podium. Our instructors adhere to the philosophy that experience is the best teacher, and our graduate assistants share fully in the day to day responsibilities of our ensembles.

You’re a working professional. The NDSU Challey School of Music is an institution that is as passionate about music education as you are. When you’re ready to update and augment your skills, our program fits into your schedule as a working professional through a combination of online and summer classes. The curriculum is designed to both increase your effectiveness in the classroom and enhance your personal growth as a musician. This combination of commitment, quality and flexibility have made NDSU’s graduate programs in music the most popular in the region.

When you’re ready to take your playing to the next level, our faculty are dedicated to your development as both a performer and a pedagogue of your instrument.

Learn about NDSU’s Piano Programs in this video!

Few instruments offer as individualized a medium for expression as the piano, and your success as a pianist depends on individualized instruction. Our piano faculty are at the top of their field as performers and teachers; and take into account each student’s needs, aptitudes, background and goals to create a unique plan for success. Our curriculum includes a balance of applied lessons, academic courses and the study of pedagogy, in addition to opportunities for hands-on experience as a performer, teacher, and accompanist.

Applicants to the NDSU Piano Performance M.M. and D.M.A. programs can prepare any substantial and varied audition program that showcases the pianistic strengths of the applicant. No specific repertoire guidelines are felt to be necessary.

Pianists in the M.M. and D.M.A. programs will also be invited to perform in the NDSU Chamber Music Festival upon recommendation from the faculty.

Learn about NDSU’s Piano Programs in this video!

The NDSU Collaborative Piano Performance M.M. and D.M.A. programs are designed for pianists who wish to specialize in collaborations with singers and instrumentalists. The M.M. program provides guidance in both instrumental and vocal collaborations, while the D.M.A offers the flexibility to focus on instrumental or vocal studies, or a combination thereof. The instrumental focus offers specialization in repertoire for woodwinds, brass, and/or strings, while the vocal specialty involves vocal coaching of art song and opera with specific training in language and diction. In addition to a thorough grounding in such areas as harpsichord, figured bass realization, orchestral reductions, and sight and score reading, the Collaborative Piano Performance degrees include a component of applied piano study.

Collaborative pianists in NDSU’s M.M. and D.M.A. programs will be regularly partnered in performance with professional vocalists and instrumentalists, and will be invited to perform in the NDSU Chamber Music Festival upon recommendation from the faculty.

Your voice and your technique are still growing and changing. In order to build a successful performing and teaching career you need personalized and careful instruction. Our faculty have extensive experience as both performers and voice teachers. Together we collaborate on creating an educational and performance plan to provide you with a lifelong foundation of vocal expertise. Our program is small enough to offer each student plentiful opportunities for performance. We produce one fully staged opera each year, in addition to opera scenes and concerts throughout the year. Students also find performance opportunities within the community, including professional experience with the Fargo-Moorhead Opera.

Challey School of Music

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