I'm Looking For A Masters Degree In Music Composition

Fellow composers,

I'm graduating this year in Music (in Brazil), and I really want to go on a Masters degree in Composition outside Brazil. Europe would be a very good place to it, but I don't really know practical ways to achieve this. I'm not rich either, so I'm looking for scholarships all over the internet, but it's no easy task.

So, do you guys happen to know any interesting way to achieve this? Do you know any university or program that could be suitable for me?

I'm trying to find something here as well, but your advises could be very helpful.

Thanks in advance^^

Berklee College of Music is a great school for composition. They're mostly a "popular genre" school, but to get into classical through them, they have a partnership with Boston University. That's what I was told by the School reps. during my audition, when I asked.


I ended up attending Academy of Art University, but their focus is for Visual Media (Video Games, Movies & Television)....Not so much of "traditional" music for Band and Orchestra. Its Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media. Not sure about their masters program, but I know for sure it has the same name for the major.

I know of many Performance schools that are great....not many Composition ones.......

Well you have your big name conservatories like Juliard, Curtis (haven't heard much about their composition department), NEC, Oberlin, Eastman etc. I've heard great things about Yale. University of Michigan also has a good composition program. A lot of people I know also go to Indiana University and have heard good things. I would suggest picking a few of the schools and email them and explain your situation. They might be able to help you with financial aid or anything else you need to deal with. I don't know much about European music schools, but I would also suggest emailing them. 

University of Indiana is more of a performance school. ;)

I have a friend who just graduated from Indiana as a composition major for an undergrad degree.  He seemed to get a really solid education there.  I know lots of people who graduated from Berkeley, but not in composition.  Had teachers who came through Juilliard and Eastman, but again, in performance, not composition.  Any of those are probably good choices if you wanted to head to the U.S.  It's a question of where you get in, where you can get a good financial package, and how expensive rent is in the city where they are located.  Are there any chances to work for the music department while you are there?  (Great way to make friends with professors who can recommend you for composition jobs they don't want to pursue themselves.)  If you go somewhere with a good music scene you can pick up occasional performance gigs too, which is great practice, a little pay, and again, a great way to meet people who may send you composition work later.  

If you don't mind learning German, I will say that most of the provinces in Germany have done away with tuitions. All you'd have to pay for is cost of living, and a small application fee. Plus you would be networking with a very solid musical community. I think they have an application deadline in March, so consider looking into it.

I have a friend who just graduated from Indiana as a composition major for an undergrad degree.  

Who?! I probably know this person! :D

Also, consider Indiana if you're open to experimental music of any kind. We're a research school, so we're writing "research" music. :) Plus, if you're around, we can be friends. hahaha. At least let me know if you come to audition, and I can put you up in my apartment without you having to "find a place" to stay.

If you don't mind learning German, I will say that most of the provinces in Germany have done away with tuitions. All you'd have to pay for is cost of living, and a small application fee. Plus you would be networking with a very solid musical community. I think they have an application deadline in March, so consider looking into it.

Ich verstehen ein bisschen Deutsch, aber nicht sehr gut... hehehe, I surely don't mind learning German (as I have already started to study it a litttle), but the cost of living is exactly the problem. I can't afford such cost in Europe, and that's why I'm looking for a scholarship. Germany would be fantastic, but without the scholarship, it's not affordable to me.

Also, consider Indiana if you're open to experimental music of any kind. We're a research school, so we're writing "research" music. :) Plus, if you're around, we can be friends. hahaha. At least let me know if you come to audition, and I can put you up in my apartment without you having to "find a place" to stay.

I'm open to experimental music!!! But does it offer some kind of scholarship as possibility? I'm not even close to be rich, neither do my parents. So, I need some help with expenses...

Yes, you can earn merit scholarships in US universities. No guarantees, of course. :)

And some financial aid packages are loans (which you have to pay back eventually) rather than scholarship.  And some types of loans are better than others.  And it's unfortunately common for schools to reduce your financial aid package after your first year, so that, once you are already committed to getting your education through a certain university, you suddenly find yourself with larger bills than you anticipated.  (Dirty trick!!!)  Be VERY sure you understand what they are offering and whether it will work for you.  Most people I know have worked while they were in grad school and gotten some sort of financial aid scholarships and lots of loans.  I don't think I know anyone who was just able to write a big fat check and pay for it all.  

Yeah it's kinda hard to get a scholarships for graduate studies. Loans (especially once through the federal government) are probably the best option....but I don't know if you would be eligible for them. You'd probably look into private loans (which I wouldn't really recommend). I know lots of grad students get offered work study jobs (or other part time jobs) in their department/school that help pay for stuff. Again, I would urge you to contact some schools and explain to them your circumstances.

What you WANT is a graduate assistantship!

This is where you teach undergrads during your graduate studies, and they pay you a stipend for your work! It pays for MOST (if not all) of your tuition. :D

What you WANT is a graduate assistantship!

 

This is where you teach undergrads during your graduate studies, and they pay you a stipend for your work! It pays for MOST (if not all) of your tuition. :D

This may be a good option too! But I don't know if they'll want a foreigner to teach their undergrads (especially a brazilian one...)

This may be a good option too! But I don't know if they'll want a foreigner to teach their undergrads (especially a brazilian one...)

I dunno how music departments are run, but in the biology department at my school, we had a lot of foreign graduate assistants...and lets just say their native tongue was NOT English and I didn't understand them half the time...

This may be a good option too! But I don't know if they'll want a foreigner to teach their undergrads (especially a brazilian one...)

As long as your english is good they probably won't mind it.