COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Music (MM) in Piano Pedagogy at Wichita State University is a 32-credit-hour graduate program designed to prepare students for advanced careers as piano educators, performers, and studio professionals. The program begins with core requirements shared across all Master of Music degrees, including MUSC 852 Introduction to Bibliography and Research and either MUSC 829 Practical Application of Tonal Analysis or MUSC 831 Music Theory Pedagogy, which provide a foundation in research methods and theoretical understanding. Students are required to complete at least half of their coursework at the 700 level or above, ensuring advanced academic rigor throughout the degree. In addition, students take 7 credit hours of musicology and theory electives selected from courses such as musical form and analysis, performance studies, music in media, popular music analysis, aesthetics, global music traditions, identity studies, and advanced seminars in music theory and history, allowing flexibility to align coursework with individual academic and professional interests. The piano pedagogy concentration emphasizes both performance development and teaching practice through 6 credit hours of applied piano instruction in MUSA 732P and MUSA 734P, which focus on advanced technique, interpretation, and repertoire development. Students also complete MUSP 760 Group Piano Practicum and MUSP 761 Studio Piano Practicum to gain hands-on teaching experience in classroom and private lesson environments, along with MUSP 843 Piano Pedagogy Seminar, which addresses instructional strategies and pedagogical theory. Additional required coursework includes MUSC 782 Piano Literature I and MUSC 783 Piano Literature II, providing in-depth study of piano repertoire across historical periods and styles. Electives totaling 2 credit hours allow students to further specialize in music or related academic areas with advisor approval. The degree culminates in a terminal project, either a graduate recital (MUSP 873) or a professional in-service presentation project (MUSP 874), depending on career goals. Overall, the program integrates performance training, pedagogy, and academic study to prepare graduates for careers in teaching, studio instruction, and professional music education while supporting continued artistic and scholarly growth.