Degrees Offered
- Master of Arts (Music Business and Industry - online, Musicology, or Music Theory)
- Master of Music (Conducting, Music Education, Performance, or Piano Pedagogy)
- Doctor of Musical Arts (Conducting or Performance)
Graduate Certificates Offered
- Artist Diploma in Music Performance
- Music Industry
West Virginia University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), the only nationally recognized accrediting agency for professional music instruction.
Faculty
Director
- Kelly Burke - D.M.A. (University of Michigan)
Clarinet
Associate Director and Director of Graduate Studies
- Michael Vercelli - D.M.A. (University of Arizona)
Director of World Music Performance Center
Professors
- Cynthia Anderson - M.M. (Manhattan School of Music)
Oboe, Theory - Nina Assimakopoulos - M.M. (Munich Academy of Music)
Flute, Chamber Music - Kelly Burke - D.M.A. (University of Michigan)
Clarinet - Keith Jackson - D.M.A. (Arizona State University)
Brass, Chamber Music - Andrew Kohn - Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)
Double Bass, Theory - Paul Kreider - D.M.A. (University of Arizona)
Voice, Diction, Opera - Mikylah Myers - D.M.A. (University of Houston)
Violin, Chamber Music - Sandra Schwartz - Ph.D. (University of Miami)
Music Education - Darko Velichkovski - M.A. (City University of New York)
Director of Music Industry - Michael Vercelli - D.M.A. (University of Arizona)
Director of World Music Performance Center - George Willis - M.M. (Temple University)
Percussion Studies
Associate Professors
- Mark Benincosa - M.S. (West Virginia University)
Recording Technology - Erin Ellis - D.M.A. (Eastman School of Music)
Cello, Chamber Music, String Pedagogy - Jason Gossett - Ph.D. (The Pennsylvania State University)
Music Education - Matthew Heap - Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)
Theory, Composition - Andrea Houde - M.M. (Peabody Institute)
Viola, String Pedagogy, Chamber Music - Lucy Mauro - D.M.A. (Peabody Institute)
Piano Pedagogy, Class Piano, Piano, Chamber Music - Angela Munroe - Ph.D. (University of Colorado Boulder)
Music Education - Kym Scott - D.M.A. (University of Southern California)
Director of Choral Activities - Scott Tobias - D.M.A. (The University of Georgia)
Director of Bands
Assistant Professors
- Thomas Erik Angerhofer - D.M.A. (University of Colorado Boulder)
Voice - Katelyn Best - Ph.D. (Florida State University)
Ethnomusicology/Musicology - Alan Hankers - Ph.D. (Stony Brook University)
Composition - Albert Houde - D.M.A.- ABD (West Virginia University)
Horn - Mary Grace Johnson - D.M.A. - ABD (Rice University)
Violin and Chamber Music - Hakeem Bilal - M.M. (Carnegie Mellon University)
Trombone - Emily Lambert - Ph.D. - ABD (University of Miami)
Music Therapy - Alton Merrell - Ph.D. (University of Pittsburgh)
Jazz/Gospel/Commercial Piano - Jake Sandridge - Ph.D.- ABD (Rice University)
Composition and Music Theory - Robert Sears - D.M.A. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Trumpet, Jazz, Chamber Music - Jeffrey Siegfried - D.M.A. (University of Michigan)
Saxophone, Chamber Music - Andy Sledge - D.M.A.- ABD (Yale School of Music)
Bassoon and Music Theory - Joshua Swiger - M.A. (West Virginia University)
Music Industry - Laura Knoop Very - M.M. (Yale University)
Voice - Jennifer Walker - Ph.D. (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill)
Musicology - Rotem Weinberg - D.M.A. (University of Michigan)
Director of Orchestral Activities (Visiting) - Cheldon Williams - D.M.A. (University of Texas at Austin)
Associate Director of Bands
Lecturers
- Chanler Bailey - B.M. (West Virginia University)
Steel Drums - Hannah Ivey Bush - M.M. (University of Georgia)
Music Therapy - Timothy DeWitt - D.M.A. (Eastman School of Music)
Music Education - Rebecca Kreider - M.M. (Indiana University)
General Education Courses - Sun Jung Lee - D.M.A. (West Virginia University)
Accompanying, Piano, Chamber Music - Carson McTeer - B.A. (Rice University)
Tuba, Euphonium, Chamber Music - Adam Osmianski - M.M. (West Virginia University)
General Education Courses - Erin Rosen - MMT (Augsburg University)
Music Therapy - Brian Wolfe - B.M. (West Virginia University)
Drum Set, Percussion, Jazz - Renee Wyatt - M.M. (West Virginia University)
Music Education
Professors Emeriti
- Peter Amstutz
- John Beall
- James W. Benner
- Thomas S. Brown
- Philip J. Faini
- Mary T. Ferer
- William Haller
- John Hendricks III
- Barton Hudson
- Leo Horacek, Jr.
- Christine B. Kefferstan
- Hope Koehler
- Gerald Lefkoff
- James Miltenberger
- Janet Robbins
- William Skidmore
- Travis Stimeling
- Connie Arau Sturm
- David Taddie
- Robert H. Thieme
- Virginia Thompson
- Gilbert Trythall
- Molly Weaver
- John Weigand
- Don G. Wilcox
- Christopher Wilkinson
- John Winkler
Associate Professors Emeriti
- David Bess
- Joyce A. Catalfano
- Rose M. Crain
- John E. Crotty
- June D. Swartwout
Admissions
Prospective graduate students in music are required to have completed the appropriate curriculum of undergraduate study in music at WVU or its equivalent at another institution of recognized standing. For acceptance into a degree program, the applicant should make inquiry to the Director of Graduate Studies, School of Music, College of Creative Arts and Media, P.O. Box 6111, Morgantown, WV 26506-6111.
Admission to Masters Program
Applicants to the program leading to the degree of Master of Music, Master of Arts in musicology, or Master of Arts in music theory must present necessary credentials for evaluation of previous training and experience to the School of Music. These include transcripts from all institutions previously attended showing a grade point average of at least 3.0 in all undergraduate study submitted through the WVU Office of Admissions. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who are qualified to judge the applicant’s potential success as a graduate student in music may be submitted directly through the WVU School of Music application or to the Director of Graduate Studies in Music.
Please see specific audition/portfolio requirements located under each program.
Provisional Admission
Applicants whose admission profile does not meet the qualifications outlined above may be considered for provisional admission. The decision to offer provisional admission will be made by the School of Music Committee on Graduate Studies based upon information available for review. If a student is offered and accepts enrollment as a provisional admit, the student may thereafter be accepted as degree student if, upon completion of up to twelve semester hours of graduate study, the student has earned a minimum of a B (3.0) average and satisfied any previous undergraduate deficiencies or other conditions.
Admission to Doctor of Musical Arts Programs
Acceptance into doctoral programs is competitive. Applicants to the program leading to the D.M.A. must present necessary credentials of previous training and experience for evaluation. These include transcripts showing at least a 3.0 grade point average in a minimum of twenty-eight hours in liberal arts studies submitted through the WVU Office of Admissions. Copies of programs of recent major recitals must be submitted directly to the Director of Graduate Studies in Music. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who are qualified to judge the applicant’s potential success as a graduate student in music may be submitted directly through the WVU School of Music application or to the Director of Graduate Studies in Music. Normally, the admission process also includes an on-campus audition and interview with the faculty of the major performance area. Applicants who do not meet all of the criteria for regular admission to the D.M.A. degree program may be considered for provisional admission subject to the satisfactory completion of certain specified courses or the attainment of a specified grade point average within a semester’s work. The decision to offer or deny provisional admission will be made by the School of Music Committee on Graduate Studies based upon information available for review at the time of the application.
Please see specific audition/portfolio requirements located under each program.
Music Scholarships
To assist in funding the cost of graduate education, West Virginia University and the College of Creative Arts and Media offer a number of financial assistance packages for qualified applicants. These include graduate assistantships, graduate tuition waivers, and cash awards.
Assistantships are offered in each School; however, the number of assistantships is limited and their award is competitive. Awards are based on availability as well as the quality of applicants and their potential for significant contribution to the School and College. Assistantships pay stipends, health insurance, and a university tuition waiver; there are some University and College fees not covered by assistantships. In return, graduate assistants provide approximately twenty hours of work per week during the nine month academic year with duties that range from instructional to service positions within each School.
For more information on assistantships, graduate tuition waivers, cash awards, application process, and important deadlines, please refer to each School’s individual website.
Additional information on funding for graduate study at West Virginia University can be found at https://graduate.wvu.edu