Overview

Immersive. Progressive. Inspirational. Fostering the creative voices and careers of the next generation of composers.

The aim of the Composition at University of Houston is to maximize the resources to produce alumni who are at the forefront of the ever-changing contemporary music scene.

Key Features

Under the guidance of the award-winning faculty, composition students develop a diverse portfolio of original concert music, establish important career relationships, gain fluency in contemporary repertoire and techniques, and engage with the diverse and vibrant Houston arts community.

Composers interested in pursuing collaborative work with artists from other disciplines may seek opportunities through the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, a unique resource dedicated to the support and creation of interdisciplinary arts.

Annually, the composition division awards the best undergraduate and graduate student works through the Louisa Stude Sarofim Composition Competition, which is adjudicated by a panel of professional composers outside the school.

Winners receive a cash prize and are commissioned to compose a new work for AURA, the Moores School of Music contemporary chamber ensemble. Additionally, graduate compositions majors are consistently tapped for teaching assistantships in Music Theory.

The composition graduates have consistently garnered admission to high-level graduate programs, enjoy flourishing careers in academia and the arts, and have been awarded national and international awards and commissions.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Research Methods in Musicology

Applied Composition

Analysis of 20th- and 21st-Century Music

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-01-20 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-15 00:00:00
Starting 2027-08-25 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-03-15 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

105

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

30 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Houston, United States

Disciplines

Music Composition View 163 other Masters in Music Composition in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

105

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Bachelor’s degree in music (preferably in applied composition).

Minimum GPA of 3.00 for last 60 term hours and 3.00 for all music hours.

Submission of TOEFL scores (as applicable) that meet University of Houston minimum standards.

Full senior recital in the undergraduate degree program.

Beginning graduate-level composition ability as determined in a faculty examination of previous composition work, presented in score and recorded format.

Degree Requirements:

Recital Requirement: Students are required to present one full solo recital of their own compositions.

Comprehensive Examination Requirement: Students must pass a comprehensive examination in the last term of study.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

27810 USD / year

≈ 27810 USD / year
Out-of-State

27810 USD / year

≈ 27810 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

12660 USD / year

≈ 12660 USD / year

Living costs

Houston

United States

1067 - 1950 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

Interested in financing your studies? Find a student loan that works for you.

MPOWER Financing No cosigner. No collateral. No hidden fees.

Check your Eligibility

Get the funding you need to study in the U.S. or Canada - with a process that's fast, simple, and built for international students.

Flexible loans from US$2,001 to US$100,000
Fixed interest rates -- no inflation surprises
No upfront fees or prepayment penalties
Accepted at 500+ universities across the U.S. & Canada
100% online application -- instant conditional offer
Free visa & career support through our Path2Success program

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Composition.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Key Features

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Houston

Financing

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners