Shepherd School Degree Plans

The Bachelor of Music is a professional degree awarded by Rice University. It is designed for those students seeking intensive study in their major area to prepare for a career in the music profession. The BMus program consists of a core curriculum (theory, aural skills, and music history), applied study (lessons, ensembles, chamber music, recitals), and keyboard proficiency.

Like all Rice undergraduate degrees, it is built on a liberal arts foundation: BMus students earn at least 30 credit hours in humanities, social sciences and natural sciences and engineering.

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts degree with a Concentration in Music is appropriate for current students who wish to specialize in music and at the same time receive either a broad liberal arts education or have a concentration in an additional discipline. There is no admission directly into the Bachelor of Arts in Music.

Bachelor of Music/Master of Music 5-Year Honors Program

Shepherd School students who demonstrate truly exceptional musical and academic accomplishment may apply for the five-year honors program. Upon completion, the BMus and MMus degrees are awarded concurrently. Application to this program is made in the student’s fifth or sixth semester.

The Master of Music, a two-year degree, consists of intensive work with world-class artist-teachers, unrivaled performance opportunities, and rich academic resources for applied training. This degree also requires completion of four Music Career and Skills Enhancement credit hours. The master's degree curriculum works to ensure that the artistry and intelligence of our students will have a lasting impact on the classical music world.

The Artist Diploma in Music, a two-year post-master's degree program, is intended for musicians who possess both extraordinary musical talent and the potential to flourish in today’s highly competitive musical world. Specialized courses prepare musicians aiming towards a career focused on performance at the highest levels.

A unique feature of the Artist Diploma is the master teacher committee. Each student receives instruction not only from a principal teacher, but also from two or three additional faculty members who present the student with feedback from multiple professional perspectives.

The Doctor of Musical Arts degree is designed for musicians who desire careers that combine performance or composition with an academic appointment. Our extensive application and audition process establishes cohorts of accomplished, ambitious individuals. 

The degree includes studio teaching, a wide array of performance opportunities and engaging, challenging academic courses. Simultaneously, our doctoral students receive teacher training under the direction of dedicated and imaginative faculty mentors.

Features of the DMA include:

• Full tuition and generous payments for three years of coursework
• Team-taught seminars exclusively for doctoral students, designed to prepare them to be leaders in the music world
• Training in classroom pedagogy as well as in studio teaching, leading to actual teaching responsibilities
• Flexibility within the degree structure to enable each student to pursue independent projects and interests

*The Shepherd School of Music will not be accepting applications for Fall 2025 in the area(s) marked with an asterisk.