MM in Music
Instrumental Performance
Advance your artistry with a Master of Music in Instrumental Performance at A-State. Our program offers high-level training that equips you with the technical mastery, insight, and creativity required for success in today's competitive music landscape. Through expert instruction and close mentorship with faculty, you'll refine your artistry while developing the skills needed for impactful careers in performance and education.

Degree Overview
Master of Music with Emphasis in Instrumental Performance
At A-State, you will have various opportunities to perform. You'll have the chance to perform at regional, national, and international conferences, collaborate with the Delta Symphony Orchestra, and engage with a wide array of prestigious concert venues and events. These real-world experiences help you grow as an artist and professional and prepare you to lead, teach, and inspire in your community.
College
Liberal Arts & CommunicationCost
$381 per credit hourTuition & FeesAdmission Requirements
- Baccalaureate Degree with a 2.75 GPA or 3.0 over last 60 hours
- Completed Online Application
- Completed Music Audition Form
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Application Fee: $30
- Official Transcripts
- Meeting the minimum requirements for admission to the Graduate School does not necessarily equal acceptance into a particular graduate program.
Careers & outcomes
What can I do with an Instrumental Performance degree?
Graduate with the technical and artistic skills to lead, inspire, and guide the next generation of performers. Explore careers as a:
- Orchestral Musician
- Freelance Musician
- College Professor
- Private Lessons Teacher

A-State has given me opportunities and experiences I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. I found my family here with the Pack! The music department is simply delightful; everybody feels like family.
ACCREDITED BY NASM

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Program Requirements
UNCONDITIONAL ADMISSION STATUS
View University Graduate Degree Policies
The following Graduate School admission requirements are minimum standards which identify the pool of applicants from which departments select students to be admitted in a degree program. To be granted unconditional admission status in the Graduate School, applicants must:
- Submit a completed online application for admission and the nonrefundable application fee of $30 for U.S. Applicants, $40 for International Applicants, or $50 for Doctoral Applicants to Graduate School Admissions, along with the required program documents, by the deadline on the department website.
- Earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution (or its equivalent as determined by the Graduate School).
- Achieved a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale or a 3.00 GPA on the last 60 hours.
- Achieved a minimum 3.00 GPA on any previous graduate courses completed at either Arkansas State University or another accredited university.
- Submitted official transcripts from each college or university as requested by the Graduate School. Official transcripts must be submitted directly from the registrar of other institutions to the office of the Graduate School at Arkansas State University.
CONDITIONAL ADMISSION STATUS
An applicant who fails to meet the GPA requirements for Unconditional Admission Status, who lacks the appropriate undergraduate background for a particular degree program, or whose baccalaureate degree is from an unaccredited institution, may be granted conditional admission status after:
- Submission of a completed online application for admission and the designated nonrefundable application fee mentioned above to Graduate School Admissions, along with the required program documents, by the deadline on the department website.
- Submitted official transcripts from each college or university as requested by the Graduate School. Official transcripts must be submitted directly from the registrar of other institutions to the office of the Graduate School at Arkansas State University.
- Achieving a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale or a 2.75 GPA on the last 60 hours for admission into a graduate program or for admission as a non-degree student.
PROGRAM ADMISSION CRITERIA
Meeting the minimum requirements for admission to the Graduate School does not necessarily ensure acceptance into a particular graduate degree program. Individual departments may establish requirements for individual degree programs above and beyond the standards for admission to the Graduate School.
1. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION MATERIALS
Closely observe the deadline and required materials set by your graduate program of interest, including any additional documents requested of students who are seeking departmental funding through assistantships or fellowships. Complete the application and fax, e-mail or mail any materials that could not be submitted online to A-State Graduate Admissions.
General documents needed in the application process:
- A completed online application accompanied by the appropriate application fee ($30 for U.S. applicants, $50 for International applicants, $50 for Doctoral applicants), along with the required documents for that specific graduate program. See the program website for specific required documents. (There may be separate application forms for some programs, as noted on the departments' websites.)
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended since leaving high school. Transcripts must be mailed directly from the institutions previously attended. If you are a graduate of A-State, we will obtain your transcript for you.
- All students are required to present written documentation of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization. This immunization must have been received after the first birthday and after January 1, 1968.
- Arkansas law requires that, in order to be eligible for enrollment at a public institution of higher learning, a male applicant between the ages of 18 and 25 who is a U.S. citizen must be registered or be exempt from registration with the Selective Service System.
- If a standardized test is required for your major, you may contact the Testing Center at Arkansas State University at (870) 972-2038 for information regarding tests and test dates.
2. REVIEW BY THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Once an applicant has submitted all required documents to Graduate Admissions, the admissions committee for that particular academic program will review their applicant file and make their decisions regarding admission.
3. FINAL REVIEW BY THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
Once the Graduate School receives the academic program’s admission decision, they email a copy of that Notice of Admission Decision to the applicant, unless the program notifies their applicants directly.
4. ADMISSION
If accepted into the degree program to which you applied, Graduate Admissions will admit you to the University and email you a copy of your Notice of Admission, unless that program notifies their accepted applicants directly. Admitted applicants need to check with their assigned advisor, as noted on their Notice of Admission, in order to be able to register for the semester.


