Music Graduate Opportunity
Through a partnership between the Holy Cross Department of Music and New England Conservatory, this program allows for interested Holy Cross music students to further their skills in performance or composition at the graduate level, earning a B.A. in any field from Holy Cross and a M.M. from NEC, typically in just five years.
Who is This Program For?
The program is designed for Holy Cross students who want to continue their music training at the highest level while also pursuing any major in the liberal arts. Whether you’re focused on performance or composition, this pathway helps you develop as a well-rounded scholar and musician.
How It Works
- Apply to both Holy Cross and NEC as an incoming first-year student, or apply to NEC during your first year at Holy Cross.
- Please Note: Admission to Holy Cross and admission to NEC are separate processes. You must be accepted to both institutions in order to participate in the program.
- Begin private lessons with NEC faculty by your second year (sometimes earlier).
- Continue your coursework and complete your chosen B.A. major at Holy Cross.
- Prepare for graduate study through juries, exams, and advising.
- Transition into the M.M. program at NEC, usually completing your master’s degree in just one additional year after graduating from Holy Cross.
Advising & Support
- As a student in the program, you’ll be supported by faculty and advisors at both institutions:
- At Holy Cross, the chair of the Music Department will guide you through your undergraduate studies and connect your coursework to your musical goals.
- At NEC, the dean of academic affairs will provide academic and curricular advising throughout your master’s degree program.
- You’ll also work closely with NEC studio faculty and department chairs, who will serve as mentors for your artistic and career development.
By the end of the program, you’ll hold both a B.A. degree from Holy Cross and a M.M. degree from NEC, positioning you to launch your career as a performer, composer, or scholar.
Credit Requirements
The NEC M.M program requires 42-44 credits, depending on the student’s major. These credits are fulfilled over a five-year period through transferring courses completed at Holy Cross during the first four years of study, taking lessons for credit at NEC during their time at Holy Cross, and by taking classroom courses at NEC in their fourth (optional) and fifth year.
Up to 12 credits from Holy Cross can transfer into the M.M., and approximately 32 NEC credits will be earned in the fourth (optionally hybrid) and fifth (all NEC) years of study. During the fifth year of the program, students will be enrolled as full-time M.M. students at NEC and any applicable transfer credits earned during their bachelor’s degree at Holy Cross will be applied to their NEC requirement pending review of an official transcript showing successful completion of all coursework and conferral of the bachelor’s degree.
Sample Curriculum Map
Students may pursue any area of undergraduate concentration at Holy Cross, including music. Certain courses taken at Holy Cross in Years 1-3 may satisfy NEC M.M. elective credits. Years 1-3 include:
- Regular undergraduate curriculum at Holy Cross in another major or music
- Introduction classes in musicology and music theory at Holy Cross (or optionally NEC)
- Studio instruction (one hour per week) at NEC
- Coursework at Holy Cross to be later transferred to NEC by advisement, depending on instrument and medium
- Spring semester performance jury required for all students
Students enrolled in the Holy Cross-NEC program would be required to perform a promotional jury at the end of Years 1, 2, 3, and 4. However, a successful jury at the conclusion of Year 3 is required to confirm the student’s preparedness to start the M.M. degree at NEC in the following year (Year 4). The jury is reviewed and confirmed by a faculty panel at NEC, and the result will be communicated to the student by June 1. If a student fails this jury, the faculty will recommend to the Provost and Dean of the College whether the student should be placed on probation or withdrawn from the joint program. The Provost will consult with the Dean of Academic Affairs, studio teacher, and Department Chair, and make a final decision. The student will receive notice of this decision in writing.
Normally the fourth year is the concluding year of the undergraduate B.A. degree at Holy Cross and the official start of the M.M. degree at NEC. Students will take the NEC Master’s Music Theory Competency Exam and the Master’s Music History Exam prior to the start of the fourth year. Successful completion of these exams is a degree requirement of the M.M. at NEC. Students must pass the MM Theory exam prior to enrolling in any NEC theory course. Testing cycles are offered annually in late May and late August. Students may attempt the exam(s) a maximum of two times. Students who do not pass the exam(s) by the end of the August testing cycle prior to the start of Year 4 will be required to enroll in graduate review courses at NEC. The following requirements may be taken either in Year 4 or Year 5:
- Concluding curricular requirements for B.A., degree at Holy Cross
- Studio instruction at NEC
- Chamber music (string majors only) for one semester at NEC or by substitution
- Ensemble participation by advisement
- Promotional jury evaluation at NEC in spring semester
- M.M. course work at NEC by advisement
Students who do not pass the Master’s Music Theory and History Competency Exams in year four will be required to enroll in graduate remedial courses at NEC. Otherwise, the fifth year of study includes:
- Studio instruction at NEC
- Ensemble participation as required for M.M. to be fulfilled at NEC
- Chamber music for 2 semesters for: Brass, Guitar, Strings, Woodwinds
- Completion of M.M. course work by advisement
Required Courses
Though music majors can simply follow the standard path through the major, non-majors are recommended to take a combination of courses to prepare them for master's qualifying exams in music history and theory.
Those courses include:
- History of Western Music 1
- History of Western Music 2
- Advanced Topics in Music History
- Theory of Music 1
- Theory of Music 2
- Theory of Music 3
Students who are admitted to the program but do not pass the Master’s Qualifying Exams at NEC will be given the opportunity to take preparatory courses in History and Theory before taking the exams again. All students are eligible to take Master’s qualifying courses at NEC in their fourth year, pending ability to fit these courses into their schedule.
Meet Your Advisor
Study Abroad
NEC does not have a policy for dealing with students who wish to study abroad while an undergraduate at Holy Cross. Individual situations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, assuming the student is able to continue lessons on zoom or identify an appropriate teacher while abroad. Subject to prior approval.
