Master in Music (Master's)

Tuition is The cost per credit hour is $820. To complete the 30 credit hours required for graduation, the total tuition fee is $24,600..

Students lead music programs in community settings such as senior centers, after-school programs, churches, and healthcare facilities. They develop performance and teaching skills focused on inclusive, diverse audiences. The program emphasizes practical leadership through real-world projects and community engagement. It prepares graduates to organize and manage music initiatives that serve underrepresented groups.

Focus areas include Artist-Teaching, Community Leadership, Global Mission.

The program requires 30 credit hours of coursework, including core classes and track-specific courses. Students complete the degree through a combination of online and on-campus classes, with options for full-time or part-time study.

Graduates work as music instructors, ensemble leaders, program administrators, or music entrepreneurs in community organizations, churches, and international mission settings.

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree. A music background is required. Submission of a resume, statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation is needed. The program accepts applications for both fall and spring terms.

The programme totals about 30 credit hours. On-campus and online options available. Full-time or part-time study. Can be completed in as little as 16 months. For international students, tuition is below the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 63% of applicants.

Judson’s campus sits on the banks of the Fox River in Elgin, a suburban town a short drive from Chicago. Students can explore a riverside setting while staying close to the museums, galleries, design studios, and other opportunities of the Chicago area. Campus life includes residence halls, 22 intercollegiate sports teams competing in the NAIA, chapel, Bible studies, prayer meetings, and university-sponsored events. Individual visits and a virtual tour provide ways to explore the campus, facilities, and dorms.

Academic life follows a liberal arts tradition within Judson’s evangelical Christian mission and Baptist heritage. More than 60 programs span architecture and interior design, art, biblical and Christian ministries, business, communication, computer science, criminal justice, education, exercise and sport science, mathematics and science, music, psychology, and social services. Architecture includes a one-year preceptorship, while programs in art, photography, chemistry, biology, accounting, and computer science combine professional preparation with small classes and faculty attention. Study options include undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, certificate, main-campus, Rockford-campus, and online formats.

International students join a community that includes learners from 28 countries and is predominantly, though not exclusively, Christian. Judson’s mission places faith, personal relationships, work, citizenship, and lifelong learning at the center of the educational experience. A 10:1 student-faculty ratio and 76% of classes enrolling fewer than 20 students support close academic contact. Financial aid is available through scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study positions, and more than 99% of students receive assistance.