The Interdisciplinary Conservatory, established in 2022, serves as the home for performing arts degree programs that cross traditional boundaries between the Music and Theatre Conservatories and/or draw substantially on coursework offered in other colleges across Roosevelt University.

The Interdisciplinary Conservatory is led by a Chair and organized into program areas coordinated by directors. At the graduate level, the curriculum with a major in Composition leads to the degree of Master of Music, while curricula in Performing Arts Administration and Theatre Directing lead to the degree of Master of Arts.

For information about master’s programs, please consult the university’s graduate catalog.

Admission

Admission to Roosevelt University does not constitute admission to the Interdisciplinary Conservatory. To be admitted to the Interdisciplinary Conservatory, students must present a successful audition, interview, or other evidence of aptitude in the chosen major in addition to meeting the university’s entrance requirements. Prospective students should contact the Office of Enrollment and Student Services  and consult the CCPA website to obtain specific audition requirements for each major program.

Applicants for the Master of Music degree must hold a Bachelor of Music degree or the equivalent. Qualified students holding a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music may be admitted if they fulfill departmental entrance requirements. A student’s program may be extended if undergraduate prerequisite coursework in the field of study is required.

Before registering for the initial semester, students pursuing the Master of Music degree must complete diagnostic examinations in music theory, music history, and analysis. Study and review materials for the diagnostic examinations are available online during the summer prior to matriculation. Additional specialized assessments may be required according to the student’s major (e.g., language skills, orchestration, sight-reading).

International students will be assessed for English proficiency upon arrival at the university.

Degree requirements

All candidates for the Master of Music degree must meet the following requirements:

• Residency and enrollment of two academic years;
• Satisfactory completion of program course requirements;
• Presentation of a recital or thesis composition in fulfillment of program requirements;
• Completion of the Graduate Dossier with contributions throughout the students time in coursework.

Academic policies

Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance at classes, rehearsals, and lessons reflects the professional standards expected in the performing arts. Without such standards of conduct, it is not possible to sustain a career in the field.

Many classes include an attendance requirement, which will be specified in the syllabus. However, students should understand that attendance is expected in the Interdisciplinary Conservatory even when it does not constitute a portion of the course grade. Students should notify instructors if they are unable to attend class (e.g., due to illness) and should complete any missed assignments promptly.

Perfect attendance is expected in applied music study (private lessons). If a lesson must be canceled for unavoidable reasons, the instructor should be notified at least 24 hours in advance when possible. Failure to notify the applied instructor by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the lesson relieves the instructor of any obligation to make up the lesson. Regularly scheduled lessons that fall on university holidays will be made up; the student and instructor share responsibility for arranging a mutually agreeable time.

Any student who misses three lessons without proper notification will receive an immediate failing grade for the semester and will not be permitted to present the jury examination at the end of the semester. Students who do not appear for the required jury examination will receive a failing grade for the course.

Because membership in a performing ensemble carries responsibility to the director, fellow ensemble members, and the Conservatory, school functions take precedence over outside activities. Students are expected to attend all rehearsals and performances. Please see Ensembles below for additional information.

Ensembles