Is it worth getting a master’s degree in computer science?

SMU Lyle notes that students gain practical skills applicable across computer science industries and other fields, and reports an average starting salary of over $100,000 for graduates (2023–2024).

What is the highest paid job in computer science?

The page cites examples of high-paying roles such as software architects, data scientists and security engineers.

Does SMU Lyle offer an online master’s of computer science?

Yes. Students can complete the degree online through flexible options (including synchronous online or recorded classes), and the AI specialization is offered 100% online.

How does the department support AI research and access to computing resources?

The program emphasizes implementing AI and machine learning solutions, including artificial neural networks and deep learning methods, and provides opportunities to build practical AI capabilities.

Can you get a master’s in computer science without a bachelor’s in computer science?

Yes, but students must meet competency requirements such as programming in a high-level language and demonstrating competence in core areas of computer science, along with advisor and department approval.

Which industries hire graduates with an AI-focused computer science degree?

The page notes that AI impacts many industries, including information technology, education, manufacturing and financial services, with roles such as machine learning engineers, senior data scientists and computer vision engineers.

What can you do with a master’s in music education?

Students with a master’s degree in music education can excel in a variety of roles, including: Early childhood–grade 12 music educators Private music instructors Music directors Arts administrators Artistic directors

A student in SMU’s Master’s in Music Education presents research to faculty.

Graduate programs

Master of Music in music education

Q: How long does a master’s in computer science take?

Two years full time; three years part time.

Empowering music educators to shape the future of teaching and learning

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Program format

In person

Commitment

Full time or part time

Duration

Two years (full time);
Three years (part time)

Overview

The Master of Music in music education degree at SMU is designed for music educators who want to deepen their thinking, expand their expertise and grow professionally within a supportive community of musicians and educators.

The music education master’s degree may be earned in two years as a full-time student or in three years as a part-time student who is employed full-time as a music educator. A minimum of 30 credits is required for completion of the degree, composed of courses in music education history and philosophy, research design and teaching methods, as well as additional coursework in the area of a student’s specialty.

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Student success

SMU is located in the heart of Dallas, a vibrant city and major cultural center. As a result, you will not only have access to all the advantages of being a student in the Division of Music at this prominent University but will be within easy reach of more than 500 cultural events a year.

This program prepares you to excel in the following areas and professions:

K–12 music educator
Postsecondary music instructor or adjunct professor
Private music instructor
Music director
Arts administrator
Music program coordinator
Music librarian
Artistic director

Top 20%

Best National Universities

U.S. News & World Report (2026)

37 years

average faculty teaching experience

1

evening per week for part-time coursework

Student stories

SMU master's in music education graduate Kristin Stubblefield teaches elementary-level music.

Kristin Stubblefield B.M. ’19, M.M. ’25

Stubblefield utilized the program’s unique blend of technical curricula and hands-on experiences to uncover her passion for elementary-level music teaching.

Admissions

Deadlines and details

Key dates and admissions information to help plan your application with confidence.

International students

All the essential admission requirements international students need to know.

Application questions

Find answers to Meadows application questions.

Additional links

Requirements

Application
Application fee
Official transcript
English language proficiency documentation (if applicable)
A Bachelor of Music degree from an accredited institution

View all requirements

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Tuition and financial aid

Tuition and costs

Explore the cost breakdown of tuition for graduate programs.

Financial aid

Find information on scholarships and financial support available at SMU.

Curriculum and learning

Featured courses

MUED 6340

Research in Music Education

Looks at methods in music education and instruction, with emphasis on research designs, methods, materials, and analysis and interpretation of research literature.

MUED 6352

Foundations of Music Education

Philosophical and historical foundations of music education, with implications for organization and curriculum of school music.

View course catalog

Featured news

Meadows School of the Arts, one of the nation’s premier institutions of performing, communication and visual arts, presents approximately 400 events each year, including elaborate main stage productions, student-produced works, recitals, seminars, exhibits and workshops. By showcasing newsworthy and innovative projects, student and faculty awards and alumni spotlights, the Division of Music encourages its students, and the SMU community, to celebrate their successes while pursuing a love of music.

Meadows Summer Workshops Enrich Music Education Community

Faculty

The distinguished music faculty members at SMU Meadows are internationally recognized performers, scholars and educators dedicated to mentoring the next generation of artists.

The faculty is committed to the highest standards of teaching and to active professional participation in music performance and research.

Christopher Adkins

Adjunct Professor of Cello

Charles C. Aguillon

Director of Athletic Bands
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music

Stephen Ahearn

Adjunct Associate Professor of Clarinet

Sarah Allen

Associate Professor and Co-Chair of Music Education

Christopher S. Anderson

Associate Professor of Sacred Music

Sergei Babayan

Joel Estes Tate Endowed Chair in Piano and Artist in Residence

George Baker

Adjunct Associate Professor of Organ

Brian Bentley

Adjunct Lecturer

Aaron Boyd

Chair of Strings, Director of Chamber Music

John Bryant

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Drumset Studies

Bryan Burns

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Guitar

Sara Chigani

JW Brown Music Therapist-in-Residence

Kim Corbet

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Jazz/Rock History/Interdisciplinary Studies

Edward Cumming

Martha Raley Peak Endowed Centennial Chair
Director of the Meadows Symphony Orchestra

Sara Daneshpour

Assistant Professor

Jack Delaney

Director of Bands and Professor of Music
Chair of Instrumental Ensembles

Andres Diaz

Professor of Cello

Virginia Dupuy

Professor, Voice

Stefan Engels

Leah Young Fullinwider Centennial Chair in Music Performance and Professor of Organ

Donald Fabian

Adjunct Associate Professor of Saxophone

Mark Feezell

Senior Lecturer in Music Theory and Composition,
Co-Chair of Music Theory and Composition

Kevin Finamore

Adjunct Professor of Trumpet

Clifton Forbis

Professor and Chair of Voice

Kevin Gunter

Associate Director, Division of Music
Senior Lecturer II, Coordinator of Class Piano

Lane Harder

Senior Lecturer in Music Theory and Composition
Co-Chair of Music Theory and Composition

Carole Harris

Assistant to the Director, Coordinator for Business Operations and Planning

Daniel Hawkins

Adjunct Professor of Horn

Barry Hearn

Adjunct Associate Professor of Trombone

Laura Hearn

Assistant Director, Division of Music

Willa Henigman

Adjunct Associate Professor of Oboe

Christopher Hepburn

Adjunct Lecturer of Musicology

David Heyde

Adjunct Associate Professor of Horn

Sam Holland

Algur H. Meadows Dean and Professor of Music

Chad Hoopes

Professor of Practice in Violin

Haley Hoops

Adjunct Associate Professor of Horn

Derrick Horne

Professor of Practice in Music
Director of the Meadows Jazz Orchestra

Ronald Houston

Adjunct Associate Professor of Viola and Violin

Hyae-jin Hwang

Lecturer in Piano Pedagogy

Lynne Jackson

Adjunct Lecturer in Wind Pedagogy

Brian Jones

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Percussion

Jonathan Jones

Director of Meadows World Music Ensemble

Thomas Keck

Director, Division of Music and Professor of Music

Camille King

Adjunct Associate Professor of Voice

Kara Kirkendoll Welch

Adjunct Associate Professor, Flute

Diane Kitzman

Adjunct Associate Professor, Violin

April Kondrat

Adjunct Lecturer

Peter Kupfer

Associate Professor of Musicology

Drew Lang

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Percussion

Pierre Lapointe

Adjunct Associate Professor of Viola

Jon Lee

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Music Education

Carol Leone

Professor of Piano, chair of Piano Studies

Emily Levin

Adjunct Associate Professor of Harp

Janice Lindstrom

Chair and Senior Lecturer II, Music Therapy

Michael Lively

Senior Lecturer in Music Theory

Catharine Lysinger

Professor of Practice, Piano Performance and Pedagogy, Piano Preparatory Department

Alessandro Mazzamuto

Adjunct Associate Professor of Piano

Darren McHenry

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Bass Trombone

Andreas Mitisek

Associate Professor of Practice
Director of Opera Theatre

Jamal Mohamed

Adjunct Lecturer, Director of Hand Drumming Ensemble

Barbara Hill Moore

Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Professor of Voice

Susie Moten

Adjunct

Melissa Murchison Murray

Senior Lecturer in Music Theory

Naoko Nakamura

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Harp

George Nickson

Chair of Percussion Department, Professor of Practice, Director and Conductor of SYZYGY,…

Kristina Nielsen

Chair, Department of Musicology
Associate Professor of Musicology

Chris Oliver

Adjunct Associate Professor of Trombone

Brian Perry

Adjunct Associate Professor, Double Bass

Andrey Ponochevny

Adjunct Artist in Residence

Diane Powell

Adjunct Professor

Gregory Raden

Adjunct Associate Professor of Clarinet

James Richman

Adjunct Lecturer, Harpsichord

Jarrod Robertson

Adjunct Assistant Professor

James Romeo

Adjunct Associate Professor of Flute

Adam Salas

Adjunct Associate Professor

Benjamin Scheer

Adjunct Lecturer in Music Composition and Theory

Paul Schmidt

Adjunct Lecturer in Wind Pedagogy

Julie Scott, Ph.D.

Professor of Practice in Music Education; Co-Chair, Music Education; Director, SMU Music…

Alexander Sitkovetsky

Artist-in-Residence, Violin

Ed Smith

Adjunct Lecturer, Vibraphone

Jason Smith

Senior Lecturer and Vocal Coach

Ted Soluri

Adjunct Associate Professor of Bassoon

Stuart Stephenson

Adjunct Associate Professor of Trumpet

Marcell Silva Steuernagel

Associate Professor of Church Music and Director of the Master of Sacred Music Program

Christina Stock

Adjunct Professor

Rosalyn Story

Adjunct Lecturer of Musicology

Leon P. Turner

Assistant Professor of Practice

Laureen L. Whitelaw

Adjunct Lecturer of Musicology

Margaret Winchell

Director of Choral Activities
Assistant Professor of Music

Wu Qian

Adjunct Associate Professor in Piano Chamber Music

Dongni Xie

Collaborative Piano Coordinator

Xi Wang

Professor of Music Composition and Theory

Facilities

The Meadows School of the Arts boasts a multitude of environments for performing arts and learning.

Concert performances take place in Caruth Auditorium, O’Donnell Hall and Perkins Chapel, with opera productions in the Bob Hope Theatre.

An inspiring collection of more than 110,000 books and scores, 31,000 audio and video recordings, and 100,000 items in special collections are housed in the Jake and Nancy Hamon Arts Library.

Music students benefit from 50 individual practice rooms and a laboratory for class instruction in piano, theory and improvisation. The school also features 30 Steinway grand pianos, three harpsichords and eight pipe organs.

Other facilities include an electronic music studio for research, creation, production and instruction of electro-acoustic music and an on-campus music therapy clinic that offers student therapists opportunities for faculty-supervised, clinical practicum experiences.

Caruth Auditorium

The 490-seat concert hall with an acoustical construction can be “tuned” for any type of musical presentation.

O’Donnell Hall

The versatile, 168-seat O’Donnell Hall is used as a classroom, lecture hall, recital hall and screening room for music, art history, photography and advertising classes and seminars.

Request more info about this program

Request more info about the M.M. in music education program.

Frequently asked questions

Designed for music educators who want to expand their expertise and grow professionally, the Master of Music in music education is a flexible degree that may be earned in two years as a full-time student or in three years as a part-time student who may be employed full-time. With a master’s in music education, graduates elevate their careers as exemplary teachers, become educational leaders in public or private schools or undertake further studies at the doctorate level.

A minimum of 30 credits is required for completion of the degree, composed of courses in music education, history and philosophy, research design and teaching methods, as well as additional coursework in the area of a student’s specialty. Students may choose an elementary music, choral, instrumental, piano pedagogy or string pedagogy concentration.

Students with a master’s degree in music education can excel in a variety of roles, including:

Early childhood–grade 12 music educators
Private music instructors
Music directors
Arts administrators
Artistic directors

Not necessarily. Full-time students holding a Bachelor of Music degree may enter the program without prior teaching experience and can pursue teacher certification as part of the degree.

Yes. Our flexible program is designed for practicing music educators. Evening and summer courses allow students to continue teaching full time while completing the degree part time.

Students with a Bachelor of Music degree may pursue a Master of Music in music education with Texas teacher certification. We do not currently offer a pathway for certification outside the master’s degree.

The music education faculty members bring significant years of successful public school teaching experience to their courses, providing students with knowledge and experiences in teaching methodologies and practices that reflect the most current research in the field of music teaching and learning.

A minimum of 30 credits is required for completion of the master’s degree in music education, composed of courses in music education history and philosophy, research design and teaching methods, as well as additional coursework in the area of a student’s specialty.

Students from all musical backgrounds are welcome to explore the M.M. in music education, as long as they have completed a Bachelor of Music degree.