The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Music Technology is designed for students who wish to advance their studies in the recording arts, electronic and computer music, and emerging intermedia art forms. Graduates of the program typically plan to pursue careers as producers, recording engineers, audio technologists, educators, or contemporary artists.

Ramapo College offers Music students the ability to begin their MFA as undergraduates. This accelerates their graduate education and allows them to complete the MFA in one additional year and one summer beyond their 4-year Bachelor’s degree. Two graduate courses may be taken in the senior year at the substantially lower undergraduate tuition rate. These credits will double count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students interested in enrolling in the 4+1 track to the MFA should contact their undergraduate advisor, and the MFA Program Director, Ben Neill.

Upon completion of the MFA in CMT students will be able to:

• Evaluate and apply advanced techniques in music production, synthesis, recording, programming, editing and mastering
• Identify and interpret core theoretical foundations of audio
• Analyze and articulate the importance of context in diverse practices within music technology
• Integrate traditional, non-Western, and experimental approaches to musicianship and composition with music production skills
• Collaborate with others effectively and demonstrate leadership in professional situations
• Recognize and formulate innovative approaches to music technologies and careers

• Develop and apply advanced skills with appropriate hardware and software tools to produce commercially viable recordings in a broad range of musical styles
• Practice advanced mixing and mastering skills for distribution in digital and physical domains
• Relate and connect music with other creative disciplines including film, television, visual arts, critical theory, and interactive media
• Acquire sufficient proficiency writing creative code for interactive media and sonic arts
• Acquire knowledge of basic electronics and microcontrollers for creative musical express ion
• Plan, manage, lead, and complete all phases of creative music production projects independently
• Recognize and practice fluid connections between music composition and production
• Devise and implement original strategies for creative problem solving in all aspects of a music technology career
• Develop strategies for ongoing research in technical and creative aspects of the student’s specialization, culminating in a well written and substantial MFA thesis.

In addition to the courses for the undergraduate program, students will begin their graduate courses in their fourth year. The policy for Undergraduate students taking graduate-level courses is outlined at:

https://www.ramapo.edu/provost/policy/undergraduate-students-taking-graduate-courses/

Thus, students are limited to 3 graduate courses counting towards their undergraduate degree. As graduate level courses are 3 credit hours and undergraduate courses are typically 4 credit hours, students must ensure they have taken the sufficient number of credits to reach the 128 credit hours required for undergraduate graduation.

Some courses may double-count towards the undergraduate major or minor, and so you should speak with your undergraduate major or minor advisor for more information.

5th Year Graduate Courses