Admissions
Program Inquiries
Interested in a particular program? Visit the program website to learn more:
Application Inquiries
Inquiries related to the online application can be directed to SGPS at:
Email: gradapps@uwo.ca
Phone: 519-850-2341
Fax: 519-661-3730
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization
The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization in all aspects of graduate and postdoctoral studies. For more information regarding these commitments please visit grad.uwo.ca/edi-d.
Music
Master of Music (MMus)Meet Danial Derakhshan, MMus candidate in Music

Describe your research.
My compositional thesis research was about listeners' perception of passing time by gradually changing from ambiguity to clarity and vice versa. The material in my music repeats on large and small levels, which provides a familiar space and rhythm for the listener. Changes in repeating material affect the experience of passing time, in which time seems to expand and contract. Because the change is gradual and unpredictable, listeners may feel suspended in time—until a sudden realization or unexpected continuation happens. This suspension is a transformational process that embodies the philosophical concept of "pure becoming."
Where’s your favourite place on campus to work?
The electronic studios in the Don Wright Faculty of Music. I can access microphones, speakers, and other devices to make electronic music.
What is your “dream” career?
When we quote it as a "dream," we already know the reality differs. But still, I am working on becoming a professional sound designer.
What is it about your grad program that enables you to thrive?
One person can thrive in multiple disciplines and areas while experiencing this transformational time, like studying in a grad program. For example, I enhanced my communication skills and music-writing techniques.
Program Websites
Program Contact
Audrey Yardley-Jones (ayardley@uwo.ca)Graduate Program Assistant
Don Wright Faculty of Music
Western UniversityTalbot College, Room 216
London, Ontario N6A 3K7
t. 519-661-2111 ext. 85354
The Master of Music (MMus) degree is available in three fields: MMus in Composition; MMus in Literature and Performance; and MMus in Music Education.
Program Length
- 5 Terms (Full-time study)
Program Design
- Full-time study or part-time study
- Thesis-based or course-based
Funding Information
Applicants are encouraged to apply for the following scholarships (if eligible):
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fee schedules (per term) are posted on the Office of the Registrar's website at http://www.registrar.uwo.ca/student_finances/fees_refunds/fee_schedules.html
Admission Requirements
Detailed admission requirements by program:
English Language Proficiency
Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language:
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Minimum acceptable score is 550 for the paper and pencil version, 213 for the computer version, or 86 for the internet version with no individual score below 20. [Western's TOEFL ID is 0984].
- The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS Academic). Minimum acceptable score is 6.5 out of 9.
Application Deadline
- December 1 - Acceptance notification in early March.
Fields of Research
- Composition
- Music Education
- Performance