The School of Music offers training toward two specific graduate degrees in music: Master of Music (MM) requiring a minimum of 36 credit hours of graduate credit, and Master of Music Education (MME) requiring 30 credit hours. All programs require a minimum of 24 credit hours of residence at the University of Louisville. Major subjects in the Master of Music curriculum are music performance with concentrations in choral, wind, or orchestral conducting; instrumental, piano, or vocal performance; jazz performance or jazz composition and arranging; piano, string, or wind band pedagogy; music history; music theory; and music composition. The Master of Music Education program allows an applied music minor in an instrument, voice, or conducting. Each degree program has specific prerequisites, entrance requirements, and programmatic expectations that are described in the relevant section of the catalog.
The Department of Performance Studies is dedicated to the development of the musical and technical abilities of the music student through classical performance training on the individual performance instruments. The department offers training in voice and in the brass, wind, percussion, string and keyboard instruments, as well as conducting. The lessons are presented in a one-on-one, nurturing environment. The faculty members are all active performers. A student's mastery of a major performance instrument is an extremely important component of advanced musical training, and opportunities for performance experience are provided through various venues. The faculty also coach chamber music and teach courses regarding the literature for and pedagogy of their various instruments.

