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How to Apply

Graduate Admissions General Requirements

To apply to a School of Music graduate program, you must:

1. Hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent with a major emphasis in musicology/ethnomusicology, composition or theory, music performance, music education, or music therapy.

2. The GRE general exam is required for all graduate applicants in music education, music therapy, musicology/ethnomusicology, theory, and composition. The GRE is NOT required for all other graduate programs; however, you must take the GRE if you wish to be considered for University-wide competitive fellowships. Eligibility for these fellowships usually requires GRE scores in the 80th percentile or above and a high grade point average, in addition to a nomination by the School of Music. GRE scores must be available by January 1. The GRE general exam is available both in paper-based and computerized formats, with computerized tests reporting scores within two weeks in most areas.

Students must submit GRE results from tests taken within the past five years. Scores older than five years will not be accepted.

Please send all test scores to both the School of Music and the Graduate School. The Graduate School ETS code is 6874; the School of Music department ETS code is 2404.

For more information, contact:

A GRE practice test is available online. Visit www.testprepreview.com/gre_practice.htm

3. The Graduate School requires that all international students submit an official IELTS or TOEFL score.  One of these tests is required of all international applicants whose native language is not English, except those who will have completed 24 quarter or 16 semester credits (within the past 24 months) in residence as a full-time student at a recognized institution of higher learning in the United States before entering the University of Minnesota. To be eligible for this exemption, previously taken courses must include academic classes, and must be approved by the School of Music Director of Graduate Studies. These students may be asked to take locally administered English tests after arrival on campus.  In order to be considered for admission into a graduate program at the School of Music, and exempt from any supplementary English language study, international students must achieve the following minimum scores:

Please send all test scores to both the School of Music and the Graduate School. The Graduate School ETS code is 6874; the School of Music department ETS code is 2404.

TOEFL/IELTS tests more than two years old will not be accepted.

If admitted by the University, you will receive a Financial Certification Form. Please complete and return this form as soon as possible.   When received, the Graduate School will send you an I-20 form along with information about how to obtain your visa.

 

Step One

Apply to the Graduate School

Students must be accepted to both the University of Minnesota and the School of Music in order to be music majors.

To apply to the Graduate School, fill out the online application.

Additional application materials required by the Graduate School are described fully on the Graduate School website. Materials requested by the Graduate School, including an official transcript from each previous college attended (including the University of Minnesota), must be returned to:

Although you may be admitted any semester, you will have the greatest opportunity for financial assistance if you apply before January 1 for fall admission. The application deadlines for each term are printed on the Graduate School application form.

As part of the online Graduate School application, all School of Music applicants are required to submit 3 letters of recommendation. Recommendations should be provided by professionals in the music field who can attest to your musical and academic abilities. Recommendation letters should be submitted online as part of the Graduate School Application. If a recommender requests a hard copy of the recommendation form, one must be printed from your online graduate school application and given to the recommender. Paper recommendations MUST be submitted to the School of Music at:

Graduate Music Admissions
100c Ferguson Hall
2106 4th Street S
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Do not send paper recommendations to the Graduate School.

Step Two

Apply to the School of Music

To apply to the School of Music, fill out the online application.

In addition to completing the Graduate School application, other supporting materials must be submitted to the School of Music. These materials can now be submitted in one of two ways: 1) You may upload your resume and repertoire list into the on-line Graduate School application and submit supplemental materials electronically; 2) For those items too large or cumbersome to submit electronically, paper materials may be sent directly to the School of Music Graduate Studies Office at 100 Ferguson Hall, 2106 4th Street S, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Please do not send supplemental materials to individual faculty members or divisions within the School of Music. To find out more about the audition and application process and for an Application for Audition, visit the Audition Dates and Information page.

You will be notified of your admission status once your graduate file is complete and has been reviewed by the graduate faculty in your area and a recommendation made to the Graduate School. Final admissions decisions are made by the Graduate School. You will not receive an official letter from the School of Music. The Graduate School will contact you in regard to your final admissions decision via email.

Additional Materials

Various degree programs require the following additional application materials:

Theory (M.A., Ph.D.)

Composition (M.A., Ph.D.)

Musicology/Ethnomusicology (M.A., Ph.D.)

Music Education/Music Therapy (M.A.)

Music Education/Music Therapy (Ph.D.)

Collaborative Piano/Coaching (M.M., D.M.A.)

Conducting (D.M.A.)

Choral Conducting (M.M.)
Orchestral Conducting (M.M.)
Wind Ensemble/Band Conducting (M.M.)

Performance (M.M., D.M.A.)

 

M.M./M.A. Concurrent Degrees

The University of Minnesota School of Music offers graduate students the option of concurrently pursuing an M.M. in performance with one of our M.A. degree programs.

The eligible M.M. programs include the following: Instrumental Performance, Accompanying / Coaching, Choral Conducting, Wind Band Conducting, Orchestral Conducting, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Violin Performance & Suzuki Pedagogy, and Voice.

The eligible M.A. programs include the following: Music Theory, Composition, Music Education, and Musicology / Ethnomusicology.

Students interested in applying for both the M.M. and the M.A. need to specify the programs of interest on the online School of Music application and the online application for Scholarships, Fellowships and Assistantships. Applicants to these programs must satisfy the admissions requirements for both programs.

To be considered for both programs, students must also apply online to the Graduate School for both programs and pay two application fees. Please refer to the Graduate School website.

Other Dual Degree Information

The University of Minnesota DOES NOT allow graduate students to pursue more than one field of study in the same degree type. For example, an M.M. applicant may not apply for both guitar and piano study.

Students must choose their area of study in advance of applying to the Graduate School.

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