Northwestern University
School of Music
Admission
Graduate

The School of Music offers the graduate degrees Master of Music, Certificate of Performance, and Doctor of Music.

PhD degrees are also available in Music Studies (Musicology, Music Cognition, and Music Education) but are administered through the University Graduate School.  If you are interested in a PhD, please read further information about PhD program.

Candidates are selected for admission based on musicianship, scholarship, and personal character as demonstrated in the application for admission and financial aid.

All inquiries regarding graduate admission should be addressed to:

Office of Music Admission and Financial Aid
711 Elgin Road
Evanston, Illinois 60208-1200
Voice: 847-491-3141
Fax: 847-467-7440
Email: musiclife@northwestern.edu

 

Application Requirements


The materials below are required to complete the application for admission to all Master of Music, Certificate in Performance and Doctor of Music applications to the School of Music. You are responsible for ensuring that they are received by the Office of Music Admission and Financial Aid by the appropriate deadline. The University will not return any items submitted for admission consideration. Those denoted with an asterisk (*) are available online.

For detailed application instructions please refer to Graduate Application Instructions.

Master of Music Applicants

  1. *Application for Admission, available online

  2. *One-page personal statement

  3. *Nonrefundable $50 application fee

  4. Official transcripts. Provide official documentation from each postsecondary school attended, showing all courses taken, grades, credit received, and degrees awarded or expected.

  5. *Recommendation forms. Provide two letters from faculty members or music professionals qualified to comment on your potential for success in the program.

  6. Program admission requirements. These include performance auditions, analytical or research papers, essays, composition portfolios, or other entry requirements specified by a particular program (this information is specified in the online application).

  7. TOEFL scores. If your native language is not English, you must provide official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

  8. Financial aid applications. If you are applying for financial aid, completed applications for financial aid should be submitted by May 1.

  9. Performance Resumé or Curriculum Vitae

 

Certificate in Performance and Doctor of Music Applicants


All requirements listed above, plus:

  1. List of works studied/List of compositions

  2. List of performance-ready works/List of composition performances

 

 

Deadlines for Graduate Applicants


Application Materials


Master of Music

Audition requested by  January 1
   
Application due  January 1
   
Financial Aid materials due May 1
   
Audition completed by March 1
   
Preliminary tape due
(Only for flute, clarinet, percussion, conducting, voice applicants planning campus audition)
4 weeks prior to requested audition

 

Certificate in Performance

Application due  January 1
   
Preliminary tape due January 1
   
Financial aid materials due May 1

 

Doctor of Music

Application due  January 1
   
Preliminary tape due January 1
   
Financial aid materials due May 1

 

Four Summer Master’s Program in Music Education

Application due  April 15
   
Financial Aid materials due May 1

 

Notification and Reply for All Programs *

Admission decisions mailed by 1st week of April
   
Applicants reply/tuition deposit due by April 15 (Graduates)
May 1 (Undergraduates)

* Four-Summer Masters in Music Education applicants receive decisions on a rolling basis, approximately three to four weeks after submission of the application after April 15.

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