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Admission

Inquiries & Information

Application materials may be obtained from the Music Department Office:

Deborah Trahan
phone: (860) 486-3728
FAX: (860) 486-3796
email: Deborah.Trahan@uconn.edu

Submitting an Application

Some of the application materials should be sent to the Graduate School, whereas other materials are to be submitted directly to the Music Department.

The following items, required of all applicants, should be sent to the Graduate School, either online (http://www.grad.uconn.edu) or at the following address:

Graduate Admissions Office
438 Whitney Road Extension, U-1006
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269-1006

1. Completed Application Form

The form is the same for all programs and is available online. Degree applicants should specify the degree and area of concentration in the space provided. Applicants for the Performer's Certificate will check the "Certificate" box on the form.

2. Applications Processing Fee

The fee is $55 for online application, $75 for paper application.

3. Transcripts of all collegiate-level work

These should be requested from institutions you attended previously as early as possible. The admissions process can be delayed while waiting for transcripts.

4. TOEFL Scores (International students only)

This is required of all applicants whose native language is not English, but may be waived for those who already have a degree from an English-speaking college or university. See minimum acceptable scores under "Types of Admission" below.

The following table lists the materials required for each of the graduate programs in Music. These items should be sent to the Music Department at the following address:

Graduate Admissions, Department of Music
1295 Storrs Road, U-1012
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269-1012

M.M.
M.A.
D.M.A.
Ph.D.
Perf. Cert
Personal Letter of Application
X
X
X
X
X
2 Letters of Recommendation*
X
X
X
3 Letters of Recommendation*
X
X
GRE General Test Scores
X
UConn Graduate Theory Placement Test (or GRE Music Subject Test)**
X
X
X
X
Miller Analogies Test Scores (Music Education Applicants only)
X
Writing Sample***
X
X
X
Audiotape, Videotape, Programs (optional at this stage)
X
X
X

* At least one of the recommendations should come from a person who can speak to the applicant's academic background and achievement.

** The UConn Theory Placement Test is available only in the UConn Music Library and must be taken during a visit to campus. Call the Music Library at (860) 486-2502 to schedule the test, which is described below. International students and others who are long distances from campus may petition to take the test during the same visit as an audition or interview.

*** The writing sample should demonstrate the applicant's ability to do research appropriate to the degree as well as an ability to communicate effectively in written English. Appropriate writing samples include a thesis or representative term papers from previous college-level courses.

The Graduate Music Theory Placement Test is used to determine whether a student should take Music 290 (Theory Review) before enrolling in Music 302 (Analytic Techniques), which is required for all master's students in music and recommended for most doctoral students. The test is also used as a diagnostic tool to indicate whether a student is prepared to do graduate level work in this department. As with any test of its kind, students are not expected to get all the "right" answers, but rather to demonstrate a good working knowledge of certain skills and concepts. The examination includes the following:

  1. One example each of melodic and harmonic dictation.
  2. Music fundamentals (key signatures, intervals, etc.)
  3. Part writing, voice leading, and harmonic analysis (chord symbols and figured bass).
  4. Terms to identify and explain.
  5. Discussion questions pertaining to musical forms and genres.
  6. Analytical questions to test the student's ability to work with a musical score.
Students who wish to review these topics may consult the following sources:
For fundamentals, harmony and basic twentieth-century techniques:
Tonal Harmony (3rd or 4th ed.) by Stefan Kostka and Dorothy Payne (pub. McGraw-Hill).
For counterpoint (18th-century style):
Counterpoint (3rd or 4th ed.) by Kent Kennan (pub. Prentice-Hall)
For musical form:
Form in Tonal Music (1st or 2nd ed.) by Douglass Green (pub. Holt, Reinhart)
and
Classical Form by William Caplin (pub. Oxford Univ. Press)

Procedure for Evaluation of Applicants

The Graduate School reviews the application form and transcripts and, if they meet the minimum requirements for consideration, forwards them to the Music Department. When all the remaining materials are received (with the possible exception of the Graduate Theory Placement Test), the file is examined by the Director of Graduate Studies and a faculty admissions committee in the area of concentration. At this point the application may be refused, or the committee may decide to proceed by asking the applicant for an audition or interview. A video or audio recording is sometimes requested first, and in some cases (especially the Performer's Certificate), this may be sufficient for admission. However, a personal audition or interview is required if you wish to be considered for a graduate assistantship.

With the approval of the admissions committee, it may be possible to arrange an audition before the admissions file is complete. This is usually done as a convenience for students who live outside Connecticut, but who may be visiting at a particular time. In any case, remember that you cannot be admitted until all application requirements have been met, and you cannot be offered any type of financial aid until you have been admitted by the Music Department and the Graduate School.

Admissions are handled on a rolling schedule with no fixed deadlines, so that applicants may be notified of the committee decision at any time following the audition or interview. In many areas, only a small number of students can be admitted, and financial aid in all areas is limited. Therefore we strongly recommend that you submit all application materials as early as possible in order to receive full consideration.

Types of Admission

Students who are admitted on regular status are those who meet the standards expected for graduate study. However, students on regular status may also be required to take background courses in specific areas of deficiency as determined by the admissions committee or placement testing. Occasionally, master's applicants who do not fully meet the standards for regular status may be admitted as provisional students. If the initial twelve credits of course work are of good quality, the Major Advisor may request that a provisional student be granted regular status by sending a letter to the Graduate School. Neither doctoral students nor international students may be admitted on provisional status, and provisional students are not eligible for graduate assistantships and most other types of financial aid.

International students who do not meet minimum standards of English language proficiency may be considered for language-conditional status. Whereas very few language-conditional students are accepted into graduate music degree programs, students in the Performer's Certificate program may qualify. Minimum requirements are a computer-based TOEFL score of 213 or a written score of 550 for degree applicants, and 113 or 450 for the Performer's Certificate. Language-conditional students must meet this standard before completing their program of study.

With permission of the Music Department and the instructor, a student may register under non-degree status through the Division of Extended and Continuing Education. Non-degree status is available for students who wish to take specific courses at UConn and then transfer the credits to another institution. It is sometimes offered also to applicants who do not complete the admissions process before the beginning of classes, and to those who have been refused admission to a degree program, but who wish to reapply at a later time. Note that no more than six credits of non-degree work can be applied later to a degree program, and successful completion of non-degree courses does not ensure an applicant's ultimate admission into a degree or certificate program.