Apply
Questions?
Music Admissions Office
musicapply@umn.edu | 612-624-2847.
Schedule a visit between September - May and request your tour include the School of Music.
The following programs require a formal application and entrance audition for the School of Music. Additionally, the music education and music therapy programs require an entrance interview.
- Bachelor of Music (Performance, Music Education, Music Therapy)
- Bachelor of Arts with Applied Emphasis
- Music Minor
- Music PSEO
The BA in Music with Academic Emphasis does not require an application for admission or audition.
Music Application Instructions
Admission to the School of Music is contingent upon undergraduate admission to and good standing in the College of Liberal Arts or another degree-granting college at the University of Minnesota. Students do not have to wait until they have been formally admitted to the University before applying to the School of Music (Step 2).
A complete application to the University of Minnesota School of Music includes the following components, all due by the application deadlines listed below.
- Online Application: available in September, 2017. You may request to be notified by a member of the music admissions team once the 2018 application is available. Application includes: private lesson instructor preference, audition and interview date selection, educational and music instruction history, recent musical achievements (awards, recitals, competitions, festivals, etc.), and opportunity to articulate musical goals and reasons for applying to the School of Music.
- $45 Non-Refundable Music Application Fee
- Screening Video: Required for applicants auditioning on piano, voice, violin, viola, cello, or double bass
- Two Letters of Recommendation: Recommenders should be able to speak to the student's abilities as they relate to music (e.g. ensemble director, lesson instructor, counselor, etc.). Please submit letters via the online submission form.
2018 Music Application Deadlines
- November 1, 2017 for spring 2018 entrance
- December 15, 2017 for fall 2018 entrance*
*The music therapy program only admits for fall entrance.
STEP 3: Audition and Interview for the School of Music
The audition and interview date selected on the School of Music online application is considered confirmed, provided the student maintains an active application the School of Music and the University of Minnesota, and passes any screening round required of their instrument. Due to the high volume of applications, the School of Music cannot consider requests for specific times of day, or requests to reschedule.
2018 Audition & Interview Dates:
- Saturday, December 2, 2017 - spring 2018 entrance only
- Saturday, January 20, 2018 - fall 2018 entrance
- Saturday, January 27, 2018 - fall 2018 entrance
Live Auditions: Auditions take place between 8:00 a.m.– 8:00 p.m., with a formal time sent to two weeks prior. Review audition requirements.
Recorded Auditions: It is to a student's benefit to complete a live audition for the faculty. However, recorded auditions are available for students located 200+ miles from the University of Minnesota. Recorded auditions are due by the application deadline. Review recorded audition submission guidelines.
Interviews: Music therapy and music education applicants must complete an interview with the faculty. Interviews take place between 8:00 a.m.– 8:00 p.m. central time, with a formal time sent to the student two weeks prior. Applicants who are submitting a recorded audition must still complete an interview via Skype on the dates above. Interviews may be conducted in person, or via Skype or GoogleHangouts. Students should complete the Music Education/Music Therapy Interview Profile and bring a printed copy of their responses to the interview.
Admission Decisions
Students who apply by the application deadlines will receive notification of their music admission status no later than May 1 for fall entry and January 15 for spring entry. If denied admission to the School of Music, applicants must wait one full academic year before they are eligible to re-apply unless otherwise indicated in their formal admissions decision letter.
Scholarships
Students who complete their applications for fall enrollment to the BMus and BA Applied programs by the application deadline and gain admission to the University of Minnesota are automatically considered for department-level music scholarships. Learn more about scholarships.
Instructor Preference
Students have the opportunity to indicate their primary and secondary choice of private lesson instructor. Every effort will be made to honor these requests based on studio availability and general balance in individual studios, however, we cannot guarantee placement.
Housing
Most incoming music, art, theatre, dance and honors majors choose to live in Middlebrook Hall, the dormitory located next door to the School of Music on the West Bank of campus overlooking the Mississippi River. In order to secure a spot in Middlebrook, students must apply for housing and list Middelbrook as their first choice of dorm. You may apply for housing as soon as the application is posted in November of each year. You do not need to wait to be admitted to or confirmed to enroll at the University of Minnesota before you apply for housing; the earlier you submit your housing application, the more likely you are to be placed in your first choice of dormitory.