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

Equivalency and PSEO applicants please see specialized instructions. Transfer applicants please find additional information below.​ The BA in Music with Academic Emphasis does not require an application for admission or audition.  

Music Application Instructions

STEP 1: Apply for Undergraduate Admission to the University of Minnesota
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. You do not have to wait until you have been admitted to the University before applying to the School of Music (Step 2). PSEO applicants should apply directly to the U of M PSEO program and move to Step 2. Equivalency applicants may proceed to Step 2 without applying to the University. 

STEP 2: Apply to the School of Music
The School of Music will begin accepting applications for 2019 entrance in September 2018. Please submit all of the following components by Dec 1, 2018 for fall 2019 entrance or November 1, 2018 for spring 2019 entrance. Please note: the music therapy program only admits for fall entrance. 

• Online Music Application (availble here in September 2018)  
  The online music application can only be completed in one session and will gather information on the following topics:
  • Personal contact information
  • Desired program and primary instrument
  • ​Private lesson instructor preference
  • Audition and Interview date preference
  • Educational and music instruction history 
  • Recent musical achievements (awards, recitals, competitions, festivals, etc.)
  • Your musical and career goals, and what drew you to apply to the School of Music
• $45 Non-Refundable Music Application Fee​    
  The fee must be received before the application materials will be reviewed or any audition/interview scheduled. Eligible students may apply for a fee waiver.
• Screening Video   
  Due by the application deadline, a screening video is required only of applicants auditioning for voice, piano, violin, viola, cello, or double bass studios.
• Two Letters of Recommendation
  • ​The faculty encourage applicants to submit two letters of recommendation from references who can speak to their music background and potential for success in their chosen field. Please use the Recommendation for Admission and Scholarship Form when requesting letters. Recommenders can then submit the completed form along with any additional documents via email to musicapply@umn.edu. Applications without letters of recommendation will still be reviewed for admissibility and scholarship. 
  • Students who wish to submit additional materials or updates to their file may do so by emailing musicapply@umn.edu. 

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.

2019 Audition & Interview Dates: 

• Saturday, December 1 - spring 2019 entrance 
• Saturday, January 26 - fall 2019 entrance
• Saturday, February 2 - fall 2019 entrance

Live Auditions: Auditions take place between 8:00 a.m.– 8:00 p.m. on the School of Music audition dates, with a formal time sent to auditionees 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 a School of Music formal audition. 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 March 15 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.  

To transfer to the School of Music, you must follow the three step process on the Apply page. In addition, you will need to submit a completed Transfer Release Form. See the process for transferring music credits.

Transfer Students 

As an accredited, institutional member school of the National Association for Schools of Music, we require students who are currently enrolled at a school of music and looking to transfer to the University of Minnesota School of Music to submit a transfer release form by the application deadline of their desired term of entry. Forms may be submitted electronically to musicapply@umn.edu, or by post to Music Admissions, 200A Ferguson Hall, 2106 4th Street South, Minneapolis MN 55455

If you have taken music coursework for credit at another institution, you may be able to apply those credits toward, and be exempt from, the equivalent coursework at the School of Music. This will require you to undergo a transfer course review process that may include: placement exams for theory and ear training, syllabus review for academic and specialized music courses, and a transfer jury at the end of your first semester at the University for applied lessons and ensembles. Students transferring must take placement exams and have syllabi reviewed at the beginning of their first semester after admission. Transfer specialists in the Office of Admissions will provide applicants with information on the transfer of liberal education/general credits to the University of Minnesota.