Music Composition Masters Admissions

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to a master's program must:

• have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
• have a minimum 2.8 GPA (on a scale in which an A is a 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work
• present unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term. If accepted, official transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 209 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Office of Admissions.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

The GRE is not required for the Music Composition program.

To be considered for this program, you must meet the following requirements.

Degree and GPA

You must have a degree in music (or the equivalent for international students).

You also need a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.8 for the last 60 hours of undergraduate enrollment.

School of Music Application

You must submit a School of Music application (included within the University application).

Letters of Recommendation

This program requires three current letters of recommendation.

Musical Compositions

Submit two examples of recent musical compositions in PDF and MP3 formats.

Writing Sample (Optional)

You can submit one example of analytical writing on a musical work.

Performance Audition (Assistantships Only)

For full consideration for all assistantships, a live or recorded performance audition on your primary applied instrument is encouraged.

Find suggested repertoire of your specific instrument/voice.

Additional Admission Requirements (International Students Only)

The following documents need to be sent to the Office of Admissions.

• English translation(s) of official transcript(s), verified with fresh seals and signatures
• Declaration of Finances
• Official English Language Exam Score (TOEFL or IELTS). The minimum iBT TOEFL score is 79. The minimum overall IELTS score is 6.5. Official scores need to be sent to Illinois State directly from ETS (TOEFL) or the testing center which administered the test (IELTS).
• Copy of passport

Admission Dates and Deadlines

Graduate Coordinator