FAQ

Graduate Admissions

1. How do I apply to Baylor University?
2. If I am accepted to the University, am I automatically accepted into the School of Music?
3. Am I required to audition for the School of Music?
4. What do I do if I cannot attend a scheduled audition day?
5. What do I perform for the audition?
6. Is it possible to double major?
7. Do I have to submit GRE scores?
8. How will I know if I get a graduate assistantship?
9. If I am accepted to both the Graduate School and the School of Music, but do not receive a music graduate assistantship, are other financial aid options available?
10. For international applicants, what is the English-language proficiency requirement?
11. Where can I find a Graduate Catalog?
12. Once I have been accepted, when can I register for classes?
13. When should I plan to arrive on campus?
14. What are Diagnostic Exams?

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Graduate Admissions

1. How do I apply to Baylor University?
Apply to BOTH the Baylor Graduate School and the School of Music before the February 1 deadline to begin in the Fall. See How to Apply.

2. If I am accepted to the University, am I automatically accepted into the School of Music?
No. Getting into the School of Music is a dual-acceptance process. In order to gain admission to the School of Music, you must also be accepted by the Graduate School; acceptance for one does not guarantee acceptance for the other. Those applying for the Church Music Dual Degree (MDiv/MM) must ALSO Apply to Truett Seminary.

3. Am I required to audition for the School of Music?
Only students applying for the following majors must complete an audition on their primary instrument:

• Church Music (Performance or Conducting emphasis)
• Collaborative Piano
• Conducting
• Performance (all areas)
• Piano Pedagogy & Performance

On-campus audition days provide an opportunity for students to display their abilities and to meet the faculty. The audition day also provides an opportunity to have questions answered concerning the School of Music, the admissions process, student financial aid, housing, campus life, and other aspects of being a music graduate student at Baylor.

4. What do I do if I cannot attend a scheduled audition day?
Students applying for graduate studies who are unable to attend an on-campus audition day are recommended to contact the appropriate instrument professor (preferred) before choosing to upload recorded audition materials to their School of Music application on Acceptd.

5. What do I perform for the audition?

Choose your audition area below for more details:

• Brass
• Conducting
• Organ
• Percussion
• Piano
• Strings
• Voice
• Woodwinds

6. Is it possible to double major?
Students who wish to pursue a major in two areas (e.g., Musicology and Piano Performance) must first apply to and be accepted by one of the areas. After enrollment in the first program, when the admission requirements for the second area have been met and the faculty in that area has accepted the student into the second major, the student may petition the Graduate School to add the second major. An additional 15-18 credit hours will be required to complete the major in the second area. Except for the core course requirements of 9 credit hours and some elective hours, no courses can be credited toward degree requirements in both areas (e.g., a recital in the Piano Pedagogy and Performance area cannot be used to fulfill degree recital requirements in the Piano Performance area).

7. Do I have to submit GRE scores?
Applicants to the Master of Music program in Music Theory and Musicology are required to submit GRE scores. Baylor's institution code is 6032.

8. How will I know if I get a graduate assistantship?
Graduate Associate positions (graduate assistantships) are awarded based on the recommendation of the faculty in the student's major area. Decisions typically begin to be made about April 1 (March 15 for Conducting) and may take up to two months to complete. Candidates will be notified of their status by email as soon as possible after this has been determined.

Students who are awarded Graduate Associate positions will be asked to sign and return a contract. The Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the School of Music will make the official notice of Graduate Associate position awards in writing. Any discussion of Graduate Associate position awards or assignments prior to that notice, or by any other persons, shall be considered preliminary and unofficial.

9. If I am accepted to both the Graduate School and the School of Music, but do not receive a music graduate assistantship, are other financial aid options available?
Other resources for funding include: work study programs, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, outside scholarships, GradPlus loans, and alternative loans. For more information, please contact the Student Financial Aid Office.

10. For international applicants, what is the English-language proficiency requirement?
International graduate applicants must demonstrate English-language proficiency by submitting either TOEFL or IELTS scores. Baylor's Institution Code: 6032.

Minimum TOEFL scores for master's degrees are: 550 paper, 213 computer-based, 80 internet-based. The minimum IELTS score for master's degrees is 6.5. Minimum DuoLingo score is 125.

Minimum TOEFL scores for doctoral degrees are: 600 paper, 250 computer-based, 100 internet-based. Comparable scores on the IELTS or PTE exams may also be submitted for doctoral degrees.

International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement under the following circumstances:

• You have a conferred degree from an institution in the United States
• Your degree was issued from an institution where the medium of instruction is English.

No one will be admitted who does not meet these minimum standards because we want students to be successful academically as well as in a performance area.

11. Where can I find a Graduate Catalog?
The current Graduate Catalog can be downloaded here on the Graduate School's site.

12. Once I have been accepted, when can I register for classes?
Incoming graduate students must be advised by the School of Music Associate Dean for Graduate Studies before they can register for classes. Before you arrive on campus, please email the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies to set up an advising appointment.

13. When should I plan to arrive on campus?
Please plan to arrive on campus at least a week before classes start in August, allowing yourself time to move in and be ready to take Diagnostic Exams in music history and music theory on the Tuesday before classes begin.

14. What are Diagnostic Exams?
During the week preceding the semester in which a graduate student enrolls he/she will take music theory and music history diagnostic exams. Appropriate remedial course work may be required as a result of the exams. In addition, graduate students with majors in vocal performance, collaborative piano, and church music with vocal performance emphasis will be tested over their knowledge of Italian, German, and French lyric diction. If the student is deficient in any of these languages he/she will be expected to enroll in an appropriate diction course. See the Graduate Music Handbook for more information on the exams and how to prepare for them.

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