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Except for the sonic arts program, graduate applicants to a degree or advanced certificate program in the Division of Graduate Studies must have graduated with an acceptable bachelor’s degree in music from an accredited institution. Applicants must have completed at least 36 credits in undergraduate music courses, including analysis, counterpoint, harmony, and history. Consideration is given to applicants who do not meet course requirements but have exceptional abilities or experience equivalent to course work. The sole exception to the above requirements is the Sonic Arts M.F.A. Program, and applicants to it should consult the Center for Computer Music for specific requirements.
Admission into one of the Conservatory of Music’s graduate programs is a two-part process: an application to Brooklyn College through the Graduate Admissions Office and notification of the conservatory of the student’s application with arrangement made for an audition when applicable.
Thank you for applying to one of Brooklyn College’s graduate programs in music. This checklist will help you through some of the finer points of the admissions process and provide you with contact information for the people best equipped to help should you have any questions. We wish you the best of luck in your application and audition!
Depending on the intended degree program, the conservatory requires an audition (submit a Graduate Audition Request Form online or contact the Conservatory to schedule an audition), a portfolio review (PDF), and/or an interview. Details are listed with the individual programs.
All official transcripts, reference letters, personal statements, curriculum vitae, etc., should be sent directly to Graduate Admissions. Music portfolios and CD auditions should be sent to the deputy director, Conservatory of Music.
Applicants to the Bachelor of Music in Music Composition and the Master of Music in Music Composition programs are asked to submit a portfolio of from three to five pieces showing the range of music created by the composer. Portfolios displaying a variety of types of works are preferred: from solo, to ensemble, to electronic, to works with media.
Music that can be notated (conventionally or non-conventionally) should be submitted in Adobe PDF format as a publication ready document. A recording of the piece may also be provided in mp3 format for audio only or mp4 format for audio with video. No audio of MIDI playback (such as Sibelius or Finale playback) should be sent unless the MIDI playback represents the final version of the piece.
Works for which notation is not relevant or impossible to provide (such as with some works employing electronics or improvisation) need to include a representative recording of the piece and a description of the work as well as any instructions that might be provided to a performer (if appropriate).
Submit your portfolio using this SlideRoom link (there is a $10 fee).
The deadline to receive portfolios for spring admission is November 15. The priority deadline for applicants for fall is March 1. A late portfolio review for fall will take place in May. The deadline for this review is May 1.
The portfolio review only allows a person to major in music composition if accepted by Brooklyn College. Applicants must complete the appropriate application to Brooklyn College in addition to submitting a composition portfolio.
International students for whom English is a second language must submit TOEFL scores. The minimum score for graduate applicants is 550.
The applicant must hold a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Music in music education, completed with a grade point average of 3.00 or higher. Students must hold a state license to teach music in the public schools and must pass the GRE (Graduate Record Examination). In addition, the applicant must pass a performance audition and be interviewed by the graduate deputy.
Applicants in musicology must submit two papers on either historical or analytical subjects.
Applicants in performance practice must submit one paper on a historical or analytical topic and pass an audition. See the audition requirements.
Our two new graduate composition degrees offer flexibility and artistic freedom with practical skills for employment.
Composition and production of music for moving images.
Creation of music or sound art using new technologies, from electronic improvisation to electroacoustic music, installations, sound design, and multimedia.
For more information, visit the Brooklyn College Center for Computer Music.
Applicants must submit a portfolio (PDF) of three to five compositions. All written materials must be legible. Recordings should be included where available.
Students must audition on their primary instrument. See the audition requirements.
The applicant must hold an undergraduate degree in music or a minimum of 36 credits—in music courses, including ear training, history, theory, score analysis, performance—completed with a grade point average of 3.00 or higher, including one course in human development, psychology, sociology, or the philosophy or history of education. An interview with the deputy director of the Conservatory of Music is required. In addition, the applicant must pass a performance audition. International students or those with a foreign transcript must present a TOEFL score of 94 or higher.
Applicants for the program must a) have completed a bachelor’s degree in music or music performance at a U.S. institution or professional equivalent, or a non-U.S. equivalent institutional degree, and b) pass a live audition before Conservatory of Music faculty at an advanced level that demonstrates clear promise as a performer (or submit a recent video, from within the last six months, that demonstrates same). Contact Professor Alexandra Lewis, graduate performance adviser, for more information on audition requirements. A request for an audition appointment may be made by telephone to the conservatory office or by filling out the online Graduate Audition Request Form.
The applicant must offer an undergraduate or graduate degree completed with a grade point average of 3.00 or higher, letters of recommendation, and a portfolio of works, which may consist of work in any medium. An interview with the director of the PIMA program is required.
Applicants for the program must have completed a master’s degree in music performance at a U.S. institution or professional equivalent, or a non-U.S. equivalent institutional degree. Applicants must pass an audition at the time of application (or submit a recent video, made within the last six months) that demonstrates a high level of accomplishment as a performer. Contact Professor Alexandra Lewis, graduate performance adviser, for more information on audition requirements. A request for an audition appointment may be made by telephone to the conservatory office or by filling out the online Graduate Audition Request Form.
