The University of St. Thomas

Music

Application

Application

Apply Online

Application Requirements

Degree-Seeking Students
Nondegree Students
International Applicants

Download an Admission Application.
Apply online at https://webapp.stthomas.edu/artsandsciences/admissions/app/.
Download Letter of Recommendation forms.
Music History  and Theory Diagnostic Examination instructions can be found on Black Board.

   Degree-Seeking Students

Application Deadlines:

Summer term:      April 1
Fall term:              July 1
Spring term:         December 1 

Application Criteria:

Applicants for admission to the Master of Arts in Music Education degree program must meet the following minimal criteria:

  • baccalaureate degree and a major in music or music education from an accredited college or university with a minimum of a "B" grade average and
  • evidence of successful work in the field confirmed by three letters of recommendation from teachers, administrators, or other professional colleagues.

Meeting minimal application criteria does not guarantee admission; likewise, exceptions to minimum criteria may be made by the admissions committee based on other factors of professional achievement.

Application Requirements:

Applicants must submit the following materials to Graduate Programs in Music Education (GPME). Applications will not be processed without receipt of all items. Applicants will be notified, by mail, 4-6 weeks following the application deadline.

  1. Completed and signed Application for Admission form,
  2. Nonrefundable application fee of $50. Include a check payable to the University of St. Thomas with the application form. This fee will be waived for applications completed online.
  3. Official transcripts of all baccalaureate and graduate studies.
  4. Resume: include education, teaching experience, music performances, awards, professional activities and affiliations.
  5. Three confidential letters of recommendation sent directly from references to GPME. Your references should attach a separate letter addressing knowledge of your teaching or musical work and your interest in pursuing a Master of Arts degree.
  6. Personal Statement. Typed, double-spaced essay of 2-3 pages describing the following:
    1. Why you have decided to pursue graduate study.
    2. How the University of St. Thomas Master of Arts in Music Education degree program will help you meet your professional goals.
    3. What outcomes you expect as a result of earning the M.A. degree at the University of St. Thomas.
  7. Performance Assessment Hearing. Ten minute demonstration or the applicants music performance ability. Refer to the Performance Assessment Hearing section below.
  8. Admission Interview and Degree Plans. These are scheduled directly with Dr. Doug Orzolek, Director of Graduate Programs in Music Education, dcorzolek@stthomas.edu.
  9. Music History and Theory Diagnostic Exam. All students admitted to the Master of Arts in Music Education program must take a diagnostic examination in music history and theory immediately following their acceptance into the program. For more information refer to the Music History and Theory Diagnostic Exam section below.

   Performance Assessment Hearing

Candidates for the Master of Arts degree must demonstrate music performance ability in piano, voice, or other classical instrumental performance. The performance assessment hearing is approximately 10 minutes long. Students perform two different compositions, showing contrasting styles in historical periods, technical demands, and tempi. At least one piece must be in the art music genre. Students provide their own accompanists. Taped accompaniments are not acceptable unless the piece being performed was composed for taped accompaniment. Although not required, students are encouraged to perform pieces from memory. Instrumentalists who are focusing in Choral, Kodály or Orff will be asked to sing either "My Country 'Tis of Thee," or "America, the Beautiful" or another familiar song, a cappella.

Live performance is required. Local students must complete the hearing assessment in the semester prior to the first semester of coursework. Non-local students perform during the first term in which they are enrolled as a degree-seeking student, and are admitted conditionally until successful completion of the performance assessment hearing.

Performance Assessment Hearings are evaluated on technical competence (at the level of a senior recital) and musical expression, including stylistic understanding of the music presented. The emphasis in the Performance Assessment Hearing is on meaningful musical performance that demonstrates the student's ability to expressively convey music convincingly in a formal setting.

Performance assessment hearings are scheduled directly with Dr. Doug Orzolek, Director of Graduate Programs in Music Education, dcorzolek@stthomas.edu.

   Music History and Theory Diagnostic Exam

All students admitted to the Master of Arts in Music Education program must take a diagnostic examination in music history and theory immediately following their acceptance into the program. This exam is a non-course requirement of the Master of Arts in Music Education degree and also serves as a prerequisite for courses GMUS 611 and GMUS 612. Students will not be admitted to GMUS 611 or GMUS 612 until all tests are completed with passing grades. For more information regarding the test, log onto the GPME Students Blackboard site. You will need your University of St. Thomas Username and Password to log onto Blackboard.

   

Nondegree Students

You may begin the Master of Arts degree in Music Education as a nondegree student. This option may be of interest to students with a desire to pursue graduate study but not necessarily in obtaining a degree. Enrolling in one or more courses at nondegree status will provide contact with faculty members and an opportunity to evaluate whether the program's offerings match your needs, interests, and abilities. To enroll as a nondegree student select the online application link on this page.

Changing from Nondegree to Degree Status

Nondegree students may apply for degree-seeking status at the regular admissions deadlines by submitting all required application materials. Letters of recommendation solicited from faculty in the program are allowable. Up to six credits taken as a nondegree student may be applied for credit towards the degree. 

   International Applicants

It is recommended that international students complete their application at least six months prior to their anticipated arrival on campus. Office of International Recruiting and Admissions.

Checklist

Graduate students must first complete all of the application requirements for the program to which they are applying. submit the documents directly to the program, by the deadlines indicated for each specific program. International Recruiting and Admissions also requires the following submissions, which you can als submit directly to your graduate program.

English

  • Official documentation of English language proficiency.

Financial

  • Completed International Student Questionnaire and Financial Certification Form (PDF).
  • Official documentation of your financial support current within the last 3 months.

Immigration paperwork

  • A copy of the picture page from your passport.
  • Applicants who are already inside the U.S. must submit a copy of their current visa and a copy of their I-94 card.
  • Applicants who are already inside the U.S. on a J-1 visa must submit a copy of their most recent DS2019 form.
  • Applicants transferring an F-1 visa from another U.S. school must submit a coy of their most recent I-20 form and a SEVIS Transfer Form (PDF).

Please mail these additional submissions directly to the graduate program to which you are applying.

English Proficiency Options

To meet St. Thomas immigration requirements, you must give evidence of a command of both written and spoken English, adequate for the profitable pursuit of University courses conducted entirely in English. The list below contains the tests and programs the University of St. Thomas accepts as evidence for English proficiency. 

Score reports must be sent to St. Thomas directly from the testing center.
Score reports must not be more than two years old.

  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score report of 80 on the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) with a subscore of 20 on the written and 20 on the speaking sections. (The St. Thomas TOEFL code is 6110.)
  • IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score report of 6.5. 
  • MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery) score report of 80, and score report must be accompanied by an official letter from the testing coordinator.
  • Previous undergraduate or graduate degree: Applicants who have successfully completed a previous undergraduate or graduate degree at a college or university and can verify that the curriculum was taught in English may be exempt from the English Proficiency testing requirement.

ELS (ELS Language Center)

If you feel that you are unable to obtain the minmum score on any of the tests required, you may choose to apply directly to the ELS Language Center, located on the St. Thomas campus. Upon completion of ELS, graduate applicants must provide proof of one of the English proficiency requirements listed above.

Transcripts from institutions outside the U.S. must be evaluated before your application can be considered. For further information contact:

Educational Credentials Evaluators Inc.
P.O. Box 92970
Milwaukee, WI  533202.
Phone: (414) 289-3400
Fax: (414) 289-3411

Please keep in mind that our program is primarily a summers-only program. Given current policies governing student visas, this does not make our program a good match for many international students. While we do offer graduate courses during the school year, low enrollment in a course might mean that the class is cancelled. As a result, we cannot guarantee year-round course offerings. This may have an impact on your student visa. With this disclaimer, Graduate Programs in Music Education regrets that it cannot be held responsible for helping you maintain your status as a student in the United States.

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The University of St. Thomas is registered as a private institution with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.

The University of St. Thomas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance in the employment of faculty or staff, the admission or treatment of students, or in the operation of its educational programs and activities.