Indiana University

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We are now accepting Program Planning Sheets for Summer 2013 and Fall 2013. Click here to access the online form.

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Contact the Music Graduate Office

Merrill Hall 011

1201 E. 3rd Street
Bloomington, IN 47405

Phone: 812-855-1738
Office hours: 9:00 am-12:00 pm, 1:00-4:00 pm
Fax: 812-856-5570

E-mail: musgrad [at] indiana [dot] edu

  • musicdgs [at] indiana [dot] edu (Prof. Eric Isaacson), Director
  • serbes [at] indiana [dot] edu (Sara Erbes), Academic Advisor
  • anmiller [at] indiana [dot] edu (Angie Miller), Recorder
  • musgrad [at] indiana [dot] edu (Sherri Bishop), Secretary
  • musdoc [at] indiana [dot] edu (Jennifer Kirby), Doctoral Clerk
More Information

Proficiencies in Music History & Literature and Music Theory (Graduate Entrance Exams)

Required for all master's and doctoral programs.

Information about the requirement

Proficiencies more than 10 years old must be revalidated. Proficiencies must also be revalidated for students beginning a second degree more than 10 years after beginning a first.

Doctoral students must complete all proficiencies by the end of their fifth semester of enrollment (excluding summer terms).

All new master's and doctoral degree students are required to show proficiency in Music History & Literature and Music Theory. The proficiency in these subjects is broken into five areas: Early Music History (covering Antiquity to the death of J.S. Bach), Late Music History (covering the Pre-Classic period to the present), Written Music Theory, Aural Music Theory, and Sight Singing. The proficiencies may be satisfied in either of the following ways:

  1. Students may take and pass the graduate entrance exams. The graduate entrance exams are ordinarily given in the week before classes begin each semester, including the summer term. See below for a schedule of upcoming exam dates. Students are permitted two attempts to pass the exams. The first attempt must be taken in the student's first semester of enrollment. The second attempt must take place the week before the second term of enrollment, including the summer term.

    If you need special accommodations for the entrance exams because of a disability, please contact the Music Graduate Office at least one month prior to the exam dates.

    For information on the graduate entrance exams, see the following web pages: music theory exams; music history exams.
  2. Students may enroll in and pass the graduate review courses listed below. Students should begin enrolling in review courses they have not exempted by examination as soon as possible; otherwise, completion of the degree may be delayed because MUS-T 508, MUS-M 541, and MUS-M 542 are prerequisites to many of the courses in the master’s music history and literature requirements and some doctoral classes. NOTE: Some review courses are not offered every semester.

Graduate Review Courses

Each review course is 3 credit hours.

MUS-M 541 Music History Review for Graduate Students I (early)
  • Minimum grade of C or better.
  • Usually offered in fall, spring, and JSoM summer session.
MUS-M 542 Music History Review for Graduate Students II (late)
  • Minimum grade of C or better.
  • Usually offered in fall, spring, and JSoM summer session.
MUS-T 508 Written Theory Review for Graduate Students
  • Minimum grade of B or better for MM in choral conducting, composition, computer music composition, music theory, and orchestral conducting; DM in choral conducting, composition, and orchestral conducting; and PhD in music theory
  • Minimum grade of C or better for all other programs.
  • Usually offered in fall and JSoM summer session.
MUS-T 509 Sight Singing Review for Graduate Students
  • Minimum grade of C or better.
  • Usually offered in every fall and JSoM summer session of odd-numbered years.
MUS-T 511 Aural Theory Review for Graduate Students
  • Minimum grade of B or better for MM in choral conducting, composition, computer music composition, music theory, and orchestral conducting; DM in choral conducting, composition, and orchestral conducting; and PhD in music theory.
  • Minimum grade of C or better for MA and PhD in musicology, and for MM and DM in wind conducting.
  • Minimum grade of D or better for all other programs.
  • Usually offered in every spring and JSoM summer session of even-numbered years.

Graduate Entrance Exam Schedules

Remember that students can take the graduate entrance exams only two times, and are not eligible to take them after their second semester of enrollment.  The exams are only offered once each semester, and always during orientation week.

Summer 2013 Graduate Entrance Exam Schedule 

New Student Orientation for summer begins on Thursday, May 30, 2013 (attendance at orientation required for new students but not for continuing students who are retaking exams).  Only students who started their graduate programs in Spring 2013 will be eligible to retake entrance exams in summer 2013.

Schedule and locations subject to change

Graduate Entrance Examination in Music History and Literature:
Thursday, May 30, 2013, 6:00-8:45 pm

The music history graduate entrance exams will take place in Sweeney Hall (Simon center building room 015).  There is no need to sign up ahead of time, just bring a picture ID and pencil.

If you need to take only one section of the Music History exam (Early or Late Music History) you still need to start at 6:00 pm (the listening portion for both the Early and Late Music History sections will be played at 6:00 pm). If you have already completed either the Early or Late Music History requirement (either through examination or through course completion) then you can answer only the questions that apply to the section (Early or Late Music History) you need to take, and not answer the questions that apply to the other section.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the exam time in order to sign in.

Graduate Entrance Examination in Aural and Written Music Theory:
Friday, May 31, 2013, 9:00-11:30 am

The aural and written music theory graduate entrance exams will take place in Sweeney Hall (Simon center building room 015).  There is no need to sign up ahead of time, just bring a picture ID and pencil.

The Aural Theory exam will be from 9:00-10:00 am, the Written Theory exam will be from 10:00-11:30 am. If you need to take the exam in only one subject, you can go to the time appointed for the particular subject you need to take.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the exam time in order to sign in.

Graduate Entrance Examination in Sight Singing:
Friday, May 31, 2013, 1:00-4:00 pm

New students will sign up for an individual Sight Singing Appointment time on the morning of May 30 during orientation sign-in. Returning students should sign up for an individual time in the Music Graduate Office by noon on May 30.  (We will send an email announcement in May to let you know when it's possible for returning students to sign up for an exam time).

Exam results will be posted outside the Music Graduate Office (Merrill Hall 011) by 1 pm on Monday, June 3.

Fall 2013 Graduate Entrance Exam Schedule 

New Student Orientation begins on Monday, August 19, 2013 (attendance at orientation required for new students but not for continuing students who are retaking exams).  Only students who started their graduate programs in spring 2013 (and who did not register for summer) or who started in summer 2013 will be eliglbe to retake any entrance exams in fall 2013.

Schedule and locations subject to change

Graduate Entrance Examination in Aural and Written Music Theory:
Monday, August 19, 2013, 1:00-3:30 pm

The aural and written music theory graduate entrance exams will take place in the Merrill Hall room 110 (Recital Hall).  There is no need to sign up ahead of time, just bring a picture ID and pencil.

The Aural Theory exam will be from 1:00-2:00 pm, the Written Theory exam will be from 2:00-3:30 pm. If you need to take the exam in only one subject, you can go to the time appointed for the particular subject you need to take.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the exam time in order to sign in.

Graduate Entrance Examination in Music History and Literature:
Tuesday, August 20, 2013, 9:00-11:45 am

The music history graduate entrance exams will take place in Merrill Hall room 110 (Recital Hall).  There is no need to sign up ahead of time, just bring a picture ID and pencil.

If you need to take only one section of the Music History exam (Early or Late Music History) you still need to start at 9:00 am (the listening portion for both the Early and Late Music History sections will be played at 9:00 am). If you have already completed either the Early or Late Music History requirement (either through examination or through course completion) then you can answer only the questions that apply to the section (Early or Late Music History) you need to take, and not answer the questions that apply to the other section.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the exam time in order to sign in.

Graduate Entrance Examination in Sight Singing:
Tuesday, August 20, 2013, 1:00-4:00 pm

New students will sign up for an individual Sight Singing Appointment time on the morning of August 19 during orientation sign-in. Returning students should sign up for an individual time in the Music Graduate Office by noon on August 19.  (We will send an email announcement in the summer to let you know when it's possible for returning students to sign up for an exam time).

Exam results will be posted outside the Music Graduate Office (Merrill Hall 011) and on the third floor of the Music Library by 8 am on Wednesday, August 21.