Music Education Department

Frequently Asked Questions about Music Education at IU

Welcome to The Music Education Department at IU Please see the department faculty Biographies.

These answers were prepared by doctoral students in music education:

 What additional things do I need to do as an international student?

• Check in: get a temporary ID card

• Web sessions: open an email account

• “Staying in” status: Learn the basic but important regulations which international student must remember in order to maintain lawful status in the U.S.

• English proficiency exam: Non-native speakers of English are required to take this exam no matter how long they have been living in the U.S. In a test very similar to the TOEFL, your language competence will be tested. The exam consists of three parts: Part A: Essay. You will have 45 mins. to write a short essay.  Part B: Listening Comprehension. This multiple-choice session will take about twenty minutes. The test material will be played from a central tape deck. Part C: Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading Comprehension. This will be an 80-item multiple-choice test. You will have 75 minutes for this section.

• Finances and employment

• Academic life: Learn from different people what studying at an American university is all about.

Attend additional sessions (examples are as follows): 

• Housing—on and off campus

• Teaching American students

• Guided campus tour

• Bank, insurance…

During the School of Music orientation week you will need to accomplish the following:

• AI English Proficiency Exam for all international students. The examination consists of an oral exam, and a written exam. This exam is for all the international students who plan to be an AI. International students need to pass the oral exam first, and then can proceed to the written exam. Some of the students will pass the oral exam and will be exempt from the written exam. If you do not pass this exam you cannot be an AI for the coming semester.

• Placement tests for all the new graduate music students (for specifics see the section below on entrance exams).

How do I obtain an ID card?

• 501 N. Union is the location of Campus Card Services (855-8711) in the Ashton complex. The picture for your photo ID will be taken then, and you can also get a campus bus pass at that time.

• Your campus card can also be used as a copy card; you can put money on your card by mail or at one of the Value Transfer Stations (the closest is at Read Center, across Jordan from Simon, and other Stations are available at the Indiana Memorial Union, Main Library, and School of Education Library)

• Email: 5-6789 for information; office for UITS is in Indiana Memorial Union, Mezzanine Level (below ground), room IMU M084; be prepared to determine password for your email account (up to 8 characters, 2 must be numerals)

• Registration: Franklin Hall; the first time you register you will be asked to determine a 4-digit Personal Identification Number (one you will also use for online registration, advising, and telephone transactions). You will be given a registration appointment at Orientation. You must register in person (with approved Program Planning Sheet from the Graduate Music Office, Merrill Hall 011) or through OneStart online each semester that you will be in attendance. The Graduate Music Office sends reminder emails each semester. 

Where do I get books?

• TIS Bookstore on 3rd Street (across from the Music Library building) has textbooks available for all classes; many used books are available in addition to supplies, snacks, and IU clothing and paraphernalia; prices are competitive to the IMU Bookstore.

• The IMU Bookstore, in the Indiana Memorial Union, also has textbooks and supplies, although some School of Music professors report exclusively to TIS.

• Online Resources: many students order textbooks from online companies; prices are competitive and shipping is free in some cases (ecampus.com); a good source is—http://www.bestbookbuys.com, which compares prices of several online companies.

What about parking and transportation?

• If you live on-campus, you are eligible for a “D” tag, which allows you to park close to your residence. “D” parking zones are 24-hour zones and exclusive for on-campus residents. “D” tags may be purchased at the Residence Parking Operations Office, 801 N. Jordan (also IU Police Department). You must take a copy of your rental contract and vehicle registration.

• I f you live off-campus, you are eligible for an “A” or “C” tag if you are an AI (all other off-campus students wishing to park on-campus must purchase an “E” and a campus bus pass, see item c. below). These parking permits are available from Parking Operations, Franklin Hall 006. You must present a copy of your AI contract to purchase an “A” or “C” and a copy of your vehicle registration. “A” tags are more expensive, but with a valid “A”, you can park in any zone except “D” and 24-hour reserved spaces. Any car parked on campus with valid registration may take advantage of Motorist Assistance (help with dead battery, keys locked in car, etc) 24-hours a day.

• Leased parking is available from some local churches with property adjacent to campus. Consult current graduate students for information.

• Campus Buses – the IU campus bus system runs regularly within the entire Bloomington campus and several city locations (College Mall, downtown). You may purchase a bus pass at the same time and place you get your ID card (see 1. above). If you purchase an “E” tag, most spaces are at Assembly Hall or the football stadium, so you may need a campus bus pass to get to your destination.

• Bloomington City Buses – if you live off-campus, the Bloomington Transit system is available with many routes coming to campus. Call 336-7433 for maps and routes.

How do I get a locker and a practice room?

• The School of Music has lockers available for instrument storage for a nominal charge. Please contact Music Operations Support Services (Simon 031B, 855-8120).

• Practice Rooms may be reserved from Mrs. Clouse, Coordinator, in Clouse’s Lounge in Merrill Hall basement (005A, 855-6400). You must be enrolled in applied music to be assigned a practice room.

What entrance exams do I have to take?

• Theory: exams for written theory and aural theory are administered during orientation week. A sight-singing test is also required. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THE EXAMS AT THIS TIME, if you choose not to do so. You may take each exam twice, but only during the first two semesters of enrollment. The exams are administered the week previous to each semester. With the rigors of registration, advising, and moving in, you may elect to take the exams immediately before your second semester (the week before classes resume). If you do not pass any or all of these exams, you are required to take Graduate Review classes to satisfy the requirements. See the current SoM bulletin for course numbers and availability.

• History: two exams are administered, Early History (prior to 1750) and Late History (1750 to present). You may only take these exams ONE TIME, and they may be postponed until the week proceeding your second semester if you choose (once again, they don’t tell you this). The Grout and NAWM scores are good study aids for these exams. If you do not pass either or both these exams, you are required to take Graduate Review courses to satisfy the requirement (each exam is equivalent to a three hour course for a possible total of fifteen hours of review courses).

Are there any progress exams?

• The Music Education Department requires a progress Major Field Oral Exam (often referred to as the “Mini Orals”) that is administered during the student’s second year or 4th semester of course work. This 30-minute oral exam serves two purposes. First, it allows the department to evaluate how well you have learned the content of the major field coursework you have completed to that time. Only the courses you have already taken are included in the exam, but they are covered comprehensively. Second, because this is an oral exam before a committee of music education faculty members, it gives you practice in answering questions in the form you will encounter in the oral qualifying examination. The prospect of doctoral qualifying exams can be daunting if you have never taken an oral exam. Students report that taking the Major Field Examination provides very good preparation for the qualifying exams. 

What is the styles exam?

• It is the position of the School of Music that every doctoral student, no matter what the degree program, should have a basic general knowledge of musical styles and literature from all periods. In order to assess this, a “styles exam” is part of the doctoral requirements for all students. The examination is given in a group once in the fall semester. The dates are posted outside the School of Music Graduate Office. You need to sign up for the exam 2 weeks prior to taking it. It consists of recorded musical examples and scores about which the students will answer questions concerning such things as form, harmonies, and rhythm. He or she may be asked to identify a time period in which it may have been written, a composer, and/or the particular type of music played. The examples are taken from a variety of periods and genres. 

How do I satisfy the piano proficiency requirement?

• All music graduate students must pass a keyboard proficiency examination or its equivalent. Designed to ensure the student’s ability to use the keyboard as a tool within the framework of professional activities, the requirements vary according to the level and area of music study. Please refer to the secondary piano web page for more information—http://www.music.indiana.edu/som/sec_piano/proficiency.html.

What are my housing options?

• Click here for the Indiana University Apartments for Grad Students website.

• The university has several housing options for those students desiring to live on campus. Contracts are for the 10-month academic year (August - May) and include: electricity, heat, water, telephone connections (local, basic service and voice mail), Cable TV connections (IU cable TV network), Ethernet connections (to IU computing network, which are much faster than a modem connection). Summer contracts are also available. Services available include: laundry facilities, library, computer clusters, housing center offices, and academic support centers. Meal plans for the RPS dining facilities and convenience stores are optional. There are a limited number of furnished apartments available.

Bloomington Rental Apartments

• Click here for information on local rentals and real estate for purchase in the Herald-Times newspaper website.

• The following are the management companies and some of the individual listings in the Bloomington area. Quoted prices were taken from the Fall 2000 Apartment Renter’s Guidebook. The Guidebook can be found in local Village Pantry Stores as well as other convenience stores.

• These complexes have 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. Some locations have 3 BR units available.

• The Bloomington Humane Society can be contacted for information regarding pet-friendly rentals.

Management Companies 
CS Properties 330-1411 
Parker Real Estate 339-2115 
Woodington Management 333-9201 

Apartment Complexes 
Arlington Park 323-2001 $475-625
Bart Villa 330-1205 $495-675
The Bicycle Apts.  334-1750 $340-425
Colonial Crest 332-6540 $500-920
Jackson Heights 330-7309 $455-660
Maxwell Terrace 336-1694 $450-685
Oakdale Square 323-7368 $440-710
Summit Pointe 331-2666 $455-605
Uptown Building 333-9355 $595-1095
Woodbridge 337-3501 $540-809
 

What about purchasing a home in Bloomington?

• There are several real estate firms in the Bloomington area. The easiest way to obtain the most current information in through The Herald-Timesweb page.

Where do I make photocopies?

• The costs for graduate student books can run as high as several hundred dollars per class. It should also be mentioned that many professors use resources that must be photocopied. The university copy machines are currently charging 7 1/2 cents per page on the campus access card and 10 cents per page using cash. Collegiate Copies on Third Street charges 6 cents per page for self-serve copies. 

What equipment do I need to own?

• Although the university has several computer labs available for use, it would be advisable to own a personal computer. The campus is a mixed platform environment supporting both PC compatibles and Macs. Your email will be accessible from any computer that has access to the internet and you will be provided with hard drive space (called your “locker”) that is also accessible from any internet computer. Most students choose to purchase the IUWare CD for $5 at the IMU Bookstore to install all necessary communications software on their personal computer.

• IU has licensing agreements with several software companies including Microsoft. You can purchase all Microsoft software at the IMU Bookstore for $5 per disc. Also available from the Stat-Math department for $5 is the statistical package (SPSS), which is recommended by the Music Education department for all graduate students.