Music Graduate Office

Proficiencies

Music History & Literature and Music Theory  ·  Keyboard  ·  Performance  ·  Language Grammar, Diction, and Reading

Proficiencies (music history, music theory, keyboard, performance, language reading, language grammar, language diction, musical styles) 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.

Music History & Literature and Music Theory

All new students are required to show proficiency in Music History & Literature and Music Theory. The proficiencies may be satisfied in any 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 second summer session. Click here 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 semester of enrollment, including the second summer session.

   If you need special accommodations for the entrance exams because of a disability, please contact the Music Graduate Office at least 1 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 not exempted by examination as soon as possible; otherwise, completion of the degree may be delayed because T508, M541, and M542 are prerequisites to many of the courses in the master’s music history and literature requirements and some doctoral classes. NOTE: The review courses are not offered every semester. 

3.  

   Course	Course Title	Passing Grade	Semester the course is usually offered
   M541	Music History Review for Graduate Students I	C or better	every Fall, every Spring, and every Summer Session II
   M542	Music History Review for Graduate Students II	C or better	every Fall, every Spring, and every Summer Session II
   T508	Written Theory Review for Graduate Students	C or better B or better for M.M. in composition, choral conducting, orchestral conducting, and theory; D.M. in composition, choral conducting, and orchestral conducting; and Ph.D. in theory	every Fall and every Summer Session II
   T509	Sight Singing Review for Graduate Students	C or better	every Fall and every Summer Session II of odd numbered years
   T511	Aural Theory Review for Graduate Students	D or better C or better for M.A. and Ph.D. musicology majors, and for M.M. and D.M. in wind conducting B or better for M.M. in composition, choral conducting, orchestral conducting, and theory; D.M. in composition, choral conducting, and orchestral conducting; and Ph.D. in theory	every Spring and every Summer Session II of even numbered years

 

Keyboard

All music graduate degree students (except students in the M.S in Opera Stage Direction and M.S. in Ballet) must pass a keyboard proficiency examination. Most students will take the examination on piano. Early music majors may take the examination on the harpsichord or lute, guitar majors on the guitar, organ majors on the organ, and harp majors on the harp. Musicology students take a departmentally administered exam.  Jazz majors take a departmentally administered exam.

The keyboard proficiency requirement is designed to ensure the student's ability to use the keyboard as a tool within the framework of professional activities, and the requirements vary according to level and area of music study. Entering students must play a keyboard placement hearing during the orientation period. Students who achieve a superior level at this hearing will satisfy the proficiency requirement. Keyboard proficiency examinations are normally offered in the latter part of each semester or in summer session II. For details, see the secondary piano coordinator or the departmental chairpersons (for early music, guitar, jazz studies, organ, musicology, and harp). More details, including this semester's schedule and the specific requirements for each degree, are available here. 

When keyboard proficiency requirements are identical for two degrees, a student seeking both degrees need not repeat the keyboard proficiency examination if it has been passed for one of the degrees.  However, 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.  Students who fail the keyboard proficiency examination may register, with the advice of the secondary piano coordinator or the chairperson, for appropriate courses to assist in developing the required skills.

The keyboard proficiency exam may be repeated if the student does not pass.  It is strongly suggested that all students take the keyboard proficiency exam in their first semester so that, if it is necessary to repeat the exam, each student has multiple opportunities to retake the exam before the end of their coursework. 

Music Performance

All candidates for music graduate degrees in areas other than music performance (composition, conducting, jazz studies, music education, musicology and music theory) are required to demonstrate in person to a faculty auditioning committee a minimum level of music performance ability equivalent to the end of the fourth year for concentration undergraduate students in that area. A faculty member in the student's major area shall be a voting member of the examination committee. Students should consult the appropriate department chair for detailed information on the required level.

For students entering in fall, 2002 and after: Proficiency may be demonstrated in any of three ways: (1) in person before a faculty auditioning committee, one voting member of which shall be a faculty member in the student's major area; (2) by completion of performance study as a graduate cognate or minor; or (3) by two semesters of performance study as a graduate elective. The grade in each semester of performance study must be B or better.

The performance area must ordinarily be one in which instruction is offered on the 400 level in the School of Music. With the support of the departmental chair of their major area, students may petition the Director of Graduate Studies to be allowed to demonstrate this proficiency in another performance area. If the petition is approved, the Director of Graduate Studies will appoint an examination committee of three members of the School of Music faculty qualified to judge the student's performance, including at least one member of a performance department and one member of the student's major area.

In all cases, failure to meet the required level will automatically indicate probationary status and will require additional music performance study or other remediation in each period of enrollment as a prerequisite to the desired degree.

Language Grammar and Diction and Reading

There are three kinds of graduate language requirements in the School of Music:

Grammar requirement  This is typically required of voice-related programs, and requires students to demonstrate knowledge of French, German, and Italian grammar equivalent to one or two semesters (depending on the degree) at the college level with a grade of C or better in each. Students having fewer than two semesters with a grade of C or better in each of these languages must pass proficiency tests (the Foreign Language Placement Exam, or FLPE) administered by language departments at IU or take appropriate courses:

If you have already taken one or more of the languages at another University, please click here for more information

Diction requirement  This is typically required of voice-related degrees and requires students to demonstrate proficiency in diction in French, German and Italian by examination or by passing IU School of Music diction courses with a grade of C or better. The courses are: