Application Procedures

Please note that UC Berkeley's email system is only working intermittently. If you have tried to reach us by email, we will reply to emails as we can. Most questions can be answered by reviewing the Detailed Application Requirements below. For questions that you still need answers to please call Melissa Hacker at (510) 643-8724.

Important Dates

November 23, 2011 – Last day to postmark mailed supplemental application materials: letters of recommendation (if not submitted through the Online Application) and recordings (Composition applicants only).

December 1, 2011 – Last day to submit the Online Graduate Application for Admission. Please note that UC Berkeley's email system is only working intermittently. If you have tried to reach us by email, we will reply to emails as we can. Most questions can be answered by reviewing the Detailed Application Requirements below. For questions that you still need answers to please call Melissa Hacker at (510) 643-8724.

December 15, 2011 – Official GRE and TOEFL scores must be received by the Department.

The department offers a combined M.A./Ph.D. program and a Ph.D. program (for students who already possess an M.A. in Music with an appropriate emphasis), with specialties in composition, history and literature of Western music, and ethnomusicology. Most students are admitted to the combined M.A./Ph.D. program, but applications directly to the Ph.D. program are also considered (Note: both M.A./Ph.D. and Ph.D. applicants select Ph.D. on the Online Application). A terminal M.A. degree is not offered. The most appropriate preparation for the graduate program is a B.A. in Music. Applications are considered once a year for admission to the Fall Semester only. Students will be notified of the admission decisions by e-mail no later than March 1, 2012.

The application materials are comprised of two components: (1) the University's Online Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships and (2) required supplemental materials to be sent directly to the department.

The University's Online Application will be available on September 6 at http://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions. The Online Application must be submitted electronically by December 1, 2011. The Department of Music does not accept paper copies of the application.

For technical assistance with the Online Application, write to gradadm@berkeley.edu.

Detailed Application Requirements

There is no audition requirement or a formal interview. Applicants who would like to visit the department are encouraged to do so before the end of the 2011 fall semester and should contact faculty members in their fields of interest directly. Applicants who are offered admission will be invited to visit the department before deciding whether to accept the offer.

Important: Applicants must indicate their area of emphasis (Composition, History and Literature, or Ethnomusicology) on the Online Application as well as on all materials and correspondence sent directly to the department.

Note: No application materials will be returned to the applicant.

Submit online

  1. The University's Online Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships (due December 1, 2011), including Examples of Scholarship and Musical Scores, Statement of Purpose, Statement of Personal History, copy of all transcripts, and the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship essay (if relevant, see below under "Important").
  2. Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are to be submitted electronically through the Online Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships. If possible, one of the letters should address musicianship skills. The department strongly encourages all applicants to use the Online Application for submitting letters, but letters may also be mailed directly to the department. If submitting a paper copy, the letters and the required Letter of Recommendation form must be sent in a sealed envelope with the recommender's signature across the seal. A letter service at the applicant's university can also be used. Note that letters e-mailed directly to the department will not be accepted.

Mail directly to the department

The following materials must be postmarked by November 23, 2011 and mailed (not e-mailed) to:

Melissa Hacker
Department of Music
104 Morrison #1200
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-1200

  1. Letters of Recommendation not submitted through the Online Application must be mailed to the department and postmarked by November 23, 2011.
  2. Composition applicants: CDs or DVDs with sound recordings

Exam Scores

  1. Official GRE Scores (general test) up to five years old are required from all applicants and should be sent to University Code 4833, Department Code 2302. Exam scores must be received by December 15, 2011. Note that there is no minimum score requirement. To ensure timely reporting of exam scores, applicants should take the GRE no later than October 2011.
  2. TOEFL: All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to the GRE. For additional information concerning TOEFL, see the admission requirements on Graduate Division's Web site (http:/ /grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/admis_require.shtml). The minimum score is 570 on the written exam, 230 on the computer-based exam, and 68 on the internet-based test (iBT).UC Berkeley's University Code for TOEFL scores is 4833. TOEFL scores must be received by December 15, 2011

Important

  • The Online Application is not officially submitted until the Submit Application button is clicked. The application must be submitted by December 1, 2011.
  • All mailed supplemental materials must be postmarked by November 23, 2011.
  • FLAS Fellowship: U.S. citizens and permanent residents whose work requires the acquisition of a high level of competency in a modern foreign language are strongly encouraged to apply for the Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship through the Online Application. For more information, visit http://grad.berkeley.edu/financial/deadlines.shtml.
  • Students will be notified of the admission decisions by e-mail no later than March 1, 2012.

If you have any questions, contact Melissa Hacker, Graduate Student Services Advisor.

Prospective, new, and continuing diversity students are encouraged to contact Josephine Moreno, Graduate Diversity Outreach Coordinator for the Arts & Humanities. See http://ls.berkeley.edu/art-hum/diversity/ for more information.

Application Checklist

  1. The University's Online Graduate Application for Admission and Fellowships.
  2. Three Letters of Recommendation.
  3. Writing Sample (History and Literature and Ethnomusicology applicants only).
  4. Musical Scores and Recordings (Composition applicants only).
  5. Copies of your university transcripts; official transcripts will be required upon admission.
  6. Official GRE Scores.
  7. Official TOEFL Scores (if required).
  8. Curriculum Vitae or resume in PDF format (optional).