Application Procedures

The department offers programs leading to the M.A/Ph.D. and Ph.D. (for those who have previously completed the Master's degree) degrees, with specialties in composition and scholarship, including options in the history and literature of Western music and ethnomusicology. The department does not offer a terminal M.A. degree. The most appropriate preparation is a B.A. with a major in music. Admission is normally to the M.A./Ph.D. program but applications directly to the Ph.D. program are accepted from students with an M.A. in the appropriate field. Applications are considered once a year for admission in the Fall Semester only; the application deadline is the preceding December 1st (or the following Monday if the 1st falls on a weekend). The next admission cycle will be Fall 2010.

The University's on-line application will be available beginning mid-September on the Graduate Division Web site: http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/prospective/. All graduate applicants must submit the on-line electronic application; the Department of Music does not accept hard copies of the application.

Those who have trouble accessing the on-line application should contact the Graduate Admissions Office for assistance.

Please note carefully the following summary of the department's application requirements:

  1. Application including both the Statement of Personal History and the Statement of Purpose.
  2. Official transcripts of University level work, one set for each school listed in the application. If sent by the applicant, transcripts must be in sealed envelope as issued by the registrar.
  3. Three letters of recommendation (if possible, one letter should address musicianship skills). Recommendation letters may either be submitted electronically (as part of the on-line Graduate Division application) or by hard copy. If submitting hard copies of the letter, it is recommended that referees submit the PDF letter of recommendation form. If sent by the applicant, letters must be put in sealed envelopes by the recommenders (with the recommender's signature over the seal.) Applicants may also have recommendations sent by university letter services.
  4. Scholarship Exhibits for History and Literature and Ethnomusicology: Applicants in scholarship should send research papers in pdf format to Melissa Hacker. If applicants choose to do so, they may also submit a curriculum vitae or resume in pdf format. Please write "Application Materials", your name and your emphasis (Composition, Ethnomusicology, or Musicology) in the subject line of the email.
  5. Composition Exhibits: Applicants in Composition should send musical scores in pdf format to Melissa Hacker and their digitized sound files in aiff or wav format. Additionally, composers must send hard copies of their sound files on CDs/DVDs. Please write "Application Materials" and your name in the subject line of the email.
    CDs/DVDs should be sent to:
    Melissa Hacker
    Music Department
    104 Morrison #1200
    University of California
    Berkeley, CA 94720-1200
    Since no materials will be returned, please send copies only. No specific number of papers or compositions are required. Applicants should send what they think will show them to best advantage.
  6. It is imperative that you write your emphasis (Composition, Ethnomusicology, or Musicology) that you are applying for on your application.
  7. GPA Computation Sheet for upper division (and graduate) course work at colleges and universities in the U.S.; Please submit this GPA form rather than listing the GPA on the application. Please send to
    Melissa Hacker Please write "Application Materials", your name and your emphasis (Composition, Ethnomusicology, or Musicology) in the subject line of the email.
  8. GRE: The official score report of the General Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination (Department Code 2302, University Code 4833). Scores must be received by December 28th and may be up to five years old. There is no minimum requirement for the GRE.
  9. TOEFL: Students who have not had at least one year of academic work at a university where English is the primary language of instruction must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to the GRE; see application for details about the TOEFL requirement. The university code for the TOEFL is 4833. The minimum score is 570 on the written exam, 230 on the computer-based exam, 68 on the internet-based (ibt) test.
  10. There is no audition requirement, nor is there a formal interview process. Applicants who would like to visit the department are encouraged to do so before the end of the Fall Semester. They may make arrangements by emailing the faculty with whom they would like to meet. For e-mail links, see People. Applicants who are offered admission will be invited to visit the department before deciding whether to accept the offer.

Materials should be sent to:
Melissa Hacker
Music Department
104 Morrison #1200
University of California
Berkeley. CA 94720-1200

On-line applications must be submitted electronically by December 1st. Please note that the application has not been officially submitted until the "Submit Application" button has been pushed. All supplemental materials must be received by December 1, 2009.

The Department begins to review applications in mid-January. The results of the application process are sent out in mid-February. In order to notify applicants more quickly, the results are sent by e-mail.

Questions? Contact Melissa Hacker, Student Services Advisor.

Prospective, new, and continuing 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.