FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (graduate)

 

1. What kind of undergraduate degree is required for admission to graduate programs at the PSU School of Music?
2. Can I still be accepted into a Music graduate program if I have not satisfied all of the undergraduate requirements for that degree?
3. Are GRE scores required?
4. What types of financial assistance are available?
5. What is the process for applying for graduate programs?
6. Is it possible to apply for admission to more than one graduate degree program?
7. Is the TOEFL required for international applicants and if so, what is the required score?
 

1. What kind of undergraduate degree is required for admission to graduate programs at the PSU School of Music?

A candidate applying for admission to the master's degree program in Music at PSU must have earned a recognized bachelor's degree in music with at least a 2.8 junior-senior grade-point average. A typical bachelor's degree in music includes the following:
a. 12-16 credits in music theory and analysis
b. 6-9 credits in music history

Some programs have requirements beyond those listed here. Check the Degree Descriptions for specific requirements for the various degree programs.

2. Can I still be accepted into a Music graduate program if I have not satisfied all of the undergraduate requirements for that degree?

A candidate who is deficient in any area may be considered for admission, but must be prepared to make up the deficiency, without credit toward the degree, during the first year of graduate study.

3. Are GRE scores required?

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test is required for admission to the Master of Arts degrees (music theory, music theory and history, and musicology) in the School of Music.  Although the GRE general test is not required for admission to other music master’s degrees or the doctoral degree in music education, scores can be helpful if the applicant wishes to be considered for fellowships awarded by the Penn State Graduate School.

4. What types of financial assistance are available?

The graduate financial aid page explains the different types of assistantships, fellowships, loans, and grants offered by Penn State and the School of Music.  The most common of these are graduate assistantships, which provide full tuition, 80% of health insurance premiums and a monthly living stipend in return for service doing research or assisting in teaching undergraduate courses. The School of Music offers a limited number of quarter-time and half-time graduate assistantships to outstanding applicants.  School of Music assistantship awards for 2006-2007 include a 10-month stipend of approximately $12,195 for ½-time, or $6,097 for ¼-time, and a grant-in-aid covering tuition and fees.  If you make satisfactory progress in your first year, then your assistantship is renewed for the second year of study.

Not every graduate applicant is offered an assistantship.  We currently have 73 graduate students enrolled for fall semester 2006.  Approximately 50 of these graduate students received an assistantship for the 2006-2007 academic year. Two new music graduate students were awarded a University Graduate Fellowship (UGF) for the 2006-2007 academic year.

To be considered for a School of Music graduate assistantship, complete a Graduate Assistantship application and submit the application with your other supporting materials to the School of Music Graduate Admissions Office at the address below.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC
GRADUATE ADMISSIONS
THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
233 MUSIC BUILDING
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA 16802-1901
PHONE: (814) 865-1052
FAX: (814) 865-6785
EMAIL: music-gr-adm@psu.edu

5. What is the process for applying for graduate programs?

General information on the graduate application process is on the prospective graduate student How to Apply page and specific supporting materials required for application are listed on the graduate degree programs pages.

6. Is it possible to apply for admission to more than one graduate degree program?

Admission is granted jointly by the Graduate School and by the department or graduate program in which the student plans to study.  Graduate applicants may apply for admission to only one program at a time.  The graduate admission on-line application allows applicants to choose only one degree and major.  However, if an applicant is accepted and begins study at Penn State, a graduate student is permitted to apply to a second graduate degree or a teacher certification program.

7. Is the TOEFL required for international applicants and if so, what is the required score?

International applicants whose first language is not English or who have not received a bachelor’s degree from an institution in which the language of instruction is English, are required to submit official documentation of scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Educational Testing Service (ETS) implemented a new, Internet-based version (IBT) of the TOEFL in September 2005.  To find out if the new test is available in your country yet, visit the ETS TOEFL web page.  The new IBT TOEFL adds a speaking skills component (integrated with reading, writing, and listening skills) with a maximum score on the new test of 120 points.  The new minimum overall total score of 80 points on the IBT TOEFL, with a minimum of 23 points on the new speaking portion, is required.  This new IBT TOEFL score is our equivalent of the 550 (paper test) or 213 (computer test) scores.  All non-native English-speaking applicants to graduate degree programs in music or music education must submit official documentation of TOEFL scores.