Proficiencies in Music History & Literature and Music Theory (Graduate Entrance Exams)
Required for all master's and doctoral programs.
- Information about the requirement
- Graduate review courses
- DM Jazz Studies major history and theory requirements
- Graduate Entrance Exam dates
Information about the requirement
Proficiencies more than 10 years old (for doctoral students) or 7 years old (for master's students) must be revalidated.
Doctoral students must complete all proficiencies before they will be eligible to begin the qualifying exam stage of their degree.
All majors (except for DM Jazz Studies)
All new master's and doctoral degree students are required to show proficiency in Music History & Literature and Music Theory. The proficiency in these subjects is broken into four areas: Music History, Written Music Theory, Aural Music Theory, and Sight Singing. The proficiencies may be satisfied in either of the following ways:
- 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 summer term. See below 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 term of enrollment, including the summer term.
If you need special accommodations for the entrance exams because of a disability, please contact the Music Graduate Office at least one month prior to the exam dates.
Click here for information on the content of the graduate entrance exams. - Students may enroll in and pass the graduate review courses listed below. Students should begin enrolling in review courses they have not exempted by examination as soon as possible; otherwise, completion of the degree may be delayed because MUS-T 508 and MUS-M 501 are prerequisites to many of the courses in the master’s music history and literature requirements and some doctoral classes. Courses taken to satisfy a proficiency requirement may not be used to meet other degree requirements, including Other Required Credits, unless specifically permitted. NOTE: Some review courses are not offered every semester.
- Students who completed an undergraduate degree at the Jacobs School of Music in the current calendar year or in the three preceding calendar years would be exempt from the Graduate Entrance Exams with minimum grades in appropriate courses as listed below. These minimums are based on an analysis of several years of data comparing course grades and GEE results. Students who took the IU Validation/Entrance exam during the undergraduate program and received an "A" on the exam can use the exam result as a substitute for an "A" in the equivalent class. A grade of "S" on the exam cannot be used.
- MUS-T 508: B+ or higher in both MUS-T 251 (or MUS-T 261) and MUS-T 252 (or MUS-T 262). Grade of A or higher meets “high pass” requirement.
- MUS-T 509: A or higher in both MUS-T 231 and MUS-T 232.
- MUS-T 511: B+ or higher in both MUS-T 231 and MUS-T 232. Grades of A or higher meets “high pass” requirement.
- MUS-M 501: B+ or higher in both MUS-M 401 and MUS-M 402
Graduate Review Courses
Courses taken to satisfy a proficiency requirement may not be used to meet other degree requirements, including Other Required Credits, unless specifically permitted.
MUS-M 501 Proseminar in Music History and Literature (3 credits)
- Minimum grade of C or better.
- Usually offered in fall, spring, and JSoM summer session.
MUS-T 508 Written Theory Review for Graduate Students (3 credits)
- Minimum grade of B or better (High Pass) for MM in choral conducting, composition, computer music composition, music scoring for visual media, music theory, and orchestral conducting; DM in choral conducting, composition, and orchestral conducting; and PhD in music theory
- Minimum grade of C or better for all other programs.
- Usually offered in fall and JSoM summer session.
MUS-T 509 Sight Singing Review for Graduate Students (1 credit, 8-week course)
- Minimum grade of C or better.
- Usually offered in spring and JSoM summer session.
MUS-T 511 Aural Theory Review for Graduate Students (1 credit, 8-week course)
- Minimum grade of B or better (High Pass) for MM in composition, computer music composition, music scoring for visual media, and music theory; DM composition, and PhD in music theory.
- Minimum grade of C or better for all other programs.
- Usually offered in spring and JSoM summer session.
DM Jazz Studies majors only
The examination in jazz theory is in two parts: written theory and aural skills. The written theory portion of the exam covers nomenclature, chord/scale theory, voice leading, and melodic, harmonic, and form analysis. The aural skills portion of the exam covers chord recognition, melodic and harmonic dictation, and recognition of common chord progressions and forms.
A grade of 70% or higher is required to pass each portion of the exam (written theory, aural skills). Students who do not achieve a passing score in their two permitted attempts, or who do not take the examinations, will be assigned to complete the appropriate proficiency course(s): O501 Fundamentals of Jazz Theory (1 credit - with a grade of B or higher), O514 Jazz Harmony (3 credits - with a grade of B or higher).
The jazz music history examination covers jazz history from the Reconstruction period in American History to the present. The exam is divided into three sections: early, middle, and late jazz history. It focuses on significant cultural events, major figures, elements of style, and includes listening recognition.
A grade of 70% or higher is required to pass each section of the examination. Students who do not pass the examination will be assigned one course to take from M591 Jazz History 1, M592 Jazz History 2, or M593 Jazz History 3 (each class is 3 credits) and must earn a grade of B or higher in the course.
Graduate Entrance Exam Schedules
Remember that students can take the graduate entrance exams only two times, and are not eligible to take them after their second session of enrollment (including summer). The exams are only offered once each semester, and always during orientation week.
Spring 2025
Only students who started their graduate programs in fall 2024 will be eligible to retake the graduate entrance exams in spring 2025. Details for DM Jazz Studies majors will be posted as they become available.
Schedule and locations subject to change. All times are Eastern Standard Time.
Graduate Entrance Examination in Music History and Literature:
Monday, January 6 from 10 to 11:30 am
The music history graduate entrance exam will be administered online, synchronously. More details will be sent by email.
Graduate Entrance Examination in Written Music Theory:
Tuesday, January 7 from 10 to 11:30 am
The written theory graduate entrance exam will be administered online, synchronously. More details will be sent by email.
Graduate Entrance Examination in Aural Music Theory:
Tuesday, January 7 from 11:45 to 12:45 pm
The aural theory graduate entrance exam will be administered online, synchronously. More details will be sent by email.
Graduate Entrance Examination in Sight Singing:
Wednesday, January 8 from 10 am to 1 pm
Sight singing exams will be online, for five minutes for each student, at individually appointed times.
Exam results will be given to new students before they enroll for spring 2025. Exam results for retakes will be given in time to make any necessary schedule changes for spring.
Summer 2025 (tentative schedule - all exams will be online)
- Music History Graduate Entrance Exam – Monday, May 12 from 10 to 11:30 am
- Written Theory Graduate Entrance Exam – Tuesday, May 13 from 10 to 11:30 am
- Aural Theory Graduate Entrance Exam – Tuesday, May 13 from 11:45 am to 12:45 pm
- Sight Singing Graduate Entrance exam – Wednesday, May 14 from 10 am to 1 pm