Performance Proficiency
Proficiencies more than 7 years old must be revalidated for master's students. Proficiencies more than 10 years old must be revalidated for doctoral students.
Doctoral students must complete this proficiency before they will be eligible to begin qualifying exams. Master's students must complete this proficiency in order to graduate.
All candidates for music graduate degrees in areas other than music performance (composition, computer music composition, conducting, music education, music scoring for visual media, music theory, and musicology) are required to demonstrate a minimum level of music performance ability equivalent to the end of the second year for elective undergraduate students in that area.
Students who have completed a minimum of four semesters of private lessons at the college level [at any time] will be considered to have met this requirement. Contact the Music Graduate Office to see if this policy applies to you.
For other students, proficiency may be demonstrated in any of three ways:
- in person before a faculty auditioning committee, one voting member of which shall at the student's request be a faculty member in the student’s major area;
- by completion of performance study as a graduate outside area or minor; or
- by two semesters of performance study as a graduate elective. The grade in each semester of performance study must be B or higher.
Option no. 1 (auditioning before a faculty committee) may be used only during the first two semesters of enrollment. Students should consult the appropriate performance departmentchair for detailed information on the required level (click here for more details).
The performance area must ordinarily be one in which instruction is offered at the 700 (elective) level in the Jacobs 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 Jacobs 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.