GRADUATE ADMISSION PROCEDURES

Applicants to the program must present necessary credentials for evaluation of previous training and experience to the School of Music. These include transcripts from all institutions previously attended showing a grade point average of at least 3.0 in all undergraduate study, submitted through the WVU Office of Admissions and Records. Applicants for music history and music theory must also submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination General Aptitude Test. Three letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to judge the applicant’s potential success as a graduate student in music must be submitted directly to the Director of Graduate Studies in Music.

Applicants are also required to demonstrate, by audition, their level of attainment in a principal performance area. The evaluation of performance proficiency is based on technical ability, repertoire, and musicianship. A listing of representative material for each performance area, graded by proficiency level, is available upon request. A recording may be submitted in cases where travel makes an audition impractical. Each degree option has established standards which must be met for admission. For performance majors, the estimated proficiency level must be confirmed by a jury examination at the end of the first semester of performance study. Credit in performance may be counted toward degree requirements only after the proficiency level prerequisite has been reached.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Application deadline for the most advantageous consideration is March 1. To pursue admission to our graduate degree programs, the following steps should be completed as early as possible:

  1. Submit your completed admission application with the $50 fee to the WVU Office of Admissions
  2. Request official transcripts from all institutions previously attended to be sent directly to the WVU Office of Admissions (not the School of Music)
  3. Submit the School of Music Application for Graduate Admission Graduate Application directly to the School of Music at PO Box 6111, Morgantown, WV 26506-6111
  4. Applicants for Music History and Music Theory must also submit scores from the Graduate Record Examination General Aptitude Test to the WVU Office of Admissions.
  5. Applicants seeking admission as composition majors must submit representative compositions directly to the School of Music for evaluation and approval.
  6. Applicants seeking admission as theory or history majors must submit a sample of writing, such as a term paper; a musical subject is recommended, but not required. Send directly to the School of Music.
  7. Three letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to judge your potential success in graduate study should be sent directly to the School of Music.

When your admissions file is complete, all applicants must schedule an audition and interview with the faculty in your area of specialization. Music Education students will schedule the audition/interview through the Music Education Faculty.

Students applying to graduate degree programs in Music Education must also:

  • Submit to the Office of Graduate Studies in Music a current resume.
  • Submit to the Office of Graduate Studies in Music an essay describing and discussing your training, experiences, and present interests in the field of Music Education. Also, discuss your career aspirations five years from now as they relate to earning master’s (or doctoral) degree in Music Education.
  • Submit to the Office of Graduate Studies in Music a video recording of teaching, preferably a K-12 music class or rehearsal. Please submit a detailed lesson plan for each class or rehearsal presented on your video of teaching. The video recording container should clearly indicate your name, instrument, and degree program for which you are applying. Recordings should have been made within the six months prior to the submission of the application. Video recordings must be of high quality. The preferable format is DVD, and the disc should clearly indicate that it is a DVD format. Applicants should review the video recording in its entirety to ensure audio, visual, and technical clarity before mailing. (This is not required if you are applying for the Master of Music, Music Education Certification option.)

Any tape recordings or videotapes submitted for your admissions file will be held no more than one year. If you would like such materials to be returned to you, please provide an appropriate, stamped envelope with a permanent mailing.


PROVISIONAL ADMISSION
Applicants whose GPA, audition or test scores do not meet the qualifications outlined above may be considered for acceptance as provisional or non-degree students. If, upon completion of up to 12 semester hours of graduate study, they have achieved a minimum of a B (3.0) average, and any previous undergraduate deficiencies or other conditions have been satisfied, such students may be accepted as degree students.

INTERNATIONAL ADMISSION
International applicants should forward a letter of inquiry one year before they intend to begin study in the United States. The University receives a large number of applications from international students. For this reason and because of the time required for the student to make visa and financial arrangements, April 1 has been established as a deadline after which completed applications cannot be guaranteed for fall admission. International students applying for admission to West Virginia University must submit the following to the Office of Admissions and Records, PO Box 6009:

  1. A completed international student admission application
  2. The mandatory application fee
  3. Results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). TOEFL results must be sent directly to WVU by the Educational Testing Service. A minimum score of 79 is required for the current TOEFL exam. Students who have taken the older paper based TOEFL exam need a score of 550. Students who have taken the older computer based TOEFL exam need a score of 213
  4. Original or certified copies of the applicant’s official academic record in the original language of issue.
  5. Official English translations of academic record and Certificates/Diplomas. International applicants who have completed high school in the United States may also be required to submit ACT or SAT results.