MM, DMA candidates: Typically we are able to notify you within a few weeks about the results of your audition, but this can vary depending on the area of study. Some areas prefer to wait until all auditions are complete before making admission decisions.

MA, PhD candidates: Application files are reviewed shortly after the application deadline has passed. Decisions are generally made in January and February.

The School of Music will send you a letter with the admission decision. If you are recommended for admission, the Graduate School will be notified. You must be accepted by the Graduate School as well as the School of Music. In most cases, the Graduate School will send you a letter of admission within a short time. Sometimes the Graduate School will require additional information or forms before admitting you. This information will be available for you at your online Graduate School application page.

*We advise you to check your School of Music and Graduate School online application status frequently. It is important that you follow the progress of your application. If you have questions, the easiest and most efficient way to contact the Graduate Office is by email at gradadmissions@music.wisc.edu.*

Most decisions on financial aid are made by early April. The Graduate Admissions Office will notify you as soon as possible if you will be offered a Teaching Assistantship, Project Assistantship or Fellowship. If you have not heard from the School of Music by mid-April, a funding offer is unlikely. Feel free to contact the professor in your area with questions. All prospective students are encouraged to apply for financial aid through the UW Financial Aid Office.

The UW-Madison Graduate School sets minimum requirements for English Language proficiency (click here for more info). The School of Music requires a minimum score of 80(iBT) and may require higher proficiency for certain types of TA or PA appointments. AFTER an international student is admitted to the School of Music, the Graduate School will request a financial statement from the applicant. An international student must demonstrate sufficient assets to enable completion of a degree at UW-Madison. More detailed information is available at: http://www.grad.wisc.edu/education/admissions/financialinfo.html .

See the UW-Madison ISS (International Student Services) website for a variety of helpful information. http://iss.wisc.edu/

For most performance majors the Major Professor is the professor in whose studio you study. In some areas, such as String Development or Piano Performance and Pedagogy, this may not be the case. If you have a preference for a certain studio teacher, you may indicate your preference in your School of Music application, personal statement, at your audition, or in personal communication with the professor. When space is available in a professor's studio we do our best to honor your request.

See our Faculty Directory for professors in your area. They welcome contact from prospective students.

The School of Music will consider waiving some course requirements on evidence of satisfactory completion of an equivalent course as a graduate student at another institution. Each waiver needs the approval of the instructor in charge of the equivalent UW-Madison course and the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. Waivers are limited to a maximum of six credits. Transfer credits will not be evaluated until you have enrolled as a graduate student and may not count toward the residency requirement.

At UW-Madison School of Music, Masters degree students in performance typically complete the degree in four semesters of full-time enrollment. This time may be longer for students who need remedial work or who attend part-time. A minimum of 30 graduate-level credits must be completed at UW-Madison.

For the DMA program, students generally complete all required coursework in six semesters, assuming full-time enrollment. This includes at least 32 graduate credits at UW-Madison. After course requirements are fulfilled candidates typically complete the remainder of degree recitals and the Doctoral Research Project within two to three years.

Yes, the School of Music evaluates every student's work so that the School may certify to the Graduate School that the Candidate has completed all degree requirements satisfactorily. Masters degree students take Comprehensive Examinations consisting of questions from the Major Area and from the Music History area. For evaluation of a candidate's expertise in Music Theory, it is only necessary for the candidate to fulfill the standing degree requirements of a course in Music Theory. Music History students write a six hour exam in their third semester of study, followed by an oral exam. Music Theory and Ethnomusicology students do not take written exams, but instead defend their theses in an oral exam.

Yes - courses in Music Theory and Music History are required of all Master's degree students and most DMA students, and each of these courses requires a written paper.

The School of Music will administer a diagnostic examination in Music History to all new MM students. There is no diagnostic exam in Music Theory at the present time. At your initial advising appointment, your advisor will review your previous work and make recommendations for particular courses. Your major professor may also have recommendations for you.

In the DMA degree there is a distinct body of work called "Doctoral Performance and Research." For each student there is a Doctoral Performance and Research Committee that advises and evaluates this body of work. Doctoral Performance and Research includes degree recitals, lecture recitals and a Doctoral Research project. The number and nature of degree recitals and lecture recitals varies with each program, but most include four to six performances, including at least one lecture recital. The Doctoral Research Project may take a variety of formats, and the final product is not necessarily an extensive written document. The Project, however, must have prior approval by the Doctoral Performance and Research Committee.

Graduate students do not live on the UW-Madison campus. A limited amount of housing is available to student families and single graduate students in University apartments. Information on this is available at http://www.housing.wisc.edu/ . UW-Madison graduate students reside in a variety of locations through the city. Apartment rental information is available through http://housing.civc.wisc.edu/ . Information on neighborhoods in Madison is available through http://www.cityofmadison.com/neighborhoods/index.htm .

A very efficient bus transportation system serves the city of Madison, and is free to students. Routes and schedules are available at http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/metro/ .

There are excellent activities and kid friendly events all year long in Madison. Dane County keeps up a calendar of kid events and has a helpful website at: http://www.danecountykids.com .
There is also support for parents on campus at the Office of Child Care and Family Resources: http://www.housing.wisc.edu/OCCFR/ There is even Child Care Tuition Assistance available to students and staff on the UW-Madison campus.
For performing kids (and parents) there are many programs in Madison: http://www.madstage.com/.