Graduate Admissions
Continue your studies in music
Join a thriving community of students pursuing advanced degrees in the musical arts. This page contains everything you need to know about admission requirements, the application process and timeline, and funding opportunities in the School of Music. If you have any questions, please contact James Doing.
We are now taking applications for standard entry in Fall 2027 as well as for special early entry in Summer 2027 (Music Education Summer Master’s Program).
Application process
Review the Graduate Application Guide and the essential information provided below.
Contact James Doing to tour our facilities and discuss the admissions process. You’re also welcome to contact our faculty to request a meeting or a sample lesson.
Application deadline: Tuesday, December 1, 2026
Essential information
Before being invited for a full audition, MM and DMA applicants will be prescreened based on their submitted portfolio. See the “Requirements by Area of Study” tab above for portfolio and audition guidelines.
While candidates are encouraged to travel to the UW-Madison campus for a live audition, all instrument areas offer a remote audition/interview option for those who need to stay at home. Conducting auditions must be completed on campus.
- Candidates in Jazz, Percussion, Piano, Strings, Voice, and Woodwinds will audition on one of our general Graduate Audition Days:
- Saturday, January 16, 2027
- Saturday, February 13, 2027
- Brass & Conducting auditions are scheduled and organized independently by the area faculty.
- Brass: Ad hoc, or on one of the general Graduate Audition Days
- Wind Conducting: February 1, 2027
- Choral Conducting: February 8 and 9, 2027
- Orchestral Conducting: February 18, 2027
- No audition is required for candidates in Composition, Musicology, and Music Education.
International students form a large and vital portion of our graduate student community. Please review the following policies before submitting your application:
Non-native speakers must submit an English proficiency score.
Unless eligible for an exemption according to the criteria stated below, students must provide a valid test score (TOEFL, IELTS, DuoLingo) meeting the minimum scores set by the Graduate School. This test score is due on December 1 along with the rest of the application materials. The School of Music will strictly enforce this requirement before granting an audition.
Exemption criteria (no test score required):
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution.
- Hold a Master’s degree from a U.S. institution within the last 5 years.
- Bachelor’s degree was in a different country but instruction was exclusively in English.
- Completed at least 2 semesters of instruction at an exclusively English-language institution within the last 5 years, not including ESL.
All international students must complete the Financial Statement.
If admitted, you will be required to complete a Financial Statement showing possession of sufficient funds to cover tuition and living expenses for one year (approximately $55,000). Click here for the current amount required.
A 50% Teaching Assistantship or 100% Fellowship in the School of Music will cover the entire amount required. A 33% Teaching Assistantship in the School of Music will cover about $48,000, leaving about $7,000 remaining, of which you must prove personal possession in order to finalize your admission.
Graduate funding comes primarily in the form of a Teaching Assistantship or Fellowship. All candidates for entry in Fall 2027* will be considered for the positions described in the Mead Witter School of Music Graduate Funding Summary.
Timeline:
- You do not need to apply for funding as part of your general application to UW-Madison. We assume that everyone is interested.
- Candidates who pass the initial screening will be invited to apply for available Teaching Assistantships in the School of Music. TA applications will be due on February 15, 2027.
- Admissions decisions will be finalized by March 1, 2027. Most students will be offered admission without an associated funding offer. After admission offers are finalized, faculty will review TA applications and fellowship nominations and will select winners from the pool of admitted students.
- The first round of funding offers will be sent as soon as possible, but no later than March 25, 2027, and students will remain eligible to receive an offer until all positions have been filled.
- UW-Madison subscribes to the Council of Graduate Schools April 15 Resolution, which prohibits a funding offer response deadline prior to April 15, 2027.
*Unfortunately, candidates for the Music Education Summer Master’s Program are not currently eligible for graduate funding in the School of Music.
Detailed admission statistics from the Fall 2026 cycle will be posted soon.
Admissions FAQ
All applications for entry in Summer 2027 and Fall 2027 are due on Tuesday, December 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM CST. This includes the very short School of Music application, the longer Graduate School application, and any associated portfolio materials & test scores.
See the “Graduate Application Guide” above for detailed instructions. If you have all of your materials ready, it should take about 2 hours to complete all steps.
No, the GRE is not required for any of our graduate programs.
Open the “Graduate Application Guide” above and review page 3: “How Do I Apply?”
You will upload an unofficial scan of your transcript or grade report to the initial application. This is all that we need for departmental purposes. Once you have been recommended for admission by the School of Music, the Graduate School will request an official transcript in order to finalize your admission.
Please do not send any materials to the Graduate School until you have been requested to do so.
You do not need to apply for TA funding as part of your initial application. You will be provided with TA application information after a successful prescreening during the first round of admissions review. See the “Funding” tab above for details.
Candidates for the Summer Master’s Program in Music Education are not eligible for TA funding and will not be invited to apply for these positions.
Log back into your Graduate School application to check the status of your letters.
The list you can see on your application status check is the same list that we see. Please do not inquire about the status of your letters. Inside the application, you will be able to send official reminders to any or all of your recommenders. You may enter an additional recommender, if necessary.
What if my letters are late?
Although your letters are technically due on December 1 along with the rest of your application, you will not be penalized for any delay on the part of your recommenders. However, be aware that faculty will begin reviewing application files shortly after December 1, so it is in your best interest to make sure your letters are submitted on time. Faculty may withhold their prescreening decision until all letters have been received.
Your application will be reviewed by the faculty in your area of study. If you are required to complete an audition, you will receive a prescreening decision no later than Monday, December 21. If you are not required to complete an audition, your file will be reviewed over winter break. Admission/funding decisions will be made in early spring. All decisions will be issued via email to the address you provided in your application.
As you’re thinking of housing, tuition, and other costs associated with attending UW–Madison, please keep in mind that the School of Music charges facilities-related fees.