Department of Music

GRE scores are highly recommended but not required. They are taken into consideration along with the entire dossier.

International students should visit the international admission section of the GSAS website for information on TOEFL, IELTS, and PTE requirements. The GSAS TOEFL school code is 3261.

PhD students in musicology who have completed graduate coursework at other institutions prior to entering the program may, after their first year in residence, apply by petition to the faculty for credit for up to two semester courses.

No coursework from other institutions or from the MA or MFA program at Brandeis may be counted toward the required courses for the PhD in Composition and Theory.

Brandeis is a member of the Boston Area Graduate Consortium. This consortium allows for Brandeis graduate students to take graduate level courses at Boston College, Boston University, and Tufts University as part of their tuition at Brandeis. A full-time graduate student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is permitted to enroll in no more than one graduate cross-registered course each term. This should be viewed as an opportunity to enhance their graduate experience, and not as a substitute for courses already offered at Brandeis. Graduate students wishing to consider this option must first discuss it with their Graduate Program Chair.

Although one can enroll in language courses to meet the language requirement, these courses do not count for credit toward the degree.

Students admitted to the PhD program are offered full tuition and living stipend by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, which is renewable based on successful academic progress for a total of 5 years. GSAS also offers graduate student awards, prizes, and annual travel grants for presenting papers and serving on panels at conferences and workshops.

For MA and MFA students partial need-based tuition scholarship is available from GSAS. The Music Department may also recommend additional merit scholarship, determined on a case-by-case basis.

Please refer to the separate web pages for each program, which describe the requirements in detail.

The online application is available on the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website.

The deadline for graduate applications for the PhD programs in music is January 15 for admission to the following fall term. For fall admission to the master's programs the application deadline is rolling until the class is full; classes begin in late August. For spring admission to the master's programs the application deadline is November 15 for the semester beginning in January.

All application materials should be uploaded with your online application or via your applicant self-service account. Composition students must also upload all scores and recordings in appropriate file formats as outlined in the application instructions.

Having a graduate degree is not required for application to the graduate programs in music.

Students may obtain both a master's and doctoral degree from Brandeis. However, only one master's degree in music will be permitted.

Completion of either of the two master's programs does not guarantee admission to the PhD program. A new application must be submitted and will be considered in relationship to the entire applicant pool for that particular year.

Brandeis music ensembles and chamber music classes are open to all graduate students. Auditions for most ensembles take place during the first week of classes.

Private lessons are available on a per-semester fee basis. View a list of instructors.

Graduate students are given 24/7 access to the Slosberg Music Center via a card swipe system.

There is a shared graduate office in Slosberg with three (Mac) computers and printer capability. The building has wireless capability.

The building has a number of practice rooms and classrooms all of which have grand pianos.

Generally, there is no graduate student housing on the Brandeis campus. However, many students are able to find convenient rental housing in Waltham that is only a short car or bus ride from campus. For a list of housing/apartments in Waltham, please contact Robin Mancini. Should you have a documented disability that may require you to be housed on campus, please contact Jessica Basile for more information.

Commuting by public transportation is very easy. There is a commuter rail stop adjacent to Brandeis with connections to Cambridge and North Station in Boston. Cambridge is approximately 20 minutes from campus; Boston is 30 minutes. There is also a shuttle bus that goes to Harvard Square and Boston Thursday through Sunday.