Music & Music Education

The School of Music is a fully accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). A distinguished faculty of active scholars and performers offers students flexible, professional programs in music that are enriched by Tulsa's heritage of cultural excellence.

The School of Music, School of Art, and Department of Theatre form the Division of Fine and Performing Arts, which offers programs that lead to professional careers in the arts and to the appreciation of the fine and performing arts.

The mission of the School of Music is to provide its students with a professional musical education that is consistent with the aims of a comprehensive university and relevant to a continually changing global and technological environment, to enrich the university's curriculum with course offerings and ensemble experiences available to all students, and to enhance campus and community life with quality concerts, recitals, and other programs and performances.

1. Develop technical skills requisite for artistic self-expression in at least one major performance area. Students must acquire an understanding of repertory in their major performance area, the ability to read at sight, rehearsal and conducting skills necessary to work as a leader, keyboard competency and collaborative competence and knowledge of repertory through regular and varied ensemble experiences. (Performance)
2. Develop an understanding of compositional processes, an ability to work conceptually with musical structures, and the ability to defend musical judgements. Demonstrate the ability to hear, identify and work conceptually with rhythm, melody, and harmony. (Musicianship Skills, Theory, Ear Training and Analysis)
3. Create and present original or derivative music, including jazz-specific course offerings and ensembles that focus on harmonization. (Composition/Improvisation)
4. Acquire knowledge of music literature and style periods from Greek Classicism to the contemporary era, and include components of World Music. (History and Repertory)
5. Demonstrate synthesis of musical and other skills acquired over the course of undergraduate study including senior recitals and student teaching. (Synthesis)

Let’s start with your grade point average (GPA). Yale admissions officers will calculate based on your high school transcript, which you’ll submit with your overall application.

Last year, the reported average high school GPA of an admitted student at Yale was a 4.19 out of 4.0, what we call a “weighted” GPA. However, unweighted GPAs are not very useful, because high schools weight GPAs differently. In truth, you need close to a 4.0 unweighted GPA to get into Yale. That means nearly straight As in every class.

Yale, like the rest of the Ivy League and most other colleges, requires either the SAT or ACT for admission. They have no preference between them, so choose the test that’s a better fit for you, thoroughly prepare for it, and plan to take it multiple times.

The average SAT and ACT composite scores for admitted students at Yale varies, as you can see in the table below. However, keep in mind that unless you fall into certain privileged categories (athletes, legacies, donors, etc.), your SAT/ACT score should be closer to the 75th percentile than the 25th percentile to ensure you’re maximizing your chances of admission.

TOEFL or IELTS is required of most applicants whose native language is not English.

If you have received (or will receive) an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction, and if you have studied in residence at that institution for at least three years, you are exempt from the English Language Test requirement and are not required to submit the TOEFL or IELTS. 

No exemptions are made on the basis of an advanced degree (e.g. M.A./M.S. or Ph.D.) from any institution.

When you complete your application, you will answer questions about your native language and the primary language of instruction at your baccalaureate institution. If either was English, you will not be required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores when you submit your application. No separate documentation is necessary. 

Identify the program and degree you want.

Verify the application deadline for your program.

Determine what standardized tests you need to take. Register early.

Determine what standardized tests you need to take. Register early.

Complete your application.