Bachelor of Music at Yale University

Yale University

United States of America, New Haven

University Rank:#21

The Music is a Bachelor degree offered by Yale University at its main campus in New Haven , United States of America. The program is delivered on campus as a Full Time course in English and requires approximately 4 years to complete. Students study at the university's main campus while gaining the knowledge and practical experience expected for this area of study. The next intake is available from August 31, 2027.

About Bachelor of Music

Director of undergraduate studies: Anna Zayaruznaya, 205 STOECK, 432-2996; yalemusic.yale.edu

The Department of Music offers introductory and advanced instruction in the history of music, the theory of music, composition, music technology, and performance. The Music major provides a general music program in the humanities, as well as preparation for graduate studies or for careers in music.

Courses for Nonmajors and Majors

Introductory courses, numbered from 100 to 199, are open to all undergraduates and require no previous experience in music.

Qualified students, whether majoring in music or not, may offer up to four terms of instruction in performance for academic credit toward the 36-course-credit requirement for the bachelor's degree. Of these four course credits, only two may be applied to the major in Music. Auditions for lessons are held at the beginning of the fall term; students sign up at the School of Music auditions website. Students who audition for lessons are placed into one of three groups: (1) noncredit instruction for a fee; (2) lessons for academic credit at the intermediate level (MUSI 345), graded Pass/Fail; or (3) lessons for academic credit at the advanced level (MUSI 445), graded A-F. Only students with exceptional proficiency are placed into MUSI 445.

Students accepted for noncredit instruction are charged $550 for ten hours of lessons per term or $350 for six hours of lessons per term. The fees are added to the Student Financial Services bill and are not refundable after the first two weeks of lessons each term.

Course Numbering

Introductory courses are numbered from 100 to 199. Intermediate courses, numbered between 200 and 399, may require prerequisites or a familiarity with music notation. Advanced courses, numbered between 400 and 494, are intended for students who have completed intermediate courses in the relevant field. They are intended primarily for students majoring in music, but they may be elected by others who meet the stated prerequisites.

Corequisites and Lessons

Students taking MUSI 345 or 445 are required to enroll concurrently in a non-introductory music theory or music history course for two terms, or they must complete one term of the theory/history requirement before enrolling in MUSI 345 or 445 for the first time, and another before enrolling in MUSI 345 or 445 again. MUSI 345 is taken pass/fail; MUSI 445 and the corequisites are taken for a letter grade. Eligible corequisites include MUSI 110 or any course designated as Group I, III, or IV within the music major (i.e. courses numbered 200-219, 250-299, 300-319, 350-399, 400-419, 450-499).

Placement Procedures

There is no longer a placement test for the music theory curriculum; instead we invite students to identify the right course for them by using our self-placement guide, and to consult with the course instructors.

Requirements of the Major

Thirteen courses are required, two intermediate courses and one advanced course in each of four groups, and the senior requirement. Group I (MUSI 200-219; 300-319; 400-419) includes music theory and technology courses focused on the materials and structures of musical works and repertoires. Group II (MUSI 220-249; 320-349; 420-449) includes composition, technology, and performance courses with a practical focus on techniques of artistic production. Group III (MUSI 250-274; 350-374; 450-474) includes lectures and seminars taking a research- and writing-based approach to the Western art-music tradition. Group IV (MUSI 275-299; 375-399; 475-494) includes lectures and seminars taking a research- and writing-based approach to popular or vernacular music or to music of non-Western traditions.

Credit/D/Fail Courses taken Credit/D/Fail may not be counted toward the requirements of the major.

Senior Requirement

Each student majoring in Music must satisfy the senior requirement by completing a senior essay, composition, or recital in MUSI 496, 497, 498, or 499.

The standard major Students must submit a completed Senior Project Form to the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) by the end of the course selection period in the term during which the project will be completed. The Senior Project Form, available in the departmental office, includes a brief description of the project and a timeline for completion. The form must be signed by the project's primary and secondary advisers, at least one of whom is a member of the faculty of the Department of Music.

The intensive major The intensive major is for students of high standing who are qualified to do sustained independent and original work in music research or in composition. Students wishing to elect the intensive major must register for the senior project in the fall term of their senior year (MUSI 497-499). A plan for progress must be included in the project proposal at the beginning of the fall term, specifying a deliverable end-of-term product with approximately the same scope as a one-term senior project. Upon satisfactory completion of this work, a student may be admitted to the intensive major, which consists of a second term of registration for the senior project (MUSI 497-499). The additional course for the intensive major is supplementary to the thirteen term courses that constitute the standard major.

Advising

Simultaneous B.A./M.A. program Undergraduates with exceptionally strong preparation in music history or music theory may complete a course of study leading to the simultaneous award of the B.A. and M.A. degrees after eight terms of enrollment. Students may not enroll in Yale College for more than eight terms to qualify for the simultaneous award of both degrees. Declared majors in Music may apply for the program until the last day of classes in their fifth term of enrollment, if they have completed at least two graduate courses in the Department of Music, at least one numbered 700 or higher, with grades of B+ or above, and if their overall grade average is A- or above. Applicants must demonstrate progress toward proficiency in a foreign language examined by the Department of Music.

Students in the simultaneous program fulfill the requirements for the intensive major in Music. They also take eight graduate courses in the Department of Music, with average grades of B+ or higher and grades of A or A- in at least two of the courses. They satisfy the Yale College requirements for the program (see Academic Regulations, section L, Special Academic Arrangements, â€œSimultaneous Award of the Bachelor's and Master's Degreesâ€), and they pass a departmental examination in a modern foreign language.

B.A./M.M. program The Bachelor of Arts/Master of Music program is designed for students with outstanding abilities in performance who are also interested in a liberal arts education. Admission to the B.A./M.M. program is through acceptance into Yale College as well as a separate, successful audition through the School of Music, either before matriculation into Yale College or during the third year of the B.A. program. For details regarding the B.A./M.M. program, please consult the Yale School of Music online bulletin.

Students cannot accelerate the undergraduate program in the B.A./M.M. program.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE MAJOR

Prerequisites None

Number of courses 13 term courses numbered 200 or above (incl senior req)

Specific courses required None

Distribution of courses 2 intermediate courses and 1 advanced course from each group I-IV

Senior requirement One-term senior essay, composition, or recital in MUSI 496-499

Intensive major Two-term senior essay or project in MUSI 497-499; additional course is supplementary to the thirteen course req

Disciplines

FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Music at Yale University

Entry Requirements

$80 application fee or fee waiver
Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor
School Report with transcript
Standardized test results (ACT or SAT) - not required for fall 2023 admission. (See below)
English proficiency test results - required for non-native English-speakers (See below)
Mid-Year Report & Final Report

See additional details about these required application components below.

Please note that if your application materials include any documents that are not in English, you must provide an official English translation in addition to the original documents.

$80 application fee or fee waiver

Applicants should pay the $80 application fee via the Common Application or Coalition Application website.

Applicants using the Common Application or Coalition Application may request that the application fee be waived. Learn more on the fee waiver page. The fee waiver scale is based on family size and income in US dollars but is applicable to all international students.

Recommendations from two teachers and one counselor

Request recommendations from two teachers who have taught you in core academic subjects (e.g. English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) who know you well, and who have seen you at your best. It is preferable, but not required, that recommendations come from teachers who have taught you during your final or next-to-final year of secondary school.

Also request a recommendation from your school’s college counselor. If your counselor does not know you well, the recommendation may still provide helpful contextual information about your school and its academic programs. If your school does not have someone serving as a college counselor, please request a recommendation from a school administrator such as a house master, principal, or academic advisor.

School Report with transcript

Your counselor or other school official should submit a School Report with an official transcript that includes all your secondary school courses. If a question on the School Report form is not applicable to your secondary school, leave it blank.

Recommendations and transcripts should be submitted electronically through the Common Application or Coalition Application website. If necessary, teachers and counselors may also submit their recommendations and transcripts via mail or digital upload. Recommendations may be sent before or after you submit your application; materials that arrive before your application will be kept on file. The admissions office will make reasonable allowances for late school documents in situations where it is not possible for teachers and counselors to meet the application deadlines.

Standardized test results

In response to the extraordinary circumstances associated with the pandemic, Yale has temporarily suspended its requirement that first-year and transfer applicants submit results from the ACT or SAT. The change will be in effect during the 2022-23 admissions cycles for applicants who intend to matriculate in fall 2023.

More information on Yale’s test policies is available on the standardized testing page. Standardized tests are just one component of a student’s application and are viewed within the context of the student’s entire file. There is no minimum score required for admission, nor is there a score that will guarantee admission.

English proficiency exams

Yale requires that non-native English-speakers who have not taken at least two years of secondary education where English is the medium of instruction submit the results from any of the proficiency tests listed below.

The TOEFL requires pre-registration for available testing dates. Yale’s most competitive applicants have scores of at least 100 on the internet-based TOEFL.

The IELTS offers proficiency tests in locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have IELTS scores of 7 or higher.

Cambridge English exams are available at testing locations around the world. Pre-registration is required. Yale’s most competitive applicants have Cambridge English scores of 185 or higher on the C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency, or B2 First exams.

Applicants may submit the Duolingo English Test (DET), which combines an English proficiency test with a brief video interview. Duolingo’s technology and format allows applicants to complete the test at any time or place with internet access. Yale’s most competitive applicants have DET scores of at least 120.

InitialView provides live, unscripted video interviews that candidates may submit to colleges for consideration with other application materials. Interview times must be reserved in advance. There is no scoring associated with these interviews.

Mid-Year Report & Final Report

Students who do not receive new secondary school grades by February 1, including students who have already completed secondary school, are not required to submit a Mid-Year Report. This includes many international students. Applicants who receive new grades by February 1 should submit a Mid-Year Report.

Only admitted students are required to submit the Final Report, which provides final secondary school grades and examination marks. Admitted students submit the Final Report in the summer before fall matriculation.

If your secondary school provides predicted results for external exams such as A-levels, the International Baccalaureate, and other international or national testing organizations, they should be submitted by your school alongside your transcript or Mid-Year Report.

Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Music at Yale University

Application Fee 80

How to Apply for Bachelor of Music at Yale University

All applicants for first-year admission must submit one of the following:

The Coalition Application with Yale-Specific Questions
The Common Application with Yale-Specific Questions
The QuestBridge National College Match Application

Yale will accept any one of these applications, without preference for one over another. Students should submit one—and only one—application per admissions cycle.

Bachelor of Music at Yale University

Yale University

United States of America, New Haven