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Doctor of Musical Arts Application Requirements

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Applications must be submitted by the stated deadlines. Majors that are not pre-screened are guaranteed an audition. Pre-screened majors are reviewed for audition invitations. All applicants invited to audition must do so live in New York. The Juilliard School does not accept video auditions. Those applicants scheduled for auditions will receive notification approximately one month prior to the audition. Pre-screening results will also be sent at that time. No admissions decisions will be confirmed until all credentials and required documents are on file. All applicants are notified of their acceptance status via the online application or e-mail. Notification will be sent by the Office of Admissions approximately one month after the audition and no later than April 1. You may not apply more than two times to any degree level in the Music Division if you receive unfavorable results.

  1. Official transcripts, TOEFL scores (if applicable), and pre-screening materials (if applicable) must be received by December 1, 2011. All other Supplement Parts are due February 15. Applications without required transcripts and TOEFL (if applicable) by December 1, 2011 will be discontinued – late materials will not be accepted.
  2. Applicants must hold both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, or their equivalent from a foreign institution, by the time they enroll at Juilliard. For graduates of foreign institutions, equivalency information and translations may be obtained through World Education Services, (212) 966-6311, and are also due by December 1, 2011.
  3. Applicants must demonstrate, by means of their academic records, a personal interview, and results from the written exam, that they possess the broad musical learning and superior intellectual aptitudes required for doctoral work and for teaching at the college level.
  4. Admissions decisions for D.M.A. applicants are made by the Doctoral Governance Committee, which consists of representatives from the graduate faculty and administration, and is chaired by the vice president for library and information resources.

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Application Fee

The $110 application fee is nonrefundable. Make check or money order payable to The Juilliard School. All checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and must be received by December 1, 2011. Payment by credit card is only available for applications submitted online.  Application fee waivers are available only for eligible undergraduate applicants.

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Transcripts

Documentation of post-secondary schooling is an essential component of the application process. Applicants must supply official transcripts of all previous college / conservatory / university studies demonstrating scholastic competence sufficient to succeed in course work at the doctoral level.

Applicants should send the official transcripts of school records to be received by Juilliard by December 1, 2011. Official transcripts must be in a sealed envelope, or be sent directly from the issuing institution. This applies to U.S. and international applicants. Applications without required transcripts by December 1 will be discontinued. Late materials will not be accepted. Please note that December 1 is NOT a post-marked deadline.

Current Juilliard College Students do not need to request Juilliard transcripts be sent to Admissions.

Formerly enrolled Juilliard College Students do not need to request Juilliard transcripts be sent to Admissions, however, they should provide transcripts for any other institutions attended after their tenure at Juilliard.

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Proof of English Language Proficiency

The ability to speak, read, and understand English fluently is an important factor in admissions decisions. A Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) will be required of applicants for whom English is not the native language, regardless of citizenship or years of study at English language institutions.

Minimum score requirements for Doctoral applicants:

Program IBT Total IBT Writing CBT Total CBT Essay PBT Total
Doctor of Musical Arts 102 30 253 6.0 610
  1. Applicants for whom English is not a native language must submit an official copy of their TOEFL by December 1, 2011. Photocopies, faxes, and student copies are not acceptable. Applications without required TOEFL scores which meet the minimum requirement (see above) by December 1 will be discontinued. Late materials will not be accepted. Please note that December 1 is NOT a post-marked deadline.
  2. Applicants should take a TOEFL by October 2011 in order to have the score submitted to the Admissions Office by December 1.
  3. Juilliard does not grant exemptions to the TOEFL requirement, regardless of an applicant’s citizenship status in the U.S., or study at other universities, colleges, or conservatories taught in English.
  4. Applicants who submitted a TOEFL score report to their undergraduate/graduate institutions that meets our minimum requirements may request their Registrar’s Office to send to us directly an official photocopy of the score report in a sealed school envelope. It is important to note that not all schools will release this information and applicants who wish to pursue this option should research it well in advance so as to leave themselves time to take another TOEFL, if necessary.
  5. The Juilliard School’s CEEB code is 002340.
  6. Visit the TOEFL Web site for more information.

Current and Former Juilliard College Students do not need to submit another TOEFL.

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Essays

All applicants are required to submit two essays as a component of the online application. Juilliard’s Admissions Committee uses your essays to learn more about you as an individual, and gain a sense of who you are beyond your application, transcript and audition.  Essays should be 1 - 2 pages, double-spaced, in a 12 point font.

D.M.A. applicants must complete both 1 and 2 of the following:

  1. Explain your motivation for pursuing the D.M.A. degree, what you might want to explore as your D.M.A. document, and how your experience in the doctoral program will be relevant to your performing and/or academic career.
  2. Who has been your most influential teacher and why?

Your essays should be submitted through the online application. Please do not also submit hard copies of your essays via post.

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Dossier

Applicants must submit a dossier containing documentation of professional accomplishments in performance or composition. This should include programs from public performances, and a complete repertoire list, including examples of important works from the contemporary literature. Please note that a résumé does not fulfill this requirement.

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Graded Paper

Applicants must submit a substantial graded paper on a musical topic (written in English). Translated papers are not acceptable. The paper should be the original document (strongly preferred but a photocopy is acceptable), including the grade granted and comments (if given). Applicants who do not have an original, graded paper should prepare and submit a research paper on a musical topic which is at least five pages in length and includes a bibliography and at least one footnote.

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Letters of Recommendation

Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. Letters should address the applicant’s academic and performance potential for the DMA program. Juilliard strongly prefers that letters be submitted through the online application system.

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Audition

  1. Majors that are not pre-screened are guaranteed an audition. Pre-screened majors are reviewed for audition invitations.
  2. All applicants invited to audition must do so live in New York; The Juilliard School does not accept video auditions, under any circumstances.
  3. The DMA audition process will take at least two days (up to four for composers). In general, applicants should plan to be available for the entire day following the scheduled audition date. Applicants must be available for all portions of the audition process in order to be considered for admission.
  4. Applicants must demonstrate, through audition, a professional level of musical accomplishment. Performers must present the selections specified for the major field of study. (Please note: there is a performance callback for flute applicants only.)
  5. Upon the strong recommendation of the audition panel, applicants will be invited to a required interview with members of the Doctoral Governance Committee, usually on the day following the audition. Interviews are scheduled daily by the Admissions Office as audition results become available. This interview is, in effect, a callback for D.M.A. applicants. Applicants not invited to the interview may reasonably conclude that they are no longer under consideration for admission.
  6. D.M.A. applicants must also take a written exam in music theory and music history. Exams are given Monday through Thursday during the audition week and include exercises in harmonization and counterpoint, as well as a music history component.
  • See here for audition dates and specific audition repertoire requirements.

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