Admissions

Students may apply for admission to undergraduate music study at the University of Central Arkansas for the fall, spring, or summer terms. Applicants are encouraged to begin the application process late in their junior year or early in their senior year of high school.

In addition to meeting the general requirements for admission to the University of Central Arkansas, students desiring to pursue a major or minor in music must submit a Music application and supporting materials to the Department of Music. All prospective music majors and minors must audition for admission to the program.

 

APPLICATION FOR PROSPECTIVE MUSIC STUDENTS:

To be considered for undergraduate admission to a music degree program and/or a music scholarship, please also fill out the Music Department Application AND click here for UCA Admission if you would like to go purple!

Graduate students should begin with Graduate Admissions.

 

Think you might want to be a music major?

Majoring in music means not only performing, but also taking academic classes in music.  These classes cover music history, music theory (the mechanics of how music works), and ear training.  In addition to studying your primary instrument or voice, you will also be required to enroll in Piano courses.

In order to do your best in these classes, you will need to do some PREPARATION before your freshman year.  This may mean taking the INITIATIVE in teaching yourself subjects that are not offered in your high school.  The link below will take you to a document that will help you get started with studies in:

  • music fundamentals
  • ear training
  • piano
  • music literature

Preparing for College Courses in Music

 

Admission from High School:

• Submit all general materials to the UCA admissions office.
• Submit music application to Department of Music.
• Audition in the principal applied area. A satisfactory audition is essential to determine acceptability to the department. Students may not declare a major or minor in music without an official audition.
• Audition for placement in piano. Piano proficiency is not required for admission. All students will be placed in an appropriate level of piano instruction. Time and date of placement tests will be sent to all students who audition.
• Complete the Basic Musicianship Evaluation, a brief test of rudimentary music skills. Both the audition and the Basic Musicianship Evaluation are vital in the screening process.

Admission as a Transfer from Another College:

• Same as admission from high school.
• Examinations in theory and music literature/history are required for placement or verification of transfer credits in music courses.

Departmental Graduate Admission Requirements:

To gain admission to the graduate program in music, prospective students must meet all requirements set forth by the UCA Graduate School, with the exception of the GRE, which is not required. In addition to Graduate School requirements, prospective students must complete the following Department of Music requirements:

For performance and conducting areas:

An audition with area faculty. Performance in the area of specialization is to reflect the basic proficiency of a college undergraduate.

For vocal performance:

Diction and comprehension examinations in French, German, and Italian will be given before or during the first semester, with deficiencies to be cleared before graduation. A score of 70% or higher will be considered satisfactory and no formal review will be necessary; a student who earns a score below 70% will need to take and pass a one-hour review course in the tested language. Possible review courses include MUS 5101 (French Diction Review), MUS 5102 (German Diction Review), and MUS 5103 (Italian Diction Review). MUS 5101, 5102, and 5103 do NOT count toward a graduate degree and may add to a student’s overall course load. These classes DO count toward the requirement to carry 9 hours of graduate credit per semester.

For choral conducting:

A video-recorded performance of the applicant’s ensemble. Diction and comprehension exams in French, German, Italian, and Latin, will be given before or during the first semester, with deficiencies to be cleared before graduation. A score of 70% or higher will be considered satisfactory and no formal review will be necessary; a student who earns a score below 70% will need to take and pass a one-hour review course in the tested language. Possible review courses include MUS 5101 (French Diction Review), MUS 5102 (German Diction Review), MUS 5103 (Italian Diction Review), and MUS 5104 (Latin Diction Review). MUS 5101, 5102, 5103, and 5104 do NOT count toward a graduate degree and may add to a student’s overall course load. These classes DO count toward the requirement to carry 9 hours of graduate credit per semester.

For music theory:

A score of at least 75% on the University of Central Arkansas Department of Music Theory Diagnostic Exam, to be given before acceptance into the program; and a writing sample (undergraduate paper and/or directed essay) submitted to the Music Theory faculty.

Click here for more information on Graduate Admission Requirements

International Students
International students must have a TOFEL score that meets UCA International Admission requirements or will be enrolled in the Intensive English Program.
Auditions
Music audition requirements vary from area to area. For detailed information, please refer to our audition page.